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Workplace environmental conditions and life satisfaction in Spain

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  • García-Mainar, Inmaculada
  • Montuenga, Víctor M.
  • Navarro-Paniagua, María

Abstract

This paper expands the research on subjective well-being and outdoor environmental conditions by considering environmental conditions indoors. Specifically, we examine the impact on life satisfaction of self-perceived levels of air and noise pollution in the workplace. We provide a monetary valuation of these environmental conditions, using the life-satisfaction approach. Our results demonstrate that poor air quality and high noise levels in the workplace markedly diminish life satisfaction. This holds even after we control for potential endogeneity arising from simultaneity of self-perceived workplace environmental variables and life satisfaction, by employing an instrumental variable strategy.

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  • García-Mainar, Inmaculada & Montuenga, Víctor M. & Navarro-Paniagua, María, 2015. "Workplace environmental conditions and life satisfaction in Spain," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 119(C), pages 136-146.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ecolec:v:119:y:2015:i:c:p:136-146
    DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolecon.2015.08.017
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    3. Yenniel Mendoza & Roger Loyola & Alonso Aguilar & Roberto Escalante, 2019. "Valuation of Air Quality in Chile: The Life Satisfaction Approach," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 145(1), pages 367-387, August.
    4. Arik Levinson, 2020. "Happiness and Air Pollution," Working Papers gueconwpa~20-20-03, Georgetown University, Department of Economics.
    5. Janka Vydrová, 2018. "Appropriate Working Conditions As A Key Factor For Employee Satisfaction In Selected Healthcare Organizations," Contemporary Economy Journal, Constantin Brancoveanu University, vol. 3(4), pages 214-222.
    6. Yongliang Yang & Jing Fang & Wen Wang & Yan Li & Yi Li, 2021. "The Impact of Air Quality on Effective Labor Supply: Based on the Survey Data of Zhejiang Province in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(7), pages 1-22, April.
    7. Iban Ortuzar & Gemma Renart & Angels Xabadia, 2021. "Effects of Public Healthcare Budget Cuts on Life Satisfaction in Spain," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 156(1), pages 311-337, July.

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