University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Regional variation in work absence cultures in the United States

Hernandez, Jorge Ivan

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HERNANDEZ-DISSERTATION-2015.pdf

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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/78468

Description

Title
Regional variation in work absence cultures in the United States
Author(s)
Hernandez, Jorge Ivan
Issue Date
2015-04-24
Director of Research (if dissertation) or Advisor (if thesis)
Newman, Daniel A.
Doctoral Committee Chair(s)
Newman, Daniel A.
Committee Member(s)
  • Cohen, Dov
  • Vargas, Patrick T.
  • Rounds, James
  • Hulin, Charles L.
Department of Study
Psychology
Discipline
Psychology
Degree Granting Institution
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Degree Name
Ph.D.
Degree Level
Dissertation
Date of Ingest
2015-07-22T22:17:28Z
Keyword(s)
  • Absenteeism
  • Social Disorganization
  • Culture
  • Regional Variation
Abstract
This paper offers a cultural perspective to the work absenteeism literature, by conceptualizing work absence at the U.S. state level of analysis, and by assessing absenteeism as a manifestation of regional cultures. First, I establish that absenteeism is a spatially dependent phenomenon, and demonstrate that the retest reliability of absenteeism increases at higher levels of aggregation (from individual-level to city-level to state-level), to provide evidence for absence as a state-level construct. Second, I hypothesize main effects of regional cultures on state-level work absenteeism (i.e., in the U.S. West). Third, I assess whether observed regional differences in state-level absence cultures in the West are attributable to (mediated by) regional differences in state-level social disorganization/anomie, while controlling for state-level variance in work industry (e.g., manufacturing), personality (Extraversion, Neuroticism), unemployment rates, and physical disabilities. Analyzing data spanning over 4 years and over 3 million people per year, this paper explains how absenteeism varies across states in the U.S.
Graduation Semester
2015-5
Type of Resource
text
Permalink
http://hdl.handle.net/2142/78468
Copyright and License Information
Copyright 2015 Jorge Hernandez

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