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The determinants of work autonomy and employee involvement: A multilevel analysis

Author

Listed:
  • Helena Lopes

    (Instituto Universitário de Lisboa (ISCTE-IUL), DINÂMIA’CET -IUL, Lisboa, Portugal)

  • Teresa Calapez

    (Instituto Universitário de Lisboa (ISCTE-IUL), BRU-IUL, Lisboa, Portugal)

  • Diniz Lopes

    (Instituto Universitário de Lisboa (ISCTE-IUL), CIS-IUL, Lisboa, Portugal)

Abstract

Although the effects of work autonomy (WA) and employee involvement (EI) have been largely studied, their determinants, especially at the macro/institutional level, have attracted much less attention. To better understand (a) the extent to which WA and EI are distinct constructs and (b) the factors that explain their respective levels, this article uses the 2010 European Working Conditions Survey to build sound indexes of WA and EI, provide a picture of the level of both constructs in 33 European countries and analyse their predictors through a multilevel structural model. The results show that WA and EI differ in what concerns their macro-level but not micro-level predictors. Whereas union density and generalized trust strongly influence EI, only generalized trust impacts WA. Documenting that generalized trust as a macro-social trait is powerfully associated with organizational choices is a key contribution of the article.

Suggested Citation

  • Helena Lopes & Teresa Calapez & Diniz Lopes, 2017. "The determinants of work autonomy and employee involvement: A multilevel analysis," Economic and Industrial Democracy, Department of Economic History, Uppsala University, Sweden, vol. 38(3), pages 448-472, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:ecoind:v:38:y:2017:i:3:p:448-472
    DOI: 10.1177/0143831X15579226
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Neve Abgeller & Reinhard Bachmann & Tony Dobbins & Deirdre Anderson, 2024. "Responsible autonomy: The interplay of autonomy, control and trust for knowledge professionals working remotely during COVID-19," Economic and Industrial Democracy, Department of Economic History, Uppsala University, Sweden, vol. 45(1), pages 57-82, February.
    2. Helena Lopes & Teresa Calapez, 2021. "Job polarisation: Capturing the effects of work organisation," The Economic and Labour Relations Review, , vol. 32(4), pages 594-613, December.

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