Abstract
This paper analyses the situation when employees fail to adapt to overall job dissatisfaction. By combining the existing knowledge
in economics on job lock and in psychology on employees’ feeling of being ‘stuck’ at work, the paper explains why some employees
fail to adapt when dissatisfied with their job. Thus, the paper aims to expand our understanding of why some employees are
job locked or are ‘stuck’ at their work even though dissatisfied. Using the British household panel survey, the possibility
of falling in a job-lock state is analyzed to outline a set of factors that explain why employees differ in the way they adjust
to job dissatisfaction. We divide these factors into socio-demographic features, personality attributes, type of occupation,
employment conditions, type of sector, and work-related contextual features. Based on results of probit regression analysis,
we provide evidence that all these group of factors can jointly predict the state of job dissatisfaction, the absence of job
turnover and job lock (being ‘stuck’ at job). Moreover, our results suggest that the adaptation to job dissatisfaction could
be better understood if personality attributes (such as self-esteem) are included in the analysis. Thus, this study expands
our understanding of how and why employees might feel ‘stuck’ at work and fall in a state of job lock.
in economics on job lock and in psychology on employees’ feeling of being ‘stuck’ at work, the paper explains why some employees
fail to adapt when dissatisfied with their job. Thus, the paper aims to expand our understanding of why some employees are
job locked or are ‘stuck’ at their work even though dissatisfied. Using the British household panel survey, the possibility
of falling in a job-lock state is analyzed to outline a set of factors that explain why employees differ in the way they adjust
to job dissatisfaction. We divide these factors into socio-demographic features, personality attributes, type of occupation,
employment conditions, type of sector, and work-related contextual features. Based on results of probit regression analysis,
we provide evidence that all these group of factors can jointly predict the state of job dissatisfaction, the absence of job
turnover and job lock (being ‘stuck’ at job). Moreover, our results suggest that the adaptation to job dissatisfaction could
be better understood if personality attributes (such as self-esteem) are included in the analysis. Thus, this study expands
our understanding of how and why employees might feel ‘stuck’ at work and fall in a state of job lock.
- Content Type Journal Article
- Pages 1-24
- DOI 10.1007/s11205-012-0072-2
- Authors
- Anna Huysse-Gaytandjieva, Department of Health Services Research, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, CAPHRI, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
- Wim Groot, Department of Health Services Research, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, CAPHRI, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
- Milena Pavlova, Department of Health Services Research, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, CAPHRI, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
- Journal Social Indicators Research
- Online ISSN 1573-0921
- Print ISSN 0303-8300