Principal Investigator Roberto Fernandez
Economists tend to view money as the motivating factor and the basis of how all decisions are made. Although limited, the research on non-pecuniary aspects of jobs suggests otherwise: money is clearly not the only dimension that people value in jobs. When making employment decisions, people do not always choose the highest paying job, but instead trade-off wages against other important dimensions (e.g., flexibility, work conditions, autonomy). Roberto Fernandez and Brian Rubineau developed a longitudinal survey design to study the tradeoffs nurses make when choosing among multiple job offers. The survey has 3 important elements:
(*) Subjects are presented with several hypothetical job offers, constructed in terms relative to their current job (e.g., longer commute, more flexible hours, etc.)(*) Subjects are asked to make rank these offers along several dimensions(*) Subjects are asked about their current job-seeking status, and willingness for more detailed follow-up.