Prisoner of Love in Care Work: Evidence from Japan

Abstract

This paper asks what factors determine care workers’ intention to leave their job, and verifies the “Prisoner of Love” hypothesis often cited in the field of care work research. This hypothesis means how professional care workers hope to care for patients and show them true passion though they are frustrated by organizational and administrative problems. “Prisoner of Love” might force care workers into a vulnerable position, preventing them from demanding a better working conditions such as increased job satisfaction and higher wages. By analyzing a large-scale survey of care workers in Japan, we found earnings and job satisfaction have negative effects on workers’ intention to leave. The analyses also show that intrinsic motivations for care work have negative effects on workers’ intention to leave, which is mediated by job satisfaction. These findings support the “Prisoner of Love” hypothesis.