Unbraiding the effect of policy benefits on subjective well-being: the mediating role of work-related well-being

Purpose- This piece of research attempts to find out the association between work-related well-being (WWB), benefits of scheme (BoS) and subjective well-being (SWB). The study was conducted on handloom weavers in Uttar Pradesh (UP), India. Design/methodology/approach - The association among the variables was studied using structural equation modeling on Amos 22. The tripartite relationship of WWB, BoS and SWB was explored using causal steps approach. Bootstrapping of a sample size of 2,000 was performed. A cross-sectional survey was conducted on 403 weavers, and convenient sampling was done. Findings - A direct link was found by the structural equation modeling (SEM) results between benefits of schemeBoS and SWB, which was reflected by a value of r2 (0.33) at significance level p < 0.001. The standardized indirect effect of BoS on SWB was found to be 0.158 (p < 0.001). In the presence of WWB, the relationship between BoS and SWB (direct effect) stands significant, thus making this a case of partial mediation. The value of R2 is increased to 48.1% in presence of a mediating variable. Research limitations/implications - The study indicated the importance of WWB and how it can enhance SWB. Originality/value - The relationship between SWB, WWB and policy benefits has still not been explored.