Gender inequalities in job quality during the recession

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to empirically analyse gender differences in job quality during the first years of the economic crisis in Spain. Design/methodology/approach: The paper uses microdata from the Quality of Working Life Survey. A representative sample of 5,381 and 4,925 Spanish emp...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Ficapal-Cusi, Pilar, Díaz-Chao, Ángel, Sainz, Milagros, Torrent-Sellens, Joan
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Estado:Versión enviada para evaluación y publicación
Fecha de publicación:2016
País:España
Institución:Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC)
Repositorio:O2, repositorio institucional de la UOC
OAI Identifier:oai:openaccess.uoc.edu:10609/112827
Acceso en línea:http://hdl.handle.net/10609/112827
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:gender
employee relations
workplace
women workers
job satisfaction
gènere
relacions laborals
lloc de treball
dones treballadores
satisfacció laboral
género
relaciones laborales
lugar de trabajo
mujeres trabajadoras
satisfacción laboral
Gender equality
Igualtat entre els sexes
Igualdad entre los sexos
Descripción
Sumario:Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to empirically analyse gender differences in job quality during the first years of the economic crisis in Spain. Design/methodology/approach: The paper uses microdata from the Quality of Working Life Survey. A representative sample of 5,381 and 4,925 Spanish employees (men and women) in 2008 and 2010, and a two-stage structural equation modelling (SEM) are empirically tested. Findings: The study revealed three main results. First, the improvement in job quality was more favourable to men than it was to women. Second, the gender differences in the explanation of job quality increased considerably in favour of men. Third, this increase in gender-related job inequality in favour of men is explained by a worsening of 4 of the 5 explanatory dimensions thereof: intrinsic job quality; work organisation and workplace relationships; working conditions, work intensity and health and safety at work; and extrinsic rewards. Only inequality in the work-life balance dimension remained stable. Research limitations/implications: The availability of more detailed microdata for other countries and new statistical methods for analysing causal relationships, particularly SEM-PLS, would allow new approaches to be taken. Social implications: Public policy measures required to fight against gender inequalities are discussed. Originality/value: The paper contributes to enrich the understanding of the multidimensional and gender-related determinants of job quality and, in particular, of studying the effects of the first years of the economic crisis.