Work Attitudes in the Cohort Studies

following lives from birth and through the adult years www.cls.ioe.ac.uk

Work Attitudes in the Cohort Studies

Prof. Shirley Dex

Centre for Longitudinal Studies

12th October 2007


British Birth Cohort Studies

Fully representative samples of the British population Based on one week’s births - approximately 17,000 babies Followed up from birth into adulthood Four British Birth Cohort Studies

1946 : National Survey of Health and Development (MRC funded)

1958 : National Child Development Study 1970 : British Cohort Study 1970 2000/1: Millennium Cohort Study

Housed at CLS


1958 Birth Cohort Study Sample of over 17,000 infants born in March 1958 Not initially planned as a longitudinal study Sample followed at ages 7, 11, 16, 23, 33, 42, 46 (prospective study) Retrospective life history data collected at age 23, 33, 42, 46

For example work history partnership history fertility history housing history

Approximately 12,000 individuals are still participating Information on individuals can be linked from birth and childhood through

into adult life Now funded by ESRC with data collected every four years


Notesa: Target sample - Excludes emigrants, refusals & deaths. Includes immigrants at NCDS1-3.b: Achieved sample - At least on survey instrument partially completedc: Mother - Could be Cohort Member or spouse/partner

NCDS follow-ups and sources of information


NCDS – 2004 Sweep (Age 46) – Telephone interview

Housing Relationships Pregnancies and births Periods of lone parenthood Absent children Children and the wider family Family income Employment

Qualifications achieved Courses attended Computer access and usage Basic skills General health Smoking, drinking and

exercise Experience of crime Social participation


Hypothetical life history

x

Born

1958

1st Child 1984 2nd Child

1987Age 7 Age 11 1991 2000

Age 42

2004

Age 46

Age 16

Age 23

1981

Age 33

Gets married

Parents’ social class

Parental interest in school work

Free school meals

Mother smoking

Parental divorce

Maths and reading tests

Teachers’ assessment of child’s behaviour

Exam results

Job 1 Job 2 Job 3

Voting behaviour

Psychological well being

Working hours preferences

Savings

Domestic division of labour

Union membership

Training and skills


BCS70: 1970 Birth Cohort Study Representative sample of over 16,000 infants born in 1970 Sample followed at ages 5, 10, 16, 26, 30, 34 Approximately 12,000 individuals are still participating Now funded by ESRC with data collected every four years Co-ordination with NCDS facilitates cross cohort

comparisons


BCS70 Follow-ups & information sources

Notesa: Achieved sample. NB: Target sample excluded emigrants, refusals & deaths; and included immigrants in 1975 & 1980.


BCS70 – 2004 Sweep

CORE: All CMs

Interview (CAPI) - updating social, economic, health info

Self-completion (CASI) - attitudes, family life, drinking, skills, well-being, crime

Adult assessments (CAPI/CASI/Paper) - functional literacy, numeracy, dyslexia

PARENT & CHILD: CMs with resident natural/adopted child aged <17

Parent Interview (CAPI) - age specific (0<17) childcare, health & schooling, etc

Parent Self-completion (Paper) - age specific questions on development, relationships, behaviour, discipline, school absence/exclusion, reading & schoolwork

Child assessments (CAPI/Paper) - age specific (3<17) assessments of naming, copying, reading, spelling, number

Child (10<17) self-completion (Paper) - leisure, relationships, school, the future drugs, crime, self-esteem

In a1 in 2

sample


BCS70 - 2004 Sweep (Age 34)

CORE: All Cohort Members

Interview (CAPI):• Housing• Partnerships – current and former• Births and other pregnancies• Periods of lone parenthood• Children and the wider family• Family income • Employment status/employment history• Academic education• Vocational training• Access to and use of computers• Basic skills• General health• Diet and exercise• Height and weight• Family activities, social participation, social support


Summary of employment questions (BCS70, age 34)

Full employment histories Job title SOC90 and SOC2000 coding NSSEC; social class; and socio economic group Hours of work & when works (e.g. weekends/shifts etc) Security of employment Membership of pension schemes Travel to work time Job satisfaction If unemployed, reason for unemployment If unemployed, whether wants employment Reasons for not working if out of the labour market


1958 and 1970 birth cohorts

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020

Year

Ag

e

NCDS

BCS70

Cohort Comparisons

7

11

16

23

33

46

50

42

5

10

34

30

26

16

38

Life cycle effects


Attitudes to work - five key areas


Overall job satisfaction

“All things considered, how satisfied or dissatisfied are you withyour present job overall? Please choose your answer from thiscard”.

1. Very satisfied2. Satisfied3. Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied4. Dissatisfied5. Very dissatisfied

NCDS: 1981 – Age 23 (INT), 2000 – Age 42 (INT), 2004 – Age 46 (INT), 2008 – Age 50 (INT)BCS: 2000 – Age 30 (INT), 2004 – Age 34 (INT), 2008 – Age 38 (INT)


Overall job satisfaction – men vs womenOverall job satisfaction ('very' or 'fairly' satisfied) - Male FT employees vs Female FT employees

7573 74

82

7780 79 78

8683

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

NCDS (Age 23) NCDS (Age 42) BCS (Age 30) NCDS (Age 46) BCS (Age 34)

1981 2000 2004

%

Male Female


Overall job satisfaction – employees vs self-employed

Overall job satisfaction ('very' or 'fairly' satisfied) - Employees vs Self-employed

78 77 76

84

79

88

84 84

9087

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

NCDS (Age 23) NCDS (Age 42) BCS (Age 30) NCDS (Age 46) BCS (Age 34)

1981 2000 2004

%

Employee Self-employed


Job satisfaction continued

“I am going to read out some things which affect how people feel about their job. Can you tell me how satisfied or dissatisfied with each one in your present job? Please use one of the answers from this card.”

1. Very satisfied2. Satisfied3. Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied4. Dissatisfied5. Very dissatisfied

NCDS: 1981 – Age 23 (INT)


Job satisfaction (continued)

a) Your usual take home pay

b) Your prospects

c) The people you work with

d) Your physical working conditions

e) The way your firm or organisation is run

f) The way your abilities are used

g) The interest and skill involved in your job



Job satisfaction (continued)Proportion satisfied ('very satisfied' or 'satisfied' with specific elements of current job - male FT

employees vs female FT employees - NCDS 1981 (Age 23)

47

63

60

64

74

75

88

56

65

68

72

76

78

88

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

Way organisation is run

Job prospects

Pay

Use of abilities

Interest and skill involved

Physical conditions

Fellow workers

%

Male Female


Work-life balance

“Do you think the demands of your work interfere with

the demands of home and family life?”

Yes / No

NCDS: 2000 – Age 42 (INT), 2008 – Age 50 (INT)

BCS: 2000 – Age 30 (INT)


Work-life balance Proportion feeling that demands of work interfere with demands of home / family life - 2000

53

39

47

52

59 59

30

47

52

47 47

51 50

31

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

All Men FT emp Women FT emp Employee Self-employed Full-time Part-time

Sex Employment status FT / PT

%

NCDS (Age 42) BCS (Age 30)


Work-life balance – demands of work

Two more questions:

“Do you find that in physical terms your work demands ...

1) a lot of you.. 2) a moderate amount or 3) very little?”

“Do you find that mentally or emotionally your work demands…

1) a lot of you.. 2) a moderate amount or 3) very little?”

NCDS: 2000 – Age 42 (INT), 2008 – Age 50 (INT)

BCS: 2000 – Age 30 (INT)


Work-life balance - demands of workProportion feeling that work demands 'a lot' from them - 2000

40

55

35

48

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

Demands 'a lot' physically Demands ' a lot' mentally

%



Work-life balance – Hours of work

“Assuming that you would be paid the same amount per hour, would you prefer to work fewer hours than you do now, work more hours than you do now, or carry on working the same number of hours?”

1) Work fewer hours than you do now,2) work more hours than you do now3) or carry on working the same number of hours?

NCDS: 2000 – Age 42 (INT), 2008 – Age 50 (INT)BCS: 2000 – Age 30 (INT)


Work-life balance – hours of workProportion who would prefer to work fewer hours by social class - 2000

41

47

3937

3534

40

32

37 37

2930

25

33

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

1 2 3.1 3.2 4 5 All

Social Class

%



Work-life balance – new question for NCDS 2008

“In general, how well do your working hours fit in with your family or social commitments outside work?”

1) Very well2) Well3) Not very well4) Not at all well

(Taken from European Working Conditions Survey)

NCDS: 2008 – Age 50 (SC)


Commitment to current employer

“In a year from now do you expect to be….

1) Working for the same employer, 2) working for a different employer 3) or not working at all?”

NCDS: 1981 – Age 23 (INT), 2000 – Age 42 (INT), 2008 – Age 50 (INT)BCS: 2000 – Age 30 (INT), 2004 – Age 34 (INT)


Commitment to current employerProportion of employees expecting to be working for the same employer in one year's time

68

85

77

83

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

1981 (NCDS Age 23) 2000 (NCDS Age 42, BCS Age 30) 2004 (BCS Age 34)

%

NCDS BCS


Kanungo’s scale of job involvement

“We would now like to ask you a few questions about how you feel about your current employment. Pleaseread the following statements and record how much youagree or disagree with each.

1) The most important things that happen to me involve my present job

2) To me, my job is only a small part of who I am. 3) I am very much involved personally in my job.4) I live, eat and breathe my job.”

NCDS: 2008 – Age 50 (SC)


Kanungo’s scale of job involvement (contd.)

5) Most of my interests are centred around my job.

6) I have very strong ties with my present job which would be very difficult to break

7) Usually I feel detached from my job.

8) Most of my personal life goals are job-oriented.

9) I consider my job to be very central to my existence.

10) I like to be absorbed in my job most of the time.

NCDS: 2008 – Age 50 (SC)


Kanungo’s scale of job involvement (contd.)

Six-point scale:

1) Strongly agree2) Agree3) Somewhat agree4) Somewhat disagree5) Disagree6) Strongly disagree

NCDS: 2008 – Age 50 (SC)


Work ethic – agreement with 3 statements“Having (almost) any job is better than being unemployed.”NCDS: 1981 – Age 23 (INT), 1991 – Age 33 (SC), 2000 – Age 42 (SC), 2008 – Age 50 (SC)BCS: 1996 – Age 26 (SC), 2000 – Age 30 (SC)

“If I didn’t like a job I’d pack it in, even if there was no other job to go to.” NCDS: 1991 – Age 33 (SC), 2000 – Age 42 (SC), 2008 – Age 50 (SC)BCS: 1996 – Age 26 (SC), 2000 – Age 30 (SC)

“Once you’ve got a job it’s important to hang on to it even if you don’t really like it.” NCDS: 1991 – Age 33 (SC), 2000 – Age 42 (SC), 2008 – Age 50 (SC)BCS: 2000 – Age 30 (SC)

(5 point scale – Strongly agree, agree, neither agree nor disagree, disagree, strongly disagree)


Work - ethicLevel of agreement or with statements regarding work ethic amongst those in early 30's (NCDS and

BCS)

47

38

68

35

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

Having almost any job is better than being unemployed Once you’ve got a job it’s important to hang on to it even if you don’t reallylike it

%


Note: Agreement defined as those who either reported that they ‘strongly agreed’ or ‘agreed’ with statement.


Gender roles

I am going to read out some statements that peoplesometimes make about work. Thinking about your ownexperience and feelings can you please tell me how much you agree with each statement in turn….

“If a woman wants to she can get ahead as easily as a man”.




Gender roles (continued)

“There should be more women bosses in important jobs in business and

industry.” NCDS: 1991 – Age 33 (SC)

BCS: 1996 – Age 26 (SC)

“Women who do not have a job are dull.” NCDS: 1991 – Age 33 (SC)

“If a child is ill and both parents are working it should usually be the mother who takes time off to look after the child.”

NCDS: 1991 – Age 33 (SC)

BCS: 1996 – Age 26 (SC)




“Being a housewife is just as fulfilling as working for pay.” NCDS: 1991 – Age 33 (SC)

“I would not want a woman to be my boss.” NCDS: 1991 – Age 33 (SC)

“It is less important for a woman to go out to work than it is for a man.”

NCDS: 1991 – Age 33 (SC)

BCS: 1996 – Age 26 (SC)




“Women should have the same chance as men to get some training or have a career.” NCDS: 1991 – Age 33 (SC)

“Wives who don’t have to work should not do so.” NCDS: 1991 – Age 33 (SC)

“Men and women should all have the chance to do the same kind of work.” NCDS: 1991 – Age 33 (SC)

BCS: 1996 – Age 26 (SC)




“A mother and her family will be happier if she goes out to work.” NCDS: 2000 – Age 42 (SC)

BCS: 2000 – Age 30 (SC)

“All in all, family life suffers when the mother has a full time job.” NCDS: 2000 – Age 42 (SC)

BCS: 2000 – Age 30 (SC)



Gender roles (continued)Level of agreement with statement: "Men and women should all have the chance to do the same kind

of work."

85

93

86

94

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Men Women

%




Gender roles (continued)Level of agreement with statement: "All in all, family life suffers when the mother has a full-time job."

34

28

2221

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

Men Women

%




Other questions

NCDS 1981 – Age 23: Work is the most important thing in life People think you are a nobody, if you are unemployed Having an enjoyable social life is more important than

having an enjoyable job Having a job gives people a sense of purpose Most jobs are dull and boring The only reason for going out to work is the money



Other questions

NCDS 1991 – Age 33 A person must have a job to feel a full member of

society (SC) A person can get satisfaction out of life without having a

job (SC) BCS 2004 – Age 34

Everyone should work to provide for themselves (SC)

(5 point scale – Strongly agree, agree, neither agree nor disagree, disagree,

strongly disagree)


CLS Birth Cohort Studies: Web Resources

Resources available via CLS website:

(www.cls.ioe.ac.uk/Cohort/mainncds.htm) Annotated Questionnaires and CAPI Documentation Technical Reports – e.g. on sampling, instrument

development and fieldwork of MCS Data Dictionaries Cohort Studies Data Notes


Website

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Work Attitudes in the Cohort Studies