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Household Chores, Time Allocation and Job Performance: An Empirical Study from Chinese Manufacturing Workers

Author

Listed:
  • Xiang Wei

    (National Academy of Economic Strategy, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences
    Peking University)

  • Hailin Qu

    (Oklahoma State University
    Sun Yat-Sen University
    Xiamen University)

  • Emily Ma

    (University of Massachusetts)

Abstract

This paper fills the gap through theoretical reasoning and empirical testing of the effects of housework on job performance. Guided by the time allocation theory, the study proposed an optimization model based on the household production function, which indicates that an increase of time spent on housework will improve individual job performance with a progressive increase in the marginal return of housework time to household production. A field study using assembly-line workers in a Chinese manufacturing factory partially supported the proposition, suggesting that workers with longer housework time have accumulated higher character skills, particularly female workers.

Suggested Citation

  • Xiang Wei & Hailin Qu & Emily Ma, 2018. "Household Chores, Time Allocation and Job Performance: An Empirical Study from Chinese Manufacturing Workers," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 139(3), pages 1109-1129, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:soinre:v:139:y:2018:i:3:d:10.1007_s11205-017-1745-7
    DOI: 10.1007/s11205-017-1745-7
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    1. Pengfei Wang & Xiang Wei & Diancheng Hu & Fang Meng, 2022. "Does Leisure Contribute to the Improvement of Individual Job Performance? A Field Tracking Study Based on the Chinese Manufacturing Industry," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(11), pages 1-17, May.

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