A membership for quality of life? The mediating effect of job satisfaction between work alienation and life satisfaction in unionised and non-unionised workers

Abstract

People spend a large part of their awake time at work, which can have a huge impact on their life satisfaction. Scholars have found that job satisfaction influences life satisfaction, but the role of work alienation is little studied. While work alienation reportedly diminishes life satisfaction, just how job satisfaction relates with these two constructs has not yet been clarified. Currently, the role of labor union membership is an underestimated aspect of this relationship. Although the relationship between union membership and job satisfaction has been variously studied, its relationship with other variables (e.g., work alienation and life satisfaction) remains less investigated. To fill this gap, the authors examined the influence of work alienation on job and life satisfaction in relation to belonging or not to a public administration workers’ union. Self-report questionnaire responses (N=479) indicated a negative relationship between work alienation and job satisfaction and a negative influence on the overall quality of life. However, the relationship between work alienation and life satisfaction was moderated by union membership. Union memberships mitigated the negative relationship between work alienation and life satisfaction and may be considered a protective factor for workers’ quality of life.