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Abstract

Using linked employer-employee data from the British Workplace Employment Relations Survey we examine how much of the variation in job quality is accounted for by establishment-level variation, and the relative importance of the establishment compared with occupation and employee characteristics. We do so for pay, six dimensions of non-pay job quality and overall job quality. We show that the establishment is the dominant explanatory factor for non-pay job quality, and as important as occupation in accounting for pay. Where you work accounts for between 38% and 76% of the explained variance in job quality, depending on the dimension. We also find that establishments which are ‘good’ on one dimension of non-pay job quality are ‘good’ on others. When we relate the estimated establishment effects (after allowing for the effects of occupation and of employee characteristics) to observed establishment characteristics, we find that non-pay job quality is greater in small establishments.

Publication Type:	Article
Additional Information:	This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Bryson, A., Forth, J. & Green, F. (2026). The relative importance of the establishment in the determination of job quality. British Journal of Industrial Relations, which will be published in final form at https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/14678543. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Use of Self-Archived Versions. This article may not be enhanced, enriched or otherwise transformed into a derivative work, without express permission from Wiley or by statutory rights under applicable legislation. Copyright notices must not be removed, obscured or modified. The article must be linked to Wiley’s version of record on Wiley Online Library and any embedding, framing or otherwise making available the article or pages thereof by third parties from platforms, services and websites other than Wiley Online Library must be prohibited.
Publisher Keywords:	job quality, decomposition, establishment
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > H Social Sciences (General)
Departments:	Bayes Business School Bayes Business School > Faculty of Management
SWORD Depositor:	Symplectic Administrator

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