Doing boss-like tasks and worker well-being: Job enrichment revisited

This study revisits the relationship between job enrichment and worker well-being by analysing worker-level data from around 20 countries. Job enrichment, which vertically expands jobs, is primarily measured by the novel ‘boss-like tasks’ indicator, constructed from 42 task-frequency data. The aim of job enrichment is to motivate workers. However, the study finds that even though average non-boss workers doing more boss-like tasks earn higher wages, they are not necessarily more satisfied with their jobs. The non-positive or slightly negative association with satisfaction becomes positive when workers have low-skilled blue-collar jobs or when tasks involving planning and organizing are enriched.