The autoregressive cross-lagged effect of unions on job satisfaction and burnout

The purpose of this longitudinal study is to find the trajectory of a change in job satisfaction and job burnout for workers with union membership from the perspective of the conservation of resources theory. This research addresses the gap in the conventional literature regarding the direction of the union membership effect. According to a structural equation modeling analysis of the five-year Korean Human Capital Corporate Panel, union workers and nonunion workers had a longitudinal autoregressive effect and a cross-lagged effect between job satisfaction and job burnout. Compared with nonunion workers, union workers developed a negative psychological state relatively quickly and had a large cross-lagged effect. The results statistically confirm conservation of resources theory corollaries in the exchange relationship between a union and its members. Additionally, the conceptual and applied implications of our findings are also discussed.

Automated summary

The purpose of this study is to examine the trajectory of change in job satisfaction and job burnout for workers with union membership from the perspective of the conservation of resources theory. The study fills a gap in the literature regarding the direction of the union membership effect. The results indicate that union workers develop negative psychological state more quickly and have a larger cross-lagged effect compared to nonunion workers.