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Are Schools Different? Wellbeing and Commitment Among Staff in Schools and Elsewhere

Author

Listed:
  • Alex Bryson

    (University College London, National Institute of Social and Economic Research and Institute for the Study of Labor)

  • Lucy Stokes

    (National Institute of Social and Economic Research)

  • David Wilkinson

    (University College London, National Institute of Social and Economic Research)

Abstract

Using nationally representative linked employer-employee data for Britain in 2004 and 2011 we find school staff are more satisfied and more contented with their jobs than "like" employees in other workplaces. The differentials are largely accounted for by the occupations school employees undertake and perceptions of job quality. School employees are also more committed to their organization than non-school employees, a difference that remains large and statistically significant having conditioned on job quality, human resource management practices (HRM), managerial style and other features of employees' working environment. Using panel data for workplaces and their employees observed in 2004 and 2011 we find increases in organizational commitment are linked to improvements in workplace performance in schools, but not in other workplaces.

Suggested Citation

  • Alex Bryson & Lucy Stokes & David Wilkinson, 2018. "Are Schools Different? Wellbeing and Commitment Among Staff in Schools and Elsewhere," DoQSS Working Papers 18-03, Quantitative Social Science - UCL Social Research Institute, University College London.
    • Handle: RePEc:qss:dqsswp:1803
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Andrew J. Oswald & Eugenio Proto & Daniel Sgroi, 2015. "Happiness and Productivity," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 33(4), pages 789-822.
    2. Bartel, Ann P. & Freeman, Richard B. & Ichniowski, Casey & Kleiner, Morris M., 2011. "Can a workplace have an attitude problem? Workplace effects on employee attitudes and organizational performance," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 18(4), pages 411-423, August.
    3. White, Michael & Bryson, Alex, 2013. "Positive employee attitudes: how much human resource management do you need?," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 51167, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
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    Cited by:

    1. John Jerrim & Sam Sims & Rebecca Allen, 2021. "The mental health and wellbeing of teachers in England," DoQSS Working Papers 21-01r, Quantitative Social Science - UCL Social Research Institute, University College London.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    schools; teachers; job satisfaction; job contentment; organizational commitment; school performance; human resource management; managerial style;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I21 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Analysis of Education

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