Purpose: This study examines work engagement and its antecedents in two countries: Finland and Russia. The job demands-resources model (JD-R model) provides the background theory for the analysis. Design/methodology/approach: This study uses a quantitative approach with a cross-sectional research design. The data was analysed using descriptive methods and stepwise logistic regression analysis. Findings: The overall level of work engagement was higher in Finland than in Russia. The opportunity to learn new skills at work was the strongest predictor of work engagement in both countries. The most significant difference was that once job demands and resources were taken into account, the managerial position has a strong effect on work engagement in Russia, while in Finland it has no significant effect. Practical implications: Knowledge about the antecedents of work engagement and especially the strong effect of opportunities to learn new skills on work engagement could encourage organisations to provide their employees with development opportunities throughout their careers.

Along with the diffusion of information and communication technologies (ICTs), work processes are becoming ever more knowledge intensive. In keeping with this trend, the number of informational (or knowledge) workers in Finland has more than tripled from 12% in 1988 to 39% in 2000. What makes the Finnish case unique and interesting is the exceptional speed with which the information sector of the economy has grown. A few years after facing the most severe economic recession in its history in the early 1990s, Finland is now considered to have an advanced information economy. However, our empirical analysis-based on survey data from 1988, 1994, and 2000-yields a somewhat more critical picture of the Finnish information society than what usually comes across in the mainstream media. The opportunities for social equality offered by the growth of informational work are far more limited than was the case with the transition from agricultural to industrial production.

No abstract

No abstract

No abstract