Social expectations, gender and job satisfaction: Front‐line employees in China's retail sector

Qihai Huang, Jos Gamble

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Abstract

This study aims to enhance our understanding of gender and employment in China. Analyzing data collected from over 1,800 employees at 22 foreign-invested and locally-owned retail stores in eight Chinese cities, it firstly explores whether, like their counterparts in Western countries, female employees have higher levels of job satisfaction than their male colleagues. Secondly, it distinguishes the key differential predictors of female and male employees’ job satisfaction levels. This paper extends gender role theory on job satisfaction by showing how traditional values, the structure of work and a nation's dominant gender ideology combine to shape women and men's job satisfaction and work experiences in a transitional context.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)331–347
Number of pages17
JournalHuman Resource Management Journal
Volume25
Issue number3
Early online date2 Feb 2015
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Jul 2015

Keywords

  • gender role theory, job satisfaction, multinationals, retail employment, HRM, China.

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