Time affluence, material affluence and work experiences of professional women in Russia
| Pages | 642-653 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/ER-11-2013-0166 |
| Date | 30 September 2014 |
| Published date | 30 September 2014 |
| Author | Ronald J. Burke,Marina Astakhova,Parbudyal Singh |
| Subject Matter | HR & organizational behaviour,Industrial/labour relations |
Time affluence, material
affluence and work experiences of
professional women in Russia
Ronald J. Burke
Schulich School of Business, York University, Toronto, Canada
Marina Astakhova
Department of Management and Marketing, University of Texas,
Tyler, Texas, USA, and
Parbudyal Singh
School of Human Resource Management, York University, Toronto, Canada
Abstract
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the role of time affluence (TA) and material
affluence (MA) in work and extra-work experiences of a sample of professional women working
in Russia.
Design/methodology/approach – Data were collected form 168 women using anonymously
completed questionnaires. Measures included personal demographic and work situation characteristics,
work outcomes, indicators of work investment and extra-work outcomes.
Findings – TAand MA were significantly and positively correlated (r¼0.22), with women indicating
similar levels of TAand MA. Women reporting higher levels of MA generally indicated more favorable
work outcomes (higher job satisfaction, lower intent to quit). Women reporting lower levels of TA
generally indicated higher levels of work investment. However, neither TA nor MA predicted family
satisfaction.
Research limitations/implications – This study highlights the importance to take steps to
increase TA and MA of Russian women to positively influence their work and extra-work experiences.
Originality/value – These findings replicate and extend earlier USA, Egyptian and Turkish results
to Russia. Unlike previous studies, the authors simultaneously included TA and MA constructs, thus
providing important comparisons of their relationships with different outcomes. The authors also
respond to the call to study TA and MA in differentcultu ral contexts.
Keywords Eastern Europe, Women workers
Paper type Research paper
Introduction
People seem naturally inclined to desire material wealth. As Kasser and Sheldon (2009,
p. 243) noted, “[y] advertisements entice us to purchase goods and services associated
with symbols of love, competence and joy; governments develop policies designed
to maximize national economic g rowth; and businesses strive for profit and reward their
workers withfinancial bonuses and raises.” While there is an old cliche
´that “money does
not buy happiness,” there are clear indications that people do try to earn more money
so that they can provide comfortable lifestyles for them and their dependents (Camerer
and Hogarth, 1999). Yet, this drive for material affluence (MA) seems to be inversely
proportional to the amount of free time a person enjoys (Bluestone and Rose, 1998).
For instance, in the quest for higher incomes and increased material wealth, an employee
may be forced towork longer hours, at the expense of leisure and family time (Reynolds,
2005). A person’s free time is related to his/her controlover time; the more control one has,
the greater his/her sense of time spaciousness – or t ime affluence (TA). Recently, Kasser
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at
www.emeraldinsight.com/0142-5455.htm
Received 19 November 2013
Revised 13 March 2014
Accepted 27 March 2014
Employee Relations
Vol. 36 No. 6, 2014
pp. 642-653
rEmeraldGroup PublishingLimited
0142-5455
DOI 10.1108/ER-11-2013-0166
642
ER
36,6
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