Journal
CHINA ECONOMIC REVIEW
Volume 21, Issue 3, Pages 442-455Publisher
ELSEVIER SCIENCE INC
DOI: 10.1016/j.chieco.2010.04.002
Keywords
Job satisfaction; Relative income; Urban China
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We use two datasets for urban China to examine whether an increase in reference group income lowers or increases job satisfaction. The former is consistent with a status effect - an increase in the income of others lowers my satisfaction because I feel jealous. The latter is consistent with a signal effect - an increase in the income of others might make me jealous, but it also provides an information signal about my future prospects. When we use a single item indicator of job satisfaction we find no support for a status or signal effect; however, when we use a psychometrically valid instrument to measure job satisfaction, we find some support for the existence of a status effect. We consider the components of job satisfaction through which the status effect operates. We find that the status effect operates through satisfaction with co-workers, operating procedures, pay and supervision. (C) 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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