Table 4

Themes form the literature

Main themesSub-themesKeywordsStudies/authors
Conceptualization of decent workWork-life enrichmentWork-family and personal life balance, free time and rest, opportunities for self-growth, personal development, control over working life, growthBuyukgoze-Kavas and Autin (2019), Di Fabio and Kenny (2019), Dobbins et al. (2024), Dodd et al. (2019), Duffy et al. (2017), Ferreira et al. (2019), García-Rodríguez et al. (2021), Gibb and Ishaq (2020), Işık et al. (2019), Liu et al. (2023), Ma et al. (2023), Masdonati et al. (2019), Nam and Kim (2019), Ribeiro et al. (2019), Vignoli et al. (2020) 
Meaningful and fulfilling employmentJob satisfaction, meaning, personal satisfaction, good match for abilities, recognition and status, valued personal outcomes, intrinsically rewarding work, intrinsic employment quality, autonomyBuyukgoze-Kavas and Autin (2019), Di Fabio and Kenny (2019), Dodd et al. (2019), García-Rodríguez et al. (2021), Gibb and Ishaq (2020), Masdonati et al. (2019), Nam and Kim (2019), Seubert et al. (2021) 
Fair and safe working conditionsDignified working conditions, safe working conditions, access to healthcare, work stability, job security, adequate compensation, equality, fairness, terms of employment, job design and nature of work, benefits, safety and securityBuyukgoze-Kavas and Autin (2019), Conigliaro (2021), Di Fabio and Kenny (2019), Di Ruggiero et al. (2015), Dobbins et al. (2024), Dodd et al. (2019), Duffy et al. (2017), Ferreira et al. (2019), García-Rodríguez et al. (2021), Gibb et al. (2021), Gibb and Ishaq (2020), Işık et al. (2019), Kekana et al. (2023), Liu et al. (2023), Ma et al. (2023), Masdonati et al. (2019), Nam and Kim (2019), Ribeiro et al. (2019), Santhanam-Martin et al. (2024), Seubert et al. (2021), Vignoli et al. (2020) 
Career growth and developmentTraining and opportunity, career development, achievement motivation, increasing responsibilities, skills reproduction, work challenge and mastery, professional growthBuyukgoze-Kavas and Autin (2019), Dodd et al. (2019), Ferreira et al. (2019), Kekana et al. (2023), Nam and Kim (2019), Santhanam-Martin et al. (2024) 
Value-aligned and ethical workplaceEthical organizational policies and practices, attractive work environment, enabling good work, complementary valuesBuyukgoze-Kavas and Autin (2019), Di Fabio and Kenny (2019), Dodd et al. (2019), Duffy et al. (2017), Ferreira et al. (2019), Işık et al. (2019), Liu et al. (2023), Ma et al. (2023), Masdonati et al. (2019), Nam and Kim (2019), Ribeiro et al. (2019), Santhanam-Martin et al. (2024), Vignoli et al. (2020) 
Supportive and inclusive workplaceSocial support and cohesion, relationships, integration in social networks, empathic work environment, voice and representation, social protection, social dialogue, relationships, social aspect of work, respectConigliaro (2021), Di Fabio and Kenny (2019), Di Ruggiero et al. (2015), Dobbins et al. (2024), Dodd et al. (2019), García-Rodríguez et al. (2021), Nam and Kim (2019), Seubert et al. (2021) 
 Corporate and social responsibilityBusiness responsibility, philanthropic responsibility, religious responsibility, regulatory responsibility, human responsibility, citizenship/community, prosocial engagementBuyukgoze-Kavas and Autin (2019), Ferreira et al. (2019), Holzberg (2024) 
Decent work profilesLow decent work clusterIndecent-precarious, only healthcare, unfulfilling, highly meaningless, highly indecent work, indecent work-low healthcare-dominant, low safety and healthcare access, vulnerability dominantBlustein et al. (2020, 2023a), Çarkıt (2024), Duffy et al. (2024b), Kim et al. (2021), Lee et al. (2024) 
High decent work clusterHighly decent, fulfilling, absent healthcare, value-dominant but low restBlustein et al. (2020, 2023a), Çarkıt (2024), Duffy et al. (2024b), Kim et al. (2021), Lee et al. (2024) 
Average decent work clusterLow health care-low rights, health care-stability, adequate safety and rest, adequate, low health care, average, low compensation-low restBlustein et al. (2020, 2023a), Çarkıt (2024), Duffy et al. (2024b), Kim et al. (2021), Lee et al. (2024) 
Decent work antecedentsEmployee factorsAge, work volition, career adaptability, psychological ownershipAllan et al. (2019), Autin et al. (2021, 2022a), Douglass et al. (2017, 2020), Duffy et al. (2016, 2018, 2020), England et al. (2020), Kozan et al. (2019), Masdonati et al. (2019), Shen et al. (2024), Su et al. (2023), Tokar and Kaut (2018), Wang et al. (2019), Williams et al. (2023) 
Work environment factorsWorkplace dignity, gender diversity, partnership at work, workplace climate†, subjective salary conditions, qualitative job insecurity*Allan et al. (2019), Atitsogbe et al. (2021), England et al. (2020), Masdonati et al. (2019), Monteiro et al. (2022), Su et al. (2023), Wadham and Dashper (2024), Winchenbach et al. (2019) 
 Societal factorsDecent education, economic constraints*, marginalization†, national culture, ideology and policies, industrial relations, macro talent management, socio-economic status, daily discrimination*, sexism experience*, racism experience*, social class/status, contextual constraints*Anlesinya et al. (2021), Autin et al. (2021, 2022a), Cooke et al. (2019), Douglass et al. (2017, 2020), Duffy et al. (2016, 2018, 2020, 2022), England et al. (2020), Han et al. (2023), Kozan et al. (2019), Masdonati et al. (2019), Shen et al. (2024), Su et al. (2023), Tokar and Kaut (2018), Wang et al. (2019) 
Decent work outcomesEmployee work outcomesMeaning (work meaning, meaningful work and meaning at work), work-family conflict*, burnout* (exhaustion* and cynicism*), physical health, commitment (organizational and affective), decreased absenteeism, empowerment, employee boundary-spanning behavior, promotion focus, social connection (social contact, community belonging, helping others), psychological safety, subjective career success, person-organization fit, organizational learning, voice behavior, work-family enrichment, productivity, physical health, workplace fatigue*, survival needs, social contribution needs, self-determination needs (relatedness, autonomy and competence), well-being (subjective, life and work), work engagement (vigor, dedication and absorption), employee retention (withdrawal intention*, turnover intention* and intention to leave*), satisfaction (need, job, life, work and basic need)Allan et al. (2019, 2020), Atitsogbe et al. (2021), Blustein et al. (2023b), Briseño et al. (2024), Buyukgoze-Kavas and Autin (2019), Di Fabio and Kenny (2019), Dodd et al. (2019), Duffy et al. (2016, 2017, 2019, 2021), Huang et al. (2021, 2022), Işık et al. (2019), Kashyap and Arora (2022), Koekemoer and Masenge (2024), Kozan et al. (2019), Liu et al. (2023), Ma et al. (2023), Masdonati et al. (2019), McIlveen et al. (2021), Nam and Kim (2019), Ralph and Arora (2024), Ribeiro et al. (2019), Sanhokwe and Takawira (2023), Santhanam-Martin et al. (2024), Seol et al. (2024), Smith et al. (2024), Tokar et al. (2024), Vignoli et al. (2020), Wan and Duffy (2023), Wang et al. (2019), Zhao and Liu (2023) 
 Societal outcomesReduced credit default payments, higher quality care, resilience to economic downturns, increase in income, sharing cost of caring, decreased child mortality, female labor market participation, reduced delinquency, reduced criminality rates, increased schooling, decreased child labor, development of local capacities, access to credit, reduced social costs, national well-being (economic and subjective)Anlesinya et al. (2021), Frota (2008), Ralph and Arora (2024) 
Mediators of decent workEmployee needs satisfaction/achievementNeed satisfaction, survival needs, social contribution needs, self-determination needs, well-being, meaning at work, basic need satisfaction, social connection (social contact, community belonging, helping others)Allan et al. (2020), Blustein et al. (2023b), Duffy et al. (2019, 2021), Huang et al. (2021), Kashyap and Arora (2022), Seol et al. (2024), Tokar et al. (2024), Wan and Duffy (2023) 
Employee work attitudesWork volition, career adaptability, helping othersAllan et al. (2019, 2020), Autin et al. (2021, 2022a), Douglass et al. (2017, 2020), Duffy et al. (2016, 2018, 2020), England et al. (2020), Han et al. (2023), Kozan et al. (2019), Masdonati et al. (2019), Shen et al. (2024), Su et al. (2023), Tokar and Kaut (2018), Williams et al. (2023) 
Employee cognitive statesWorkplace fatigue, work engagement, job satisfaction, psychological ownership, psychological safety, promotion focusDuffy et al. (2021), Huang et al. (2022), Kashyap and Arora (2022), Koekemoer and Masenge (2024), Shen et al. (2024), Zhao and Liu (2023) 
Moderators of decent workEmployee factorsCareer adaptability, proactive personality, critical consciousness (perceived inequality, sociopolitical participation), genderAutin et al. (2022b), Duffy et al. (2016), Huang et al. (2021), Su et al. (2023) 
Work environment factorsSupportive organizational climate, job insecurity, workplace relational civility, labor relations climate, perceived career opportunityHeo and Lee (2024), Huang et al. (2022), Smith et al. (2024), Wan and Duffy (2023), Zhao and Liu (2023) 
 Societal factorsRacism experience, economic conditions, social supportAutin et al. (2022a), Duffy et al. (2016) 
Decent work conditions (Industry/business sector)Inadequate compensationInsufficient earning, economic challenges, gender wage gapFabry et al. (2022), Fabry et al. (2024), Fırat et al. (2024), Giddy (2022), Khan and Sandhu (2016), Saxena (2021), Wang and Cheung (2024) 
Unsafe working conditionsPersonal safety concerns, abuse at work, longer working hoursFırat et al. (2024), Giddy (2022), Khan and Sandhu (2016), Saxena (2021), Wang and Cheung (2024) 
Limited social protectionLimited social security, precarious employmentFırat et al. (2024), Khan and Sandhu (2016), Wang and Cheung (2024) 
Deficient social dialogueDeficient workplace democracy, unionizing hindered, little union presenceFajana (2008), Fırat et al. (2024), Khan et al. (2019) 
Little free time and restDifficulty achieving work-life balance, asocial working hoursFırat et al. (2024) 
Decent work conditions (National/transnational)Inadequate employment creationUnderemployment, fewer work opportunities, unemployment, precarious employment, adequate employmentAdhikari et al. (2012), Barford et al. (2021), Blustein et al. (2019), Dhakal and Burgess (2021), Haddad and Hellyer (2018), Kozan et al. (2019), Paredes Gil et al. (2008), Thore and Tarverdyan (2009), Tipple (2006) 
Somewhat adequate compensationDevalued feminized labor, gendered income, adequate income, adequate payHaddad and Hellyer (2018), Heeks et al. (2021), Rai et al. (2019), Tipple (2006) 
Limited social protectionUnfair contract, prevalent discrimination, income securityDhakal and Burgess (2021), Heeks et al. (2021), Sprague et al. (2020), Thore and Tarverdyan (2009) 
Deficient social dialogueLow social dialogue, unfair representation, unsupported trade unionsCooke et al. (2019), Dhakal and Burgess (2021), Heeks et al. (2021), Paredes Gil et al. (2008) 
Unsafe working conditionsPoor working conditions, unfair working conditions, neglected health and safetyChau (2016), Dhakal and Burgess (2021), Heeks et al. (2021), Sprague et al. (2020), Tipple (2006) 
Rights at workProtection of equal rights, growing rights at work, ignored worker rightsCooke et al. (2019), Dhakal and Burgess (2021), Sprague et al. (2020) 
Decent work enhancement strategiesEmployee strategiesMutual interest, responsiveness, reciprocity, attentiveness, solidarity, consultation, partnerships, job crafting, resistance, activismBlustein et al. (2023b), Gibb et al. (2021), Khan et al. (2024) 
Organizational strategiesDiscursive strategies, building alliances, holistic consideration of pay range, human resource management practices, human resource development activities, coordinated multi-stakeholder approach, corporate social responsibility, democratic worker representation and influenceBlustein et al. (2023b), Cooke et al. (2019), Gibb et al. (2021), Randev and Jha (2023), Reinecke and Donaghey (2021), Thomas and Turnbull (2018), Yao et al. (2017) 
National strategiesGovernment commitment, institutional capacity building, policies, motivating institutional actors, trade union recognition, legal protection, systemic interventions, institutionalized labor rights, cross-sector collaborationAdhikari et al. (2012), Blustein et al. (2023b), Cooke et al. (2019), Lawrence et al. (2008) 

Note(s): * = inverse relationship; † = both positive and inverse relationship; keywords in parentheses are either a variation or aspect of the keyword that it precedes

Source(s): Authors' own work

or Create an Account

Close Modal
Close Modal