Boss Competence and Worker Well-being

Benjamin Artz, Amanda Goodall () and Andrew Oswald

No 8559, IZA Discussion Papers from Institute of Labor Economics (IZA)

Abstract: Nearly all workers have a supervisor or 'boss'. Yet there is almost no published research by economists into how bosses affect the quality of employees' lives. This study offers some of the first formal evidence. First, it is shown that a boss's technical competence is the single strongest predictor of a worker's well-being. Second, we examine equivalent instrumental-variable results. Third, we demonstrate longitudinally that even if a worker stays in the same job and workplace then a newly competent supervisor greatly improves the worker's well-being. Finally, we discuss analytical possibilities, and consider necessary future research.

Keywords: expert leaders; leadership; job satisfaction; bosses; happiness (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I31 J28 M54 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 39 pages
Date: 2014-10
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-hap, nep-hrm, nep-lab and nep-ltv
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (8)

Forthcoming - published in: Industrial and Labor Relations Review, 2017, 70 (2), 419–450

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Related works:
Journal Article: Boss Competence and Worker Well-Being (2017)
Working Paper: Boss Competence and Worker Well-being (2015)
Working Paper: Boss Competence and Worker Well-being (2015)
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