Working conditions and their impact on work satisfaction in migrating and non-migrating workers. Factor structure of the Polish version of the Working Conditions Questionnaire.

Abstract

Background: The study compares the impact of working conditions and wages as predictors of work satisfaction of Poles, working in Poland and abroad. Although the work environment plays a crucial role in determining the work satisfaction of migrants, most mention higher income abroad as the main migration motive. The increased income may not boost the work satisfaction however, because during migration the wage reference point changes. Based on those observations, it was assumed that working conditions will have a greater impact on migrants' work satisfaction than nominal earnings. Additionally, migrants, while having higher nominal wages, should subjectively judge them as lower.

Participants and procedure: Two samples - 351 subjects working in Poland, and 158 working in the UK and Germany - were analyzed. Everyone filled in an online survey including questions about their work environment and income, the Polish versions of the Working Conditions Questionnaire and the Work Satisfaction Scale. The results of the structural analyses (EFA and CFA) and between-sample measurement invariance of the Working Conditions Questionnaire were obtained. Migrants and stayers were compared using a Kruskal-Wallis ANOVA. The impact of working conditions and wages on work satisfaction was analyzed with multiple linear regression.

Results: The factorial structure of the Working Conditions Questionnaire in the Polish version is comparable to the Spanish original. Additionally, the nominal wages were perceived as higher for migrants than stayers. The reverse was true for subjective wage evaluations. Some working conditions were shown to have a significant impact on work satisfaction.

Conclusions: The Polish version of the Working Conditions Questionnaire is an internally consistent and reliable tool for measuring work properties. Higher nominal wages of migrants do not lead to their higher work satisfaction. Working conditions are a better predictor of work satisfaction than wages for all analyzed groups.