View in EDS

Decent Work among European Early Career Researchers

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Title: Decent Work among European Early Career Researchers
Language: English
Authors: Isabelle Skakni, Jonas Masdonati, Inge van der Weijden, Bastien Bernela, Katerina Machovcova, Katarína Banasová, Andrea Galimberti, Nimrod Levin
Source: Studies in Graduate and Postdoctoral Education. 2026 17(3):364-381.
Availability: Emerald Publishing Limited. Howard House, Wagon Lane, Bingley, West Yorkshire, BD16 1WA, UK. Tel: +44-1274-777700; Fax: +44-1274-785201; e-mail: emerald@emeraldinsight.com; Web site: http://www.emerald.com/insight
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 18
Publication Date: 2026
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education
Postsecondary Education
Descriptors: Researchers, Novices, Foreign Countries, Attitudes, Work Attitudes, Work Environment, Access to Health Care, Compensation (Remuneration), Family Work Relationship, Doctoral Students, Postdoctoral Education, Life Satisfaction, Measures (Individuals), Individual Characteristics, Job Satisfaction
Geographic Terms: Czech Republic, Switzerland, Netherlands, United Kingdom, Italy, France, Slovakia
Assessment and Survey Identifiers: Satisfaction With Life Scale
DOI: 10.1108/SGPE-10-2024-0113
ISSN: 2398-4686
Abstract: Purpose: Whereas the precarious nature of research careers is well-established, how this reality affects the subjective work experiences of early career researchers (ECRs) remains underexplored. To contribute to the growing literature on how academia impacts ECRs' lives and well-being, this paper aims to examine this issue through the lens of decent work. Design/methodology/approach: The authors surveyed 520 European ECRs, assessing their perceived decent work through five indicators: safe working conditions, access to health care, adequate compensation, free time and rest and complementary values. They tested whether ECRs' perceived decent work was associated with the meaning they ascribed to work and, using mediation analyses, how life satisfaction and meaning in work articulated as outcomes of their perceived decent work. Findings: Although no significant differences were found between academic stages (doctoral/postdoctoral), women tended to view their working conditions as less safe than men. The only cross-country difference concerned adequate compensation. Respondents' perceptions of decent work were also linked to their work meaningfulness and life satisfaction, underlying that a job perceived as decent contributes to ECRs' quality of life and work fulfilment. Practical implications: The findings suggest that universities should pay attention to three aspects of ECRs' work situation that shape their perceptions of holding decent jobs: adequate compensation for their work, congruence between personal/family values and those of their institutions and safe working conditions. Originality/value: This study adds to the global conversation about the challenges facing ECRs in today's academic labour market by applying the decent work concept to ECRs for the first time, thereby offering new insights into how this population perceives its working conditions.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2026
Accession Number: EJ1508614
Database: ERIC
FullText Text:
  Availability: 0
Header DbId: eric
DbLabel: ERIC
An: EJ1508614
AccessLevel: 3
PubType: Academic Journal
PubTypeId: academicJournal
PreciseRelevancyScore: 0
IllustrationInfo
Items – Name: Title
  Label: Title
  Group: Ti
  Data: Decent Work among European Early Career Researchers
– Name: Language
  Label: Language
  Group: Lang
  Data: English
– Name: Author
  Label: Authors
  Group: Au
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Isabelle+Skakni%22">Isabelle Skakni</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Jonas+Masdonati%22">Jonas Masdonati</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Inge+van+der+Weijden%22">Inge van der Weijden</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Bastien+Bernela%22">Bastien Bernela</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Katerina+Machovcova%22">Katerina Machovcova</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Katarína+Banasová%22">Katarína Banasová</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Andrea+Galimberti%22">Andrea Galimberti</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Nimrod+Levin%22">Nimrod Levin</searchLink>
– Name: TitleSource
  Label: Source
  Group: Src
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22Studies+in+Graduate+and+Postdoctoral+Education%22"><i>Studies in Graduate and Postdoctoral Education</i></searchLink>. 2026 17(3):364-381.
– Name: Avail
  Label: Availability
  Group: Avail
  Data: Emerald Publishing Limited. Howard House, Wagon Lane, Bingley, West Yorkshire, BD16 1WA, UK. Tel: +44-1274-777700; Fax: +44-1274-785201; e-mail: emerald@emeraldinsight.com; Web site: http://www.emerald.com/insight
– Name: PeerReviewed
  Label: Peer Reviewed
  Group: SrcInfo
  Data: Y
– Name: Pages
  Label: Page Count
  Group: Src
  Data: 18
– Name: DatePubCY
  Label: Publication Date
  Group: Date
  Data: 2026
– Name: TypeDocument
  Label: Document Type
  Group: TypDoc
  Data: Journal Articles<br />Reports - Research
– Name: Audience
  Label: Education Level
  Group: Audnce
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Higher+Education%22">Higher Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Postsecondary+Education%22">Postsecondary Education</searchLink>
– Name: Subject
  Label: Descriptors
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Researchers%22">Researchers</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Novices%22">Novices</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Foreign+Countries%22">Foreign Countries</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Attitudes%22">Attitudes</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Work+Attitudes%22">Work Attitudes</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Work+Environment%22">Work Environment</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Access+to+Health+Care%22">Access to Health Care</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Compensation+%28Remuneration%29%22">Compensation (Remuneration)</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Family+Work+Relationship%22">Family Work Relationship</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Doctoral+Students%22">Doctoral Students</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Postdoctoral+Education%22">Postdoctoral Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Life+Satisfaction%22">Life Satisfaction</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Measures+%28Individuals%29%22">Measures (Individuals)</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Individual+Characteristics%22">Individual Characteristics</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Job+Satisfaction%22">Job Satisfaction</searchLink>
– Name: Subject
  Label: Geographic Terms
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Czech+Republic%22">Czech Republic</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Switzerland%22">Switzerland</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Netherlands%22">Netherlands</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22United+Kingdom%22">United Kingdom</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Italy%22">Italy</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22France%22">France</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Slovakia%22">Slovakia</searchLink>
– Name: SubjectThesaurus
  Label: Assessment and Survey Identifiers
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SU" term="%22Satisfaction+With+Life+Scale%22">Satisfaction With Life Scale</searchLink>
– Name: DOI
  Label: DOI
  Group: ID
  Data: 10.1108/SGPE-10-2024-0113
– Name: ISSN
  Label: ISSN
  Group: ISSN
  Data: 2398-4686
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: Purpose: Whereas the precarious nature of research careers is well-established, how this reality affects the subjective work experiences of early career researchers (ECRs) remains underexplored. To contribute to the growing literature on how academia impacts ECRs' lives and well-being, this paper aims to examine this issue through the lens of decent work. Design/methodology/approach: The authors surveyed 520 European ECRs, assessing their perceived decent work through five indicators: safe working conditions, access to health care, adequate compensation, free time and rest and complementary values. They tested whether ECRs' perceived decent work was associated with the meaning they ascribed to work and, using mediation analyses, how life satisfaction and meaning in work articulated as outcomes of their perceived decent work. Findings: Although no significant differences were found between academic stages (doctoral/postdoctoral), women tended to view their working conditions as less safe than men. The only cross-country difference concerned adequate compensation. Respondents' perceptions of decent work were also linked to their work meaningfulness and life satisfaction, underlying that a job perceived as decent contributes to ECRs' quality of life and work fulfilment. Practical implications: The findings suggest that universities should pay attention to three aspects of ECRs' work situation that shape their perceptions of holding decent jobs: adequate compensation for their work, congruence between personal/family values and those of their institutions and safe working conditions. Originality/value: This study adds to the global conversation about the challenges facing ECRs in today's academic labour market by applying the decent work concept to ECRs for the first time, thereby offering new insights into how this population perceives its working conditions.
– Name: AbstractInfo
  Label: Abstractor
  Group: Ab
  Data: As Provided
– Name: DateEntry
  Label: Entry Date
  Group: Date
  Data: 2026
– Name: AN
  Label: Accession Number
  Group: ID
  Data: EJ1508614
PLink https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=eric&AN=EJ1508614
RecordInfo BibRecord:
  BibEntity:
    Identifiers:
      – Type: doi
        Value: 10.1108/SGPE-10-2024-0113
    Languages:
      – Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 18
        StartPage: 364
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Researchers
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Novices
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Foreign Countries
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Attitudes
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Work Attitudes
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Work Environment
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Access to Health Care
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Compensation (Remuneration)
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Family Work Relationship
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Doctoral Students
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Postdoctoral Education
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Life Satisfaction
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Measures (Individuals)
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Individual Characteristics
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Job Satisfaction
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Czech Republic
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Switzerland
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Netherlands
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: United Kingdom
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Italy
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: France
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Slovakia
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Satisfaction With Life Scale
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: Decent Work among European Early Career Researchers
        Type: main
  BibRelationships:
    HasContributorRelationships:
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Isabelle Skakni
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Jonas Masdonati
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Inge van der Weijden
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Bastien Bernela
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Katerina Machovcova
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Katarína Banasová
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Andrea Galimberti
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Nimrod Levin
    IsPartOfRelationships:
      – BibEntity:
          Dates:
            – D: 01
              M: 06
              Type: published
              Y: 2026
          Identifiers:
            – Type: issn-electronic
              Value: 2398-4686
          Numbering:
            – Type: volume
              Value: 17
            – Type: issue
              Value: 3
          Titles:
            – TitleFull: Studies in Graduate and Postdoctoral Education
              Type: main
ResultId 1