Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Quality-of-Life Determinants of Happiness in Thailand: the Moderating Roles of Mental and Moral Capacities

  • Published:
Applied Research in Quality of Life Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This study investigates the influences of quality of life (QoL) in Thailand in terms of quality of family life, quality of community life, and quality of work life as determinants of happiness. Additionally, the moderating effects of mental capacity and moral capacity in relation to the influences of different QoL determinants of happiness are also investigated. The results indicate that quality of family life, quality of community life, and quality of work life have positive effects on happiness in Thailand. Further, our results indicate that mental capacity and moral capacity are significant as moderators in relation to the influences of two QoL determinants of happiness: quality of community life and quality of work life.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Aikin, L., & West, S. (1991). Multiple regression: testing and interpreting interactions. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications, Inc..

    Google Scholar 

  • Andrews, F. M., & Withey, S. B. (1976). Social indicators of well-being: America’s perception of life quality. New York: Plenum Press.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Appleton, S., & Song, L. (2008). Life satisfaction in urban China: components and determinants. World Development, 36(11), 2325–2340.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bak-Klimek, A., Karatzias, T., Elliott, L., & Maclean, R. (2015). The determinants of well-being among international economic immigrants: a systematic literature review and meta-analysis. Applied Research in Quality of Life, 10, 161–188.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Baral, R., & Bhargava, S. (2011). Examining the moderating influence of gender on the relationships between work-family antecedents and work-family enrichment. Gender in Management: An International Journal, 26(2), 122–147.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Biswas-Diener, R., & Diener, E. (2001). Making the best of a bad situation: satisfaction in the slums of Calcutta. Social Indicators Research, 55, 329–352.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Biswas-Diener, R., Tay, L., & Diener, E. (2012). Happiness in India. In H. &. Selin, Happiness Across Cultures: Views of Happiness and Quality of Life in Non-Western Cultures (pp. 13–41). New York: Springer.

  • Blanchflower, D., & Oswald, A. J. (2004). Well-being over time in Britain and the USA. Journal of Public Economics, 88, 1359–1386.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Camfield, L., Guillen-Royo, M., & Velazco, J. (2010). Do needs satisfaction matter for psychological and subjective wellbeing in developing countries: a mixed-methods illustration from Bangladesh and Thailand. Journal of Happiness Studies, 11(4), 497–516.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Campbell, A., Converse, P. E., & Rodgers, W. L. (1976). The quality of American life: perceptions, evaluations, and satisfaction. New York: Russell Sage Foundation.

    Google Scholar 

  • Carlquist, E., Ulleberg, P., Fave, A. D., Nafstad, H. E., & Blakar, R. M. (2016). Everyday understandings of happiness, good life, and satisfaction: three different facets of well-being. Applied Research in Quality of Life. doi:10.1007/s11482-016-9472-9.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cassar, L. (2010). Revisiting informality: evidence from employment characteristics and job satisfaction in Chile. OPHI Working Paper 41, University of Oxford.

  • Chan, K., & Wyatt, T. A. (2007). Quality of work life: a study of employees in shanghai, China. Asia Pacific Business Review, 13(4), 501–517.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cho, E., & Tay, L. (2015). Domain satisfaction as a mediator of the relationship between work–family spillover and subjective well-being: a longitudinal study. Journal of Business Psychology. doi:10.1007/s10869-015-9423-8.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chyi, H., & Mao, S. (2011). The determinants of happiness of China’s elderly population. Journal of Happiness Studies, 13(1), 167–185.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dawson, J. F. (2014). Moderation in management research: what, why, when and how. Journal of Business and Psychology, 29, 1–19.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Deci, E. L., & Ryan, F. M. (2008). Hedonia, eudaimonia, and well-being: an introduction. Journal of Happiness Studies, 9, 1–11.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Diener, E. (1984). Subjective well-being. Psychological Bulletin, 95, 542–575.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Diener, E., Suh, E., Lucas, R. E., & Smith, H. L. (1999). Subjective well-being: three decades of progress. Psychological Bulletin, 125(2), 276–302.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dolan, P., & Metcalfe, R. (2012). Valuing health: a brief report on subjective well-being versus preferences. Medical Decision Making, 32(4), 578–582.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dolan, P., Peasgood, T., & White, M. (2008). Do we really know what makes us happy? A review of the economic literature on the factors associated with subjective well-being. Journal of Economic Psychology, 29(1), 94–122.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Farrell, S. J., Aubry, T., & Coulombe, D. (2004). Neighborhoods and neighbors: do they contribute to personal well-being? Journal of Community Psychology, 32(1), 9–25.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Garza, A., Sannabe, A., & Yamada, K. (2008). Job satisfaction and happiness: new Evidence from Japanese workers. Discussion Papers In Economics And Business 08-10, Osaka University.

  • Gerdtham, U., & Johannesson, M. (2001). The relationship between happiness, health, and socio-economic factors: results based on Swedish microdata. The Journal of Socio-Economics, 30(6), 553–557.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Graham, C. (2009). Happiness around the world: the paradox of happy peasants and miserable millionaires. New York: Oxford University Press Inc..

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Graham, C. (2010). The economics of happiness. Washington Post, Retrieved on January 3, 2011 from www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/31/AR2009 123101153. html

  • Graham, C., & Pettinato, S. (2002). Frustrated achievers: winners, losers, and subjective well- being in new market economies. Journal of Development Studies, 38, 100–140.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Graham, C., Higuera, L., & Lora, E. (2011). Which health conditions cause the most unhappiness? Health Economics, 20(12), 1431–1447.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gray, R. (2012). Happiness in Thailand. In H. Selin & G. Davey (Eds.), Happiness across cultures: view of happiness and quality of life in non-western cultures (pp. 137–148). London: Springer.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Gray, R., Kramanon, R., & Thapsuwan, S. (2008). The determinants of happiness among Thai people: some evidence from Chainat and Kanchanaburi. Thammasat Economic Journal, 26, 72–87.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gray, R. S., Chamratrithirong, A., Pattaravanich, U., & Prasartkul, P. (2013). Happiness among adolescent students in Thailand: family and non-family factors. Social Indicators Research, 110(2), 703–719.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Grinde, B. (2015). Happiness. In V. Zeigler-Hill et al. (Eds.), Evolutionary Perspectives on Social Psychology (pp. 439–447). Switzerland: Springer International Publishing Switzerland. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-12697-5_33.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Grzeskowiak, S., Sirgy, M. J., & Widgery, R. (2003). Residents’ satisfaction with community services: predictors and outcomes. Journal of Regional Analysis and Policy, 33(2), 1–36.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jaafar, J., Idris, M., Ismuni, J., Fei, Y., Jaafar, S., Ahmad, Z., Ariff, M., Takwin, B., & Sugandi, Y. (2012). The sources of happiness to the Malaysians and Indonesians: data from a smaller nation. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 65(3), 549–556.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jiang, S., Lu, M., & Sato, H. (2012). Identity, inequality, and happiness: evidence from urban China. World Development, 40(6), 1190–1200.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jongudomkarn, D., & Camfield, L. (2006). Exploring the quality of life of people in northeastern and southern Thailand. Social Indicators Research, 78, 489–529.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kahneman, D., & Deaton, A. (2010). High income improves evaluation of life but not emotional well-being. Retrieved from www.pnas.org: www.pnas.org/cgi/doi/10.1073/pnas.1011492107

  • Kingdon, G. G., & Knight, J. (2007). Community, comparisons and subjective well-being in a divided society. Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, 64(1), 69–90.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Knight, J., & Gunatilaka, R. (2010). Great expectations? The subjective well-being of rural–urban migrants in China. World Development, 38(1), 113–124.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kohlberg, L. (1969). Stage and sequence: the cognitive developmental approach to socialization. In D. A. Goslin (Ed.), Handbook of socialization theory and research (pp. 347–480). Chicago: Rand McNally.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kolstad, A. (1995). Chapter 6: satisfaction in Norway. In W. E. Saris, R. Veenhoven, A. C. Scherpenzeel, & B. Bunting (Eds.), A comparative study of satisfaction with life in Europe (pp. 133–144). Budapest: Eötvös University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Labianca, G., & Bass, D. J. (2006). Exploring the social ledger: negative relationships and negative asymmetry in soicial networks in organizations. Academy of Management Review, 31(3), 596–614.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Labianca, G., Bass, D. J., & Gray, B. (1998). Social networks and perceptions of intergroup conflict: the role of negative relationships and third parties. Academy of Management Journal, 41(1), 55–67.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lee, D.-J., Yu, G. B., Sirgy, J. M., Singhapakdi, A., & Lucianetti, L. (2015). The effects of explicit and implicit ethics institutionalization on employee life satisfaction and happiness: the mediating effects of employee’s work life experience and moderating effects of work-family life conflict. Journal of Business Ethics. doi:10.1007/s10551-015-2984-7.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lu, L. (2006). ‘Cultural fit’: individual and societal discrepancies in values, beliefs, and subjective well-being. The Journal of Social Psychology, 146(2), 203–221.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lucas, R. E., Clark, A. E., Georgellis, Y., & Diener, E. (2004). Unemployment alters the set point for life satisfaction. Psycho- logical Science, 15, 8–13.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mongkol, A., Vongpiromsen, Y., Tangseree, T., Hattapanom, W., Romsai, P., & Chuta, W. (2009). Research report: the development and test of Thai mental health indicator (version 2007, in Thai). Bangkok: The Department of Mental Health, Thai Ministry of Public Health.

    Google Scholar 

  • Montero, R., & Rau, T. (2015). Part-time work, job satisfaction and well-being: evidence from a developing OECD country. Journal of Development Studies, 51(4), 370–385.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mukuria, C., & Brazier, J. (2013). Valuing the EQ-5D and the SF-6D health states using subjective wellbeing: a secondary analysis of patient data. Social Science & Medicine, 77, 97–105.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • National Statistic Office. (2015). Labour force survey of the September 2014. Bangkok: Bureau of Statistic Forecasting.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nieuwenhuis, J., Völker, B., & Flap, H. (2013). “A bad neighbour is as great a plague as a good one is a great blessing”: on negative relationships between Neighbours. Urban Studies, 50(14), 2904–2921.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Norgaard, K., Hundborg, M., Frank, K., Risvig, M., Joensen, R., Andsbjerg, K. & Wiking, M. (2015). Job satisfaction index 2015 - what drives job satisfaction. Denmark: Krifa and Happiness Research Institute in Collaboration with TNS Gallup.

  • Oishi, S. (2010). Culture and well-being: conceptual and methodological issues. In E. Diener, D. Kahn-eman, & J. F. Helliwell (Eds.), International differences in well-being. Oxford Scholarship Online. doi:10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199732739.003.0003

  • Otake, K., Shimai, S., Tanaka-Matsumi, J., Otsui, K., & Fredrickson, B. L. (2006). Happy people become happier through kindness: a counting kindnesses intervention. Journal of Happiness Studies, 7(3), 361–375.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Peir’o, A. (2006). Happiness, satisfaction and socio-economic conditions: some international evidence. The Journal of Socio-Economics, 35(2), 348–365.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pholphirul, P. (2014). Healthier and happier? The urban-rural divide in Thailand. Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment, 24, 973–985.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rojas, M. (2007). Heterogeneity in the relationship between income and happiness: a conceptual-referent-theory explanation. Journal of Economic Psychology, 28(1), 1–14.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Saito, T., Sannabe, A., & Yamada, K. (2005). Satisfaction and comparison income in Japan: evidence from the data of Japanese union workers. Economics Bulletin, 4(17), 1–21.

    Google Scholar 

  • Selin, H., & Davey, G. (2012). Introduction. In H. & Selin, Happiness Across Cultures: Views of Happiness and Quality of Life in Non-Western Cultures. New York: Springer.

  • Senasu, K., & Singhapakdi, A. (2014). Happiness in Thailand: The Effects of Family, Health and Job Satisfaction and the Moderating Role of Gender. Re-examination of Development Policy from Happiness Study, Working Paper Series (No. 76, March), Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Research Institute.

  • Sirgy, M. J. (2002). The psychology of quality of life. Dordrecht: Kluwer Academic Publishers.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Sirgy, M. J., & Cornwell, T. (2001). Further validation of the Sirgy et al.'s measure of community quality of life. Social Indicators Research, 56(2), 125–143.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sirgy, M. J., & Lee, D. (2015). Work-life Balance: A Quality-of-Life Model. Applied Research in Quality of Life. doi:10.1007/s11482-015-9419-6.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sirgy, M. J., Gao, T., & Young, R. F. (2008a). How does residents' satisfaction with community services influence quality of life (QOL) outcomes? Applied Research in Quality of Life, 3, 81–105.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sirgy, M. J., Reilly, N. P., Wu, J., & Efraty, D. (2008b). A work-life identity model of well-being: towards a research agenda linking quality-of-work-life (QWL) programs with quality of life (QOL). Applied Research in Quality of Life, 3, 181–202.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Spector, P., Allen, T., Poelmans, S., Lapierre, L., Cooper, C., O'Driscoll, M., Sanchez, J., Abaca, N., Alexandrova, M., Beham, P., Brough, P., Ferreiro, P., Fraile, G., Lu, C., Lu, L., Moreno-Vela’zquez, I., & Pagon, M. (2007). Cross-national differences in relationships of work demands, job satisfaction, turnover intentions with work-family conflict. Personnel Psychology, 60(4), 805–835.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stark, R., & Maier, J. (2008). Faith and happiness. Review of Religious Research, 50(1), 120–125.

    Google Scholar 

  • Suh, E., Diener, E., Oishi, S. & Triandis, H. (1998). The shifting basis of life satisfaction judgments across cultures: emotions versus norms. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 74(2), 482–493.

  • Sun, S., Chen, J., Johannesson, M., Kind, P., & Burstrom, K. (2015). Subjective well-being and its association with subjective health status, age, sex, region, and socio-economic characteristics in a Chinese population study. Journal of Happiness Studies. doi:10.1007/s10902-014-9611-7.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tyson, P. D., & Pongruengphant, R. (2007). Buddhist and western perspectives on suffering, stress, and coping. Journal of Religion and Health, 46(3), 351–357.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Veenhoven, R. (1984). Conditions of happiness. Netherlands: Reidel (now Springer), Dordrecht.

  • Veenhoven, R. (2012a). Average happiness in 149 nations 2000–2009: how much people enjoy their life-as-a-whole on scale 0 to 10. World database of happiness: Erasmus University Rotterdam, Netherlands http://worlddatabaseofhappiness.eur.nl/hap_nat/findingreports/RankReport_AverageHappiness.php.

    Google Scholar 

  • Veenhoven, R. (2012b). Cross-national differences in happiness: cultural measurement bias or effect of culture? International Journal of Wellbeing, 2(4), 333–353.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Veenhoven, R. (2016). World Database of Happiness, Erasmus Universityh Rotterdam, The Netherlands. Viewed on November 21, 2016 at http://worlddatabaseofhappiness.eur.nl.

  • Wongtada, N., Virakul, B., & Singhapakdi, A. (2006). Thailand. In Anthony Pecotich Clifford J. Shultz, II, eds., Handbook of Markets and Economies: East Asia, Southeast Asia, Australia, New Zealand (pp. 611–655). New York: M.E. Sharpe, Inc.

    Google Scholar 

  • Xie, C., Bagozzi, R. P., & Grønhaug, G. (2015). The role of moral emotions and individual differences in consumer responses to corporate green and non-green actions. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 43, 333–356.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yiengprugsawan, V., Seubsman, S., Khamman, S., Lim, L. L., & Sleigh, A. C. (2010a). Per- sonal wellbeing index in a national cohort of 87, 134 Thai adults. Social Indicators Research, 98(2), 201–215.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yiengprugsawan, V., Seubsman, S., & Sleigh, A. C. (2010b). Health, well-being, and social indicators among monks, prisoners, and other adult members of an Open University cohort in Thailand. Journal of Religion and Health. doi:10.1007/s10943-10010-19410-10943.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yiengprugsawan, V., Somboonsook, B., Seubsman, S., & Sleigh, A. (2012). Happiness, mental health, and socio-demographic associations among a National Cohort of Thai adults. Journal of Happiness Studies, 13, 1019–1029. doi:10.1007/s10920-011-9304-4.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

We are grateful to the Research Center, National Institute of Development Administration (NIDA) for fund support, the National Statistics Office for data support, and Arnond Sakworawich for his advice in data analysis.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Graduate School of Human Resource Development, National Institute of Development Administration, Bangkok, Thailand

    Kalayanee Senasu

  2. Strome College of Business, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, USA

    Anusorn Singhapakdi

Authors
  1. Kalayanee Senasu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Anusorn Singhapakdi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Anusorn Singhapakdi.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Senasu, K., Singhapakdi, A. Quality-of-Life Determinants of Happiness in Thailand: the Moderating Roles of Mental and Moral Capacities. Applied Research Quality Life 13, 59–87 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11482-017-9506-y

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11482-017-9506-y

Keywords

Search

Navigation