Personal well-being in urban China
- Authors: Smyth, Russell , Nielsen, Ingrid , Zhai, Qing-guo
- Date: 2010
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Social Indicators Research Vol. 95, no. 2 (2010), p. 231-251
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: This article reports the findings of a survey administering the personal well-being index (PWI) in six Chinese cities (N = 3,390) to ascertain the personal well-being of China’s urban population. The specific aims of the study were: (a) ascertain whether Chinese urban residents are satisfied with their lives; (b) validate the PWI using an urban sample that is representative of the urban population and larger in size than that which has been utilized in existing studies for Mainland China; (c) compare the results to existing studies for Hong Kong, Macau, rural China and single city studies which have administered the PWI in Guangdong and Shandong; (d) examine whether the responses to the PWI from participants falls within the narrow range predicted by the ‘Theory of Subjective Wellbeing Homeostasis’ and provide further evidence on whether this framework is applicable to Chinese samples; and (e) examine which participant characteristics predict personal well-being, examine whether own income and/or relative income predicts personal well-being and compare these results with previous studies for China and other countries. The data indicated a moderate level of personal well-being (PWI score = 67.1). The PWI demonstrated good psychometric properties in terms of its reliability and validity, consistent with previous published studies. The PWI was within the normative range for non-western countries and was within the narrow band predicted by the ‘Theory of Subjective Wellbeing Homeostasis’. Similar variables were found to predict personal well-being to those found in previous studies for China and elsewhere.
- Description: 2003008933
The impact of gender differences on determinants of job satisfaction among Chinese off-farm migrants in Jiangsu.
- Authors: Smyth, Russell , Zhai, Qingguo , Li, Xiaoxu
- Date: 2009
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Journal of Chinese Economic and Business Studies Vol. 7, no. 3 (2009), p. 363-380
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: This study examines the effect of own income versus reference group income and the subjective factors considered important in a job for a sample of off–farm migrants in China. We find that own income has a positive effect on job satisfaction while the effect of reference group income is gender specific. We find evidence that males experience a tunnelling effect (higher income co-workers increase their job satisfaction) while females experience a jealousy effect (higher income co-workers lower their job satisfaction). We explain this result in terms of men reacting more positively in competitive environments and that, in China, males have better prospects for promotion. We find that compared with employees in western countries, off–farm migrants in China place much more emphasis on income and less importance on collegiality and job stability.
The impact of gender differences on determinants of job satisfaction among Chinese off–farm migrants in Jiangsu
- Authors: Smyth, Russell , Zhai, Qingguo , Li, Xiaoxu
- Date: 2009
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Journal of Chinese Economic and Business Studies Vol. 7, no. 3 (2009), p. 363-380
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: This study examines the effect of own income versus reference group income and the subjective factors considered important in a job for a sample of off–farm migrants in China. We find that own income has a positive effect on job satisfaction while the effect of reference group income is gender specific. We find evidence that males experience a tunnelling effect (higher income co-workers increase their job satisfaction) while females experience a jealousy effect (higher income co-workers lower their job satisfaction). We explain this result in terms of men reacting more positively in competitive environments and that, in China, males have better prospects for promotion. We find that compared with employees in western countries, off–farm migrants in China place much more emphasis on income and less importance on collegiality and job stability.
Subjective well-being of China's off-farm migrants
- Authors: Nielsen, Ingrid , Smyth, Russell , Zhai, Qing-guo
- Date: 2010
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Journal of Happiness studies Vol. 11, no. 3 (2010), p. 315-333
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: Existing research applying the personal wellbeing index (PWI) in China is restricted to urban and rural samples. There are no studies for Chinese off-farm migrants. The specific aims of this study are: (a) ascertain whether Chinese off-farm are satisfied with their lives; (b) investigate the equivalence of the PWI in terms of its psychometric properties; and (c) examine whether the responses to the PWI from participants falls within the normative range predicted by the Theory of Subjective Wellbeing Homeostasis. The PWI demonstrated good psychometric performance in terms of its reliability and validity and was consistent with previous studies for Western and non-Western samples. The data revealed a moderate level of subjective well-being (PWI score = 62.6). While Chinese off-farm migrants lead hard lives, the PWI was within the normative range predicted for Chinese societies by the Theory of Subjective Wellbeing Homeostasis. A likely explanation for this finding rests with the circular nature of migration in China. When China’s off-farm migrants find it too difficult to cope in the cities, most have the fallback position that they can return to their homes in the countryside. This option provides an external buffer to minimize the inherent challenges of life which would otherwise impinge on the life satisfaction of China’s off-farm migrants
- Description: 2003008934
The impact of gender differences on determinants of job satisfaction among Chinese off–farm migrants in Jiangsu
- Authors: Smyth, Russell , Zhai, Qingguo , Li, Xiaoxu
- Date: 2009
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Journal of Chinese Economic and Business Studies Vol. 7, no. 3 (2009), p. 363-380
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: This study examines the effect of own income versus reference group income and the subjective factors considered important in a job for a sample of off–farm migrants in China. We find that own income has a positive effect on job satisfaction while the effect of reference group income is gender specific. We find evidence that males experience a tunnelling effect (higher income co-workers increase their job satisfaction) while females experience a jealousy effect (higher income co-workers lower their job satisfaction). We explain this result in terms of men reacting more positively in competitive environments and that, in China, males have better prospects for promotion. We find that compared with employees in western countries, off–farm migrants in China place much more emphasis on income and less importance on collegiality and job stability.
A study of the impact of environmental surroundings on personal well-being in urban China using a multi-item well-being indicator
- Authors: Smyth, Russell , Nielsen, Ingrid , Zhai, Qing-guo , Liu, Tie-min , Liu, Yin , Tang, Chunyong , Wang, Zhihong , Wang, Zuxiang , Zhang, Juyong
- Date: 2012
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Population and Environment Vol. 32, no. 4 (2012), p. 353-375
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: We examine the relationship between atmospheric and water pollution, traffic congestion, access to parkland and personal well-being using a survey administered across six Chinese cities in 2007. In contrast to existing studies of well-being determinants by economists which typically employ single-item indicators, we use the Personal Well-being Index (PWI). We also employ the Job Satisfaction Survey (JSS) to measure job satisfaction, which is one of the variables for which we control when examining the relationship between environmental surroundings and personal well-being. Previous research by psychologists has shown the PWI and JSS to have good psychometric properties in western and Chinese samples. A robust finding is that in cities with higher levels of atmospheric pollution and traffic congestion, respondents report lower levels of personal well-being ceteris paribus. Specifically, we find that a one standard deviation increase in suspended particles or sulphur dioxide emissions is roughly equivalent to a 12–13% reduction in average monthly income in the six cities.
- Description: 2003008932
Determinants of turnover intentions among Chinese off farm migrants
- Authors: Smyth, Russell , Zhai, Qing-guo , Li, Xiaoxu
- Date: 2009
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Economic change and restructuring Vol. 42, no. 3 (2009), p. 189-209
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: This study examines the determinants of turnover intentions of off farm migrant workers, using data collected from China’s Jiangsu Province. Turnover intention is posited to be a function of demographic/human capital characteristics, job characteristics and job satisfaction. We find that higher levels of education have a positive effect on reported turnover intentions, while higher income and job satisfaction have a negative effect on turnover intentions. To the extent turnover intentions represent a good proxy for actual turnover, the results can be viewed as providing reliable predictors of job mobility among off farm migrant workers at a time when there is a growing shortage of such workers in China’s coastal provinces.
- Description: 2003008935
The changing face of state-owned enterprise management in China
- Authors: Smyth, Russell , Zhai, Qing-guo
- Date: 2010
- Type: Text , Book chapter
- Relation: The changing face of management in China p. 101-124
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: 2003008931
The role of positive and negative affectivity on job satisfaction and life satisfaction
- Authors: Zhai, Qing-guo , Smyth, Russell , Nielsen, Ingrid , Luan, Xiu-yun
- Date: 2009
- Type: Text , Conference paper
- Relation: International Conference on Management Science and Engineering. ICMSE 2009 p. 1184-1189
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: This study examines the relationship between positive affectivity, negative affectivity, job satisfaction, and life satisfaction using a sample of 558 urban employees from Dalian. Positive and negative affectivity were measured with Watson's PANAS scale, job satisfaction was measured with Spector's JSS scale, and life satisfaction was measured with the International Wellbeing Group's PWI scale. All the scales are well established multi-item scales that have been validated both in English speaking populations and in China. The statistical analysis found that affectivity is a source of both job satisfaction and life satisfaction. Job satisfaction is positively related to life satisfaction, supporting the spillover theory. Job satisfaction partly mediates the relationship between affectivity and life satisfaction. The practical implications for managers is that because of the dispositional source of job and life satisfaction, managers need to put more emphasis on improving job satisfaction and subjective quality of life by improving the workplace environment.
Personal wellbeing among ethnic Koreans in China's Northeast
- Authors: Nielsen, Ingrid , Smyth, Russell , Zhai, Qingguo , Zhang, Juyong
- Date: 2012
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Asian Ethnicity Vol. 13, no. 1 (2012), p. 75-96
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: This study investigates personal wellbeing among a sample of ethnic Koreans in China's Northeast using the eight-item Personal Wellbeing Index (PWI). The PWI demonstrated good psychometric properties, consistent with previous studies. The data revealed a moderate level of personal wellbeing (PWI score = 70.3) and the results supported the Theory of Subjective Wellbeing Homeostasis, suggesting that strong external and internal buffers protect the HPM for ethnic Koreans, despite the onslaught of marketisation and urbanisation in China that are threatening to undermine Koreans' sense of ethnic identity. The predictors of personal wellbeing were found to be age (with a nonlinear relationship), education, gender, income, marital status and the city in which the individual lives. © 2012 Copyright Taylor and Francis Group, LLC.
Understanding personal use of the Internet at work: An integrated model of neutralization techniques and general deterrence theory
- Authors: Cheng, Lijiao , Li, Wenli , Zhai, Qingguo , Smyth, Russell
- Date: 2014
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Computers in Human Behavior Vol. 38, no. (September 2014 2014), p. 220-228
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: This paper examines the influence of neutralization techniques, perceived sanction severity, perceived detection certainty and perceived benefits of using the Internet for personal purposes on intention to use the Internet at work for personal use. To do so, we draw on a conceptual framework integrating neutralization theory and general deterrence theory. The study finds that both neutralization techniques and perceived benefits have a positive effect on personal use of the Internet. Perceived detection certainty is found to have a negative effect on personal use of the Internet, while the effect of perceived sanctions severity on personal use of the Internet is not significant. The effect of neutralization and perceived benefits are much stronger than perceived detection certainty. The findings suggest that people may think more about neutralization and perceived benefits than they do about costs, when deciding whether to use the Internet at work for personal purposes.
- Description: C1
Self-disclosure in Chinese micro-blogging : A social exchange theory perspective
- Authors: Liu, Zilong , Min, Qingfei , Zhai, Qingguo , Smyth, Russell
- Date: 2016
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Information and Management Vol. 53, no. 1 (2016), p. 53-63
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: This paper examines the influence of social benefits and costs on self-disclosure in the context of micro-blogging in China. Data were collected from 441 micro-blogging users, employing an online survey. Self-disclosure is measured in terms of amount, depth, honesty, intent, and valence of disclosure. The study found that relationship building, enjoyment and trust in service providers are positively related to self-disclosure, while perceived anonymity of self and perceived risk are negatively related to self-disclosure. However, convenience of relationship maintenance and self-presentation are not related to self-disclosure. © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Social capital inequality and subjective wellbeing of older Chinese
- Authors: Appau, Samuelson , Awaworyi Churchill, Sefa , Smyth, Russell , Zhang, Quanda
- Date: 2022
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Social Indicators Research Vol. 160, no. 2-3 (2022), p. 541-563
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: Using longitudinal data from the China Family Panel Studies, this study provides insights on comparative wellbeing outcomes for older people who are institutionally segregated into clusters that produce uneven social capital. We present the first study that examines how institutionalized social capital inequality, measured by the social capital gap generated by hukou (household registration) status in China, affects the wellbeing of older people. Our results show that high levels of social capital inequality are associated with lower subjective wellbeing, measured by life satisfaction. This general conclusion is robust to a number of sensitivity checks including alternative ways of measuring subjective wellbeing and inequality. We also find that the negative relationship between social capital inequality and subjective wellbeing is strongest for people with a non-urban hukou living in urban areas. Our findings highlight the need for policies aimed at narrowing the social capital gap and the dismantling of institutional structures that hinder upward social capital mobility. © 2020, Springer Nature B.V.
R&D intensity and income inequality in the G7 : 1870–2016
- Authors: Awaworyi Churchill, Sefa , Peng, Bin , Smyth, Russell , Zhang, Quanda
- Date: 2022
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Scottish Journal of Political Economy Vol. 69, no. 3 (2022), p. 263-282
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: We examine how R&D has contributed to income inequality in the Group of Seven countries from 1870 to 2016. Using newly developed panel data models that incorporate interactive fixed effects, we find that R&D is negatively associated with income inequality. Non-parametric models that allow us to capture the time-varying effect of R&D suggest that this average effect has been negative for most of this period. We find that economic growth and trade are important mechanisms through which R&D transmits to income inequality. © 2021 Scottish Economic Society.