IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/ariqol/v18y2023i3d10.1007_s11482-023-10145-4.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Can Teleworking Improve Workers’ Job Satisfaction? Exploring the Roles of Gender and Emotional Well-Being

Author

Listed:
  • Zhuofei Lu

    (University of Manchester)

  • Wei Zhuang

    (University of Manchester
    University of Manchester)

Abstract

With the rise of teleworking during the past decades, the impacts of teleworking on job satisfaction have been extensively debated. Teleworking might benefit workers by improving work-life balance and emotional well-being, but it also brings considerable challenges. This study empirically investigates the impacts of teleworking on workers’ enjoyment across daily working episodes and job satisfaction and its gendered patterns, using Ordinary Least Squares regressions and the latest nationally representative time-use survey data in the UK. Moreover, it uses the Karlson/Holm/Breen (KHB) decomposition method to examine the role of enjoyment at work in mediating the associations between teleworking and job satisfaction. Overall, this study yields two major findings. First, among men, teleworkers tend to have higher levels of enjoyment at work and job satisfaction, but this is not the case for women. Second, around 46% of teleworking’s positive impacts on men’s job satisfaction can be explained by higher levels of enjoyment at work. Taken together, by integrating different theoretical perspectives on teleworking, gender and emotional well-being, this study provides interdisciplinary insights into the nuanced social consequences of teleworking, highlights the disadvantaged position of women in the use of teleworking, and demonstrates the need to enhance emotional well-being in future labour market policies.

Suggested Citation

  • Zhuofei Lu & Wei Zhuang, 2023. "Can Teleworking Improve Workers’ Job Satisfaction? Exploring the Roles of Gender and Emotional Well-Being," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 18(3), pages 1433-1452, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:ariqol:v:18:y:2023:i:3:d:10.1007_s11482-023-10145-4
    DOI: 10.1007/s11482-023-10145-4
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s11482-023-10145-4
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s11482-023-10145-4?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Richard Breen & Kristian Bernt Karlson & Anders Holm, 2013. "Total, Direct, and Indirect Effects in Logit and Probit Models," Sociological Methods & Research, , vol. 42(2), pages 164-191, May.
    2. Helena Lopes & Sérgio Lagoa & Teresa Calapez, 2014. "Work autonomy, work pressure, and job satisfaction: An analysis of European Union countries," The Economic and Labour Relations Review, , vol. 25(2), pages 306-326, June.
    3. Senhu Wang & Lambert Zixin Li & Zhuofei Lu & Shuanglong Li & David Rehkopf, 2022. "Work Schedule Control and Allostatic Load Biomarkers: Disparities Between and Within Gender," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 163(3), pages 1249-1267, October.
    4. Heejung Chung & Mariska van der Horst, 2020. "Flexible Working and Unpaid Overtime in the UK: The Role of Gender, Parental and Occupational Status," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 151(2), pages 495-520, September.
    5. Wunder, Christoph & Heineck, Guido, 2013. "Working time preferences, hours mismatch and well-being of couples: Are there spillovers?," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 24(C), pages 244-252.
    6. Daniel Arturo Cernas-Ortiz & Lau Wai-Kwan, 2021. "Social connectedness and job satisfaction in Mexican teleworkers during the pandemic: the mediating role of affective well-being," Estudios Gerenciales, Universidad Icesi, vol. 37(158), pages 37-48, March.
    7. Ulrich Kohler & Kristian Bernt Karlson & Anders Holm, 2011. "Comparing coefficients of nested nonlinear probability models," Stata Journal, StataCorp LP, vol. 11(3), pages 420-438, September.
    8. Senhu Wang & Wanying Ling & Zhuofei Lu & Yuewei Wei & Min Li & Ling Gao, 2022. "Can Volunteering Buffer the Negative Impacts of Unemployment and Economic Inactivity on Mental Health? Longitudinal Evidence from the United Kingdom," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(11), pages 1-12, June.
    9. Ulrich Kohler, 2011. "Comparing coefficients between nested nonlinear probability models," German Stata Users' Group Meetings 2011 08, Stata Users Group.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Zhuofei Lu & Senhu Wang & Yaojun Li & Xiyuan Liu & Wendy Olsen, 2023. "Who Gains Mental Health Benefits from Work Autonomy? The Roles of Gender and Occupational Class," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 18(4), pages 1761-1783, August.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Zhuofei Lu & Senhu Wang & Yaojun Li & Xiyuan Liu & Wendy Olsen, 2023. "Who Gains Mental Health Benefits from Work Autonomy? The Roles of Gender and Occupational Class," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 18(4), pages 1761-1783, August.
    2. Zhuofei Lu & Shuo Yan & Jeff Jones & Yucheng He & Qigen She, 2023. "From Housewives to Employees, the Mental Benefits of Employment across Women with Different Gender Role Attitudes and Parenthood Status," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(5), pages 1-13, February.
    3. Samuel H. Fishman & S. Philip Morgan & Robert A. Hummer, 2018. "Smoking and Variation in the Hispanic Paradox: A Comparison of Low Birthweight Across 33 US States," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 37(5), pages 795-824, October.
    4. Zajacova, Anna & Montez, Jennifer Karas, 2018. "Explaining the increasing disability prevalence among mid-life US adults, 2002 to 2016," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 211(C), pages 1-8.
    5. Myrskylä, Mikko & Elo, Irma T. & Kohler, Iliana V. & Martikainen, Pekka, 2014. "The association between advanced maternal and paternal ages and increased adult mortality is explained by early parental loss," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 119(C), pages 215-223.
    6. Han, Yang & Wei, Jianwen & Zhao, Yandong, 2021. "Long-term effects of housing damage on survivors’ health in rural China: Evidence from a survey 10 Years after the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 270(C).
    7. Marco Tosi, 2017. "Age norms, family relationships, and home leaving in Italy," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 36(9), pages 281-306.
    8. van Stel, André & Kaciak, Eugene & Cieślik, Jerzy, 2020. "Hiring plans by solo entrepreneurs at the time of start-up: The role of education and the desire for self-expression," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 119(C), pages 58-66.
    9. Vinnerljung, Bo & Brännström, Lars & Hjern, Anders, 2015. "Disability pension among adult former child welfare clients: A Swedish national cohort study," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 56(C), pages 169-176.
    10. Christiansen, Julie & Larsen, Finn Breinholt & Lasgaard, Mathias, 2016. "Do stress, health behavior, and sleep mediate the association between loneliness and adverse health conditions among older people?," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 152(C), pages 80-86.
    11. Klaus Pforr, 2014. "femlogit-Implementation of the multinomial logit model with fixed effects," Stata Journal, StataCorp LP, vol. 14(4), pages 847-862, December.
    12. Strohmeyer, Robert & Tonoyan, Vartuhi & Jennings, Jennifer E., 2017. "Jacks-(and Jills)-of-all-trades: On whether, how and why gender influences firm innovativeness," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 32(5), pages 498-518.
    13. Dianne H. B. Welsh & Eugene Kaciak, 2019. "Family enrichment and women entrepreneurial success: the mediating effect of family interference," International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, Springer, vol. 15(4), pages 1045-1075, December.
    14. Lei, Lei & Desai, Sonalde, 2021. "Male out-migration and the health of left-behind wives in India: The roles of remittances, household responsibilities, and autonomy," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 280(C).
    15. Femke Roosma & Wim van Oorschot, 2021. "Between hope and fear? Regional and social dividing lines in attitudes towards an EU minimum income scheme," International Journal of Social Welfare, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 30(2), pages 170-181, April.
    16. Sandy Tubeuf & Florence Jusot & Damien Bricard, 2012. "Mediating Role Of Education And Lifestyles In The Relationship Between Early‐Life Conditions And Health: Evidence From The 1958 British Cohort," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 21(S1), pages 129-150, June.
    17. Fan, Wen & Qian, Yue, 2017. "Native-immigrant occupational segregation and worker health in the United States, 2004–2014," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 183(C), pages 130-141.
    18. Robinson, Peter John & Botzen, W. J. Wouter & Kunreuther, Howard & Chaudhry, Shereen J., 2021. "Default options and insurance demand," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 183(C), pages 39-56.
    19. Elena Komodromou, Maria, 2018. "Does postpartum depression affect employment?," ISER Working Paper Series 2018-01, Institute for Social and Economic Research.
    20. Shahriar, Abu Zafar M., 2018. "Gender differences in entrepreneurial propensity: Evidence from matrilineal and patriarchal societies," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 33(6), pages 762-779.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:spr:ariqol:v:18:y:2023:i:3:d:10.1007_s11482-023-10145-4. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.