International Journal of Manpower

Peñarroja, Vicente

2024 International Journal of Manpower

doi: 10.1108/ijm-07-2023-0416

Previous research has focused on the outcomes of telework, investigating the advantages and disadvantages of teleworking for employees. However, these investigations do not examine whether there are differences between teleworkers when evaluating the advantages and disadvantages of teleworking. The aim of this study is to identify of distinct classes of teleworkers based on the advantages and disadvantages that teleworking has for them.Design/methodology/approachThis study used secondary survey data collected by the Spanish National Statistics Institute (INE). A sample of 842 people was used for this study. To identify the distinct classes of teleworkers, their perceived advantages and disadvantages of teleworking were analyzed using latent class analysis.FindingsThree different classes of teleworkers were distinguished. Furthermore, sociodemographic covariates were incorporated into the latent class model, revealing that the composition of the classes varied in terms of education level, household income, and the amount of time spent on teleworking per week. This study also examined the influence of these emergent classes on employees’ experience of teleworking.Originality/valueThis study contributes to previous research investigating if telework is advantageous or disadvantageous for teleworkers, acknowledging that teleworkers are not identical and may respond differently to teleworking.

Núñez Hernández, Fernando; Usabiaga, Carlos; Álvarez de Toledo, Pablo

2024 International Journal of Manpower

doi: 10.1108/ijm-10-2023-0601

The purpose of this study is to analyse the gender wage gap (GWG) in Spain adopting a labour market segmentation approach. Once we obtain the different labour segments (or idiosyncratic labour markets), we are able to decompose the GWG into its observed and unobserved heterogeneity components.Design/methodology/approachWe use the data from the Continuous Sample of Working Lives for the year 2021 (matched employer–employee [EE] data). Contingency tables and clustering techniques are applied to employment data to identify idiosyncratic labour markets where men and/or women of different ages tend to match/associate with different sectors of activity and occupation groups. Once this “heatmap” of labour associations is known, we can analyse its hottest areas (the idiosyncratic labour markets) from the perspective of wage discrimination by gender (Oaxaca-Blinder model).FindingsIn Spain, in general, men are paid more than women, and this is not always justified by their respective attributes. Among our results, the fact stands out that women tend to move to those idiosyncratic markets (biclusters) where the GWG (in favour of men) is smaller.Research limitations/implicationsIt has not been possible to obtain remuneration data by job-placement, but an annual EE relationship is used. Future research should attempt to analyse the GWG across the wage distribution in the different idiosyncratic markets.Practical implicationsOur combination of methodologies can be adapted to other economies and variables and provides detailed information on the labour-matching process and gender wage discrimination in segmented labour markets.Social implicationsOur contribution is very important for labour market policies, trying to reduce unfair inequalities.Originality/valueThe study of the GWG from a novel labour segmentation perspective can be interesting for other researchers, institutions and policy makers.

Mauno, Saija; Feldt, Taru; Herttalampi, Mari; Minkkinen, Jaana

2024 International Journal of Manpower

doi: 10.1108/ijm-09-2023-0537

Intensified job demands (IJDs; work intensification, intensified job- and career-related planning and decision-making demands, and intensified learning demands) illustrate the intensification of working life. This study examined relationships between IJDs and work engagement.Design/methodology/approachNine diverse samples (n = 7,786) were analyzed separately via regression analysis by estimating linear and curvilinear relationships between IJDs and engagement.FindingsThe results showed that certain subdimensions of IJDs, i.e. intensified learning demands, related positively to engagement across several subsamples. Moreover, learning demands showed a curvilinear relationship with engagement in several subsamples; engagement was highest in a moderate level of learning demands whereas low and high levels of learning demands were associated with lower engagement. We also found that other subdimensions of IJDs did not show consistent positive relationships with engagement, and some of them were negatively associated with engagement.Research limitations/implicationsCross-sectional design.Practical implicationsOrganizations should consider what would be the optimal level of learning demands as excessive learning demands can be detrimental to employees’ engagement.Originality/valueThis is a first study focusing on different manifestations of the intensification of working life, operationalized via IJDs, and their curvilinear relationships with engagement by applying a multi-sample design.

Junça Silva, Ana; Caetano, António

2024 International Journal of Manpower

doi: 10.1108/ijm-08-2023-0463

This research relied on the broaden-and-build (B&B) theory to explore emotional predictors for curiosity-related differences in daily engagement and contextual performance. We tested a moderated mediation model, arguing that daily positive emotions would be related to daily work engagement and contextual performance.Design/methodology/approachA total of 586 participants participated in a five-day diary study (n = 2379).FindingsMulti-level modeling showed that, at the person level of analysis, daily positive emotions were significantly and positively related to daily work engagement and, in turn, daily performance. At the daily level of analysis, the mediation model was moderated by curiosity, such that it became stronger for individuals who scored higher on curiosity.Originality/valueThese findings make relevant theoretical contributions to understanding the power of curiosity for daily emotional dynamics in organizations. Compared to traditional between-person variables, these results also expand knowledge on within-person processes that explain daily work engagement and contextual performance. In sum, this study shows that “curiosity does not kill the cat”; instead, it makes it productive.

Cortadas-Guasch, Pau

2024 International Journal of Manpower

doi: 10.1108/ijm-09-2023-0540

The existence of mismatches between training and jobs is relatively common and is accentuated in times of crisis where unemployment is growing. The negative effects that this phenomenon can generate on both workers and the economy makes its study relevant. The objective of this research is to analyse whether graduates of the Catalan university system have jobs according to their educational level.Design/methodology/approachThis paper sees how graduates’ own and acquired characteristics influence the probability of a mismatch from the analysis of the microdata of different waves of the employment insertion survey conducted by the Agència per a la Qualitat del Sistema Universitari de Catalunya (AQU).FindingsThe main conclusions focus on confirming that more humanities-oriented degrees tend to have a higher level of mismatch while technology or medicine approach a perfect fit. Therefore, bringing the education and business systems together is important to reduce this gap. Meanwhile, in terms of activities, services such as hospitality and retail have historically been sectors with a poor fit, and what has happened with Catalan graduates has not been an exception.Originality/valueThe main contribution of the research has been to highlight where there is a greater mismatch from the point of view of training, the type of work and its evolution over time, detecting the need to adjust labour supply and demand.

Li, Xiaoman; Yang, Xinxin; Zheng, Qi

2024 International Journal of Manpower

doi: 10.1108/ijm-04-2024-0245

Based on traditional Chinese filial piety, this article examines the impacts and mechanisms of the two-dimensional filial piety concept “Qinqin – Zunzun” on gender wages in China via China Family Panel Studies (CFPS) conducted in 2014 and 2018.Design/methodology/approachThis article construct regression models to examine the relationship between filial piety concepts and wages. Also, it uses unconditional quantile regression and decomposition to explore the impact of filial piety concepts on the wage gap.FindingsIt is found that: (1) The effects of two-dimensional filial piety are heterogeneous in terms of gender. Specifically, authoritarian filial piety significantly suppresses individual wages and has a stronger suppressive effect on women’s wages, whereas affinity filial piety significantly enhances individual wages without gender heterogeneity; (2) Parents' time support in the intergenerational exchange model is a crucial mechanism by which filial piety affects wages, exhibiting significant gender heterogeneity; (3) Regarding wage distribution, authoritarian filial piety mainly widens the gender income gap in the low and middle income-groups, while affinity filial piety narrows the gender wage gap by “raising the floor”, with its converging effect being most significant in the middle and high-income groups. This article deepens the understanding of the gender wage gap and intergenerational income mobility, providing policy references for better utilizing the social governance function of culture.Originality/valueThe article deepens the understanding and mechanisms of the gender wage gap and inter-generational income mobility, providing policy reference for better utilizing the social governance function of culture.

Congregado, Emilio; Rodriguez-Santiago, Ana; Román, Concepción

2024 International Journal of Manpower

doi: 10.1108/ijm-11-2023-0705

This study aims to revisit the relationship between the stringency of employment protection legislation and entrepreneurship at the macro-level using time series data from 28 OECD countries.Design/methodology/approachTo address model uncertainty, a Bayesian model averaging methodology is employed, overcoming issues related to predictor selection. Additionally, the study delves into the interaction between employment protection legislation and the rule of law, considering potential unintended consequences and overlapping effects. Heterogeneity within self-employment is explored, making a distinction between solo self-employment and employer entrepreneurship.FindingsThe findings reveal that the impact of employment protection legislation, both for regular and temporary employment, on aggregate solo self-employment rates is contingent upon the level of practical regulatory compliance. The legislation can either stimulate or hinder entrepreneurship, highlighting the nuanced nature of its influence on macro-level entrepreneurial activities.Practical implicationsThe results of this study provide valuable insights for policymakers and regulators by emphasizing the complexity of the relationships under consideration. Understanding the potential interactions between employment protection legislation, rule of law and practical regulatory compliance is crucial for designing an effective and conducive regulatory environment for entrepreneurship.Originality/valueThis research offers a unique contribution to the literature in three distinct ways: by addressing model uncertainty through Bayesian model averaging, examining the interaction between employment protection legislation and the rule of law and differentiating between solo self-employment and employer entrepreneurship. These distinctive elements enhance the originality and value of the study, providing a more nuanced understanding of the intricate relationship between legal frameworks and macro-level entrepreneurship.

Nguyen, Ngoc Hân; Smits, Wendy; Vancauteren, Mark

2024 International Journal of Manpower

doi: 10.1108/ijm-03-2024-0194

We aim to elucidate the relationship between fixed-term employment and firm productivity by examining workers’ skills and considering how firm-level conversion rates influence this relationship.Design/methodology/approachWe use longitudinal employer-employee data between 2011 and 2017 in the Netherlands to estimate a nonlinear regression derived from a production function proposed by Addessi (2014) and Castellani et al. (2020).FindingsThe contribution of fixed-term contracts to firm-level productivity is less than that of permanent contracts. However, this contribution is greater when firms exhibit a high conversion rate from fixed-term to permanent positions. The effect of the conversion rate is more substantial for high-skilled fixed-term workers than for low-skilled ones.Originality/valueOur results suggest the extent to which firms benefit from fixed-term contracts when these are used for screening high-skilled workers for permanent employment.