An Examination of the Psychology of Working Theory with Employed Asian American Women

Guided by the psychology of working theory (PWT) and an intersectional approach, the present study investigated how social class and gendered racial microaggression were associated with decent work through experiences of work volition in a sample of 262 self-identified employed Asian American women. Overall, most of the hypothesized direct paths were significant, with social class positively relating to work volition, gendered racial microaggression negatively related to decent work, and work volition positively related to decent work. Support for indirect effects was mixed. Work volition was found to significantly mediate the relation between social class to decent work, but not significantly mediate between gendered racial microaggression to decent work. Overall, results suggest the need for further investigation and refinement of the PWT to gain a better understanding of Asian American women's experience regarding accessibility to decent work. Practical implications and future research directions are discussed.