Money may not buy you happiness, but it can influence how fulfilled men feel at work, according to new research from the University of Cincinnati.
The study, recently published in the Journal of Business and Psychology, titled Gender Differences on Dual-Earners’ Money as Achievement Congruence and Needs-Supplies Fit, examined how dual-earner couples perceive money and how those perceptions affect workplace satisfaction.
Sharmeen Merchant, a doctoral candidate at UC who led the research, said that, “This is about the values of money and how we approach money in our partnerships. It’s not just about the objective dollar amount you earn. Do we think it’s a source of achievement? Do we see it as materialistic?”
Merchant worked alongside her adviser, Scott Dust, Ph.D., a professor in UC’s Carl H. Lindner College of Business, as well as fellow doctoral candidate Sodiq Babatunde, assistant professor Laurens Steed, and Joseph Rode from Miami University.
Dust explained that the research highlights the importance of the household context when evaluating money and work. The study shows that money is not earned in isolation but within a household, meaning its impact on workplace satisfaction cannot be fully understood without considering whether employees have partners and how the couple manages financial values together.
The research team analyzed data from nearly 200 dual-income couples, with a focus on achievement-related attitudes toward money and financial success. The findings show that men’s professional fulfillment is strongly shaped by their partners’ views on money and financial meaning, while women’s workplace fulfillment appears largely unaffected by their partners’ financial perspectives.
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Merchant explained that men face added pressure to maintain a breadwinner identity in today’s changing society. This role remains important to many, and the study found that alignment with their partners on financial values directly influences men’s job satisfaction and workplace fulfillment.
Money shapes attitudes!
Men in couples who shared similar attitudes toward money reported higher workplace satisfaction. Conversely, misalignment in financial values led to decreased fulfillment, particularly when partners were moderately, rather than completely, misaligned. That uncertainty on the partner’s values creates this kind of ‘messy middle,’ where indifference makes it harder for couples to feel confident, the study stated.
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Sodiq Babatunde, assistant professor Laurens Steed, drew parallels to cultural expectations in Babatunde’s home country, Nigeria, where parents often examine a potential partner’s family, their views on success, money, and life approach. He said the study helped him understand why older generations approach relationships in this way.
Choose your spouses wisely
Dust highlighted the practical implications and noted that, “Choose your spouses wisely. Your choice of work will certainly impact how satisfied you are at your job. But your choice of partner and what your partner’s values are can also influence how you feel about your income.”
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The study also sheds light on why women’s fulfillment is less affected by partners’ views. Traditional gender expectations, where men are breadwinners and women focus on caretaking, still influence men’s perceptions, even in modern dual-income households. Merchant noted that due to the breadwinner identity, men’s alignment with their partners on financial values has a significant impact on their workplace fulfillment.
Complex role money plays in modern relationships
The idea for the research originated in a doctoral seminar called Dynamic Relations, which examined the complexities of interpersonal relationships in the workplace and encouraged students to explore under-researched social dynamics.
The study’s findings underscore the complex role money plays in modern relationships, showing how alignment on financial values can influence not only household harmony but also workplace satisfaction, particularly for men navigating evolving societal norms and professional expectations.
