Perceived Job Insecurity Research Articles

Do temporary employees experience increased material deprivation? Evidence from German panel data

Economic insecurity has recently received increasing attention as a determinant of material deprivation. We contribute to this line of research by analysing the relationship between temporary employment and material deprivation. We argue that temporary workers face exacerbated deprivation because they may forego basic needs to provide for an uncertain future. Using German panel data for the years 2008–2020, we find that temporary employment increases material deprivation among workers, particularly in low-income households. This finding is robust to our controlling for important variables such as household income and needs, individual- and household fixed effects and when considering lagged independent variables. The association is not driven by young or highly educated workers who may be more likely to hold temporary jobs without experiencing sustained material deprivation. We also find that temporary agency work, perceived job insecurity and firm turnover rates aggravate material deprivation. This supports the theoretical assumption that the impact of temporary employment on material deprivation is driven by the economic insecurities faced by temporary workers.

Who came first, the egg or the chicken? What comes first, psychological contract breach or perceived job insecurity?

Who came first, the egg or the chicken? What comes first, psychological contract breach or perceived job insecurity?

The Role of Human Values in the Relationship Between Industry 4.0 and Job Insecurity in an Emerging Economy

ABSTRACTThis study analyses the relationship between Industry 4.0, human values and job insecurity in Colombia against significant technological changes and global economic challenges. It aims to understand how human values mediate the relationship between Industry 4.0's technological advances and the perception of job security in the current era of economic and social uncertainty. Utilising a Likert scale, the study gathered 714 survey responses from employees in medium and large Colombian companies. The study used a multistage multivariate analysis approach, starting with unidimensionality analysis, followed by reliability and validity analysis to measure accuracy. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were subsequently employed to test the underlying factor structures of the data. Finally, structural equation modelling integrated the findings, forming a model that sheds light on the relationships among the studied variables. The analysis revealed strong human values such as commitment, collaboration, tolerance, honesty and loyalty in the workplace. Interestingly, participants had a low perception of job insecurity, indicating a more complex relationship between technological advancements and job security perceptions. This study offers valuable insights into how human values shape the workforce's response to the rapid changes of Industry 4.0, particularly in an emerging economy like Colombia.

Will Fun and Care Prevent Gig Workers' Withdrawal? A Moderated Mediation Model

ABSTRACTThis study investigates how gig work challenges influence job withdrawal, mediated by stressors and perceived job insecurity, while considering the moderating effects of playful work design and a caring organizational ethical climate. Drawing on Cognitive–Emotional Systems Theory and the job demands–resources model, data were gathered from 516 Chinese gig workers. Results show that gig work challenges positively impact job withdrawal by triggering stressors and job insecurity. Notably, playful work design moderates this relationship, mitigating the impact of gig work challenges as hedonic job crafting levels increase. However, the caring ethical climate does not significantly influence the relationship between stressors and perceived job insecurity in the gig work context. The findings suggest that promoting playful work design can be an effective strategy to alleviate the negative effects of gig work challenges, thereby enhancing job satisfaction and retention in the gig economy. This study also provides a new perspective on understanding the mechanisms behind gig workers' workplace withdrawal behaviors, deepening the application of the Cognitive–Emotional Systems Theory and the Job Demands–Resources Model in the gig economy.

The Double-Edged Sword of Short-Time Work: Job Insecurity, Financial Stress, and Leisure Experience during COVID-19

AbstractFor many employees, the COVID-19 pandemic-related policies triggered concerns about job security. At the same time, companies in many countries made greater use of state-financed short-time work (i.e., where employees could keep their jobs, work less or not at all, and still receive a substantial surrogate wage). Even though such a measure certainly helps mitigate negative financial effects, employees in short-time work can be expected to experience job insecurity and financial stress. It can also be assumed that the additional free time is not experienced positively in times of lockdowns and social distancing. Therefore, the effects of short-time work during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic in June 2020 on employees’ perceived job insecurity, financial stress, and their leisure experience were examined in Germany. The results of a cross-sectional online study (N = 343) showed that short-time workers experienced greater job insecurity and financial stress as compared to full-time workers. Furthermore, the perception of job insecurity and financial stress among short-time workers was negatively related to satisfaction with their leisure time (i.e., leisure experience).

Impact of career development, job insecurity, and tech awareness on the quiet quitting of hospitality employees in Indonesia

Employee performance is one of the main drivers for company development. However, there is an emergence of quiet quitting behavior, which many Generation Z workers experience. This behavior is detrimental to the company because it affects employee performance. The objective of this study is to analyze the influence of perceptions of career development opportunities, job insecurity, and awareness of intelligent technology on quiet quitting and its correlation with work performance, especially in Generation Z in Jakarta, Indonesia. This paper adopts an explanatory research design to elucidate the causal relationships between these variables using quantitative methods. Stratified random sampling was used to ensure representative data. Questionnaires were distributed to 289 hotel employees in Jakarta, capturing diverse perspectives across various job roles and departments. The data were analyzed using SmartPLS. The results showed a significant negative relationship between perceived career development opportunities and quiet quitting behavior. A positive and significant relationship exists between job insecurity and quiet quitting behavior. The study identifies a positive correlation between awareness of smart technology and quiet quitting behavior. Additionally, the paper reveals a significant negative relationship between quiet quitting behavior and employee performance. Perceived career development opportunities significantly reduce quiet quitting behavior, while job insecurity and awareness of smart technology increase it. Quiet quitting behavior, in turn, significantly negatively impacts employee performance. Organizations can develop targeted strategies to reduce this behavior by understanding the factors influencing quiet quitting.

New technology and workers’ perceived impact on job quality: Does labor organization matter?

There is an emerging literature focusing on the impact of technological change on work quality. This study contributes to the literature by examining (1) workers’ expectations regarding the effect of technological change on perceived job insecurity, as well as physical and psychological job demands, and (2) how these expectations are shaped by the degree of labor organization within countries. The article uses cross-national data for 25 OECD countries. It is found that labor organization decreases perceived levels of job insecurity related to technological change, but also lowers workers’ expectations of technology improving the quality of their work. These findings may indicate that in environments where technological change is less strongly moderated by organized labor, workers put greater emphasis on technology as a driver of (short-term) work changes. Alternatively, these findings may signal a lack of ‘worker power’ of organized labor to enforce technologies that improve the quality of employment.

Initial Investigations into Physician Acceptance of Medical AI: Examining Trust, Resistance, Perceived Job Insecurity, and Usage Intentions.

This study evaluated physicians' attitudes towards medical AI across three Taiwanese hospitals, focusing on constructs of trust, resistance, job insecurity, and adoption willingness, with a survey based on the Dual-factor Model yielding 282 responses and a 94% response rate. Results showed positive trust in AI, low resistance and job insecurity concerns, and a high willingness to adopt AI, indicating a favorable view of AI as a supportive tool rather than a replacement. Key adoption factors were identified as regulatory standards, accuracy, workflow integration, and result clarity, providing valuable insights for future AI development in medicine.

Exploring the human consequences of crisis in the hospitality sector: a study from India

PurposeThe present study aimed to explore the socio-psychological linkages between perceived job insecurity, loneliness, social support, depression, and interpersonal misconduct among hotel workers during a global crisis. The primary motivation behind this research was the significant problem of increased occupational stress resulting from the negative consequences of the pandemic on all hotel employees, including frontline workers and management personnel. This study aimed to investigate the impact of the pandemic on occupational stress within the hotel sector.Design/methodology/approachThis research obtained 269 original survey data from employees in the Indian hotel industry by distributing a questionnaire and employing a convenience sampling method. Subsequently, the data were examined using (SEM).FindingsThe research findings suggest that there is a positive correlation between interpersonal deviance and depression. Additionally, this study demonstrated that social support can alleviate loneliness but has no significant association with depression.Research limitations/implicationsThis study can help hotel managers create guidelines that address the perceived insecurity and psychological issues faced by employees.Originality/valueBy understanding the psychological position of their employees, hoteliers can implement strategies to mitigate the negative impacts of the pandemic on their workforces.

Exploring the Benefits of Boundarylessness: Pathways From Boundaryless Career Orientation to Insecurity and Engagement

The increasing demand for flexibility and adaptability among workers underscores the necessity to explore the outcomes of enhanced proactivity in employees. This study explores the role of job crafting and career competencies (i.e., knowing why, knowing how, and knowing whom) in the relationship between boundaryless career orientation and opposite indicators of subjective career success (i.e., work engagement and job insecurity). Data collected on a sample of 1431 Italian workers (75.5% females; Mage = 37.95) were tested using nested models via Structural Equation Modeling. The results provided support for a significant serial mediation pathway from boundaryless career orientation to work engagement and perceived job insecurity through the subsequent role of job crafting and career competencies. This study sheds light on the protective role of a boundaryless career orientation in fueling a proactive attitude to navigate the progressive fading of traditional career paths and employment stability while sustaining workers’ engagement.

The Paradox of Job Retention Schemes: A Latent Growth Curve Modeling Approach to Immediate and Prolonged Effects of Short-Time Work on Job Insecurity and Employee Well-Being

Many countries rely on short-time work to prevent mass layoffs in economic crises. Despite serving to protect jobs, short-time work may trigger job insecurity perceptions, which may impair employee well-being. Moreover, past experiences of unemployment may increase susceptibility to job insecurity in response to short-time work. Drawing on Conservation of Resources (COR) Theory, Appraisal Theory and temporal stressor-strain models, this study investigates effects of short-time work on the development of job satisfaction, life satisfaction and affective well-being via perceived job insecurity across 6 years, considering previous unemployment as a moderator. We used propensity score matching to account for selectivity into short-time work and calculated latent growth curve models with N = 1211 employees in Germany (619 affected by short-time work, 592 controls). Short-time work predicted higher levels and an immediate increase in job insecurity, followed by a decrease over time. Both levels and changes in job insecurity were associated with levels and changes in well-being. Indirect effects of short-time work on well-being via job insecurity persisted 2 years after short-time work. We found no difference between previously unemployed respondents and others in their reactions to short-time work. The findings support COR theory and a prolonged stress-reaction model, showing lingering effects on well-being via job insecurity even after short-time work ends. The study supports short-time work as an antecedent of job insecurity and reveals temporal dynamics between job insecurity, its antecedents and outcomes over time. When implementing short-time work, employers should aim to mitigate concerns about job security to protect employee well-being.

Health and wellbeing of staff working at higher education institutions globally during the post-COVID-19 pandemic period: evidence from a cross-sectional study

BackgroundThe ongoing global crisis of Higher Education (HE) institutions during the post-COVID-19 pandemic period has increased the likelihood of enduring psychological stressors for staff. This study aimed to identify factors associated with job insecurity, burnout, psychological distress and coping amongst staff working at HE institutions globally.MethodsAn anonymous cross-sectional study was conducted in 2023 with staff at HE institutions across 16 countries. Job insecurity was measured using the Job Insecurity Scale (JIS), burnout using the Perceived Burnout measure question, psychological distress using the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10), and coping using the Brief Resilient Coping Scale. Multivariable logistic regression with a stepwise variable selection method was used to identify associations.ResultsA total of 2,353 staff participated; the mean age (± SD) was 43(± 10) years and 61% were females. Most staff (85%) did not feel job insecurity, one-third (29%) perceived burnout in their jobs, more than two-thirds (73%) experienced moderate to very high levels of psychological distress, and more than half (58%) exhibited medium to high resilient coping. Perceived job insecurity was associated with staff working part-time [Adjusted Odds Ratio 1.53 (95% Confidence Intervals 1.15–2.02)], having an academic appointment [2.45 (1.78–3.27)], having multiple co-morbidities [1.86 (1.41–2.48)], perceived burnout [1.99 (1.54–2.56)] and moderate to very high level of psychological distress [1.68 (1.18–2.39)]. Perceived burnout was associated with being female [1.35 (1.12–1.63)], having multiple co-morbidities [1.53 (1.20–1.97)], perceived job insecurity [1.99 (1.55–2.57)], and moderate to very high levels of psychological distress [3.23 (2.42–4.30)]. Staff with multiple co-morbidities [1.46 (1.11–1.92)], mental health issues [2.73 (1.79–4.15)], perceived job insecurity [1.61 (1.13–2.30)], and perceived burnout [3.22 (2.41–4.31)] were associated with moderate to very high levels of psychological distress. Staff who perceived their mental health as good to excellent [3.36 (2.69–4.19)] were more likely to have medium to high resilient coping.ConclusionsFactors identified in this study should be considered in reviewing and updating current support strategies for staff at HE institutions across all countries to reduce stress and burnout and improve wellbeing.

Job insecurity as a predictor of gray divorce: a gendered dyadic analysis

Abstract Divorce among older adults—known as gray divorce—is increasingly common; however, we have a relative gap in knowledge about predictors of gray divorce. Job insecurity, a pervasive and disruptive work-related exposure, may be a salient predictor of divorce among older couples for whom job loss can be particularly detrimental. Using longitudinal dyadic data from the Health and Retirement Study (1998–2020), the present study examined whether labor force status and job insecurity were prospectively associated with the risk of divorce in mid to later life, with attention to differences based on gender (n = 10,446 couples). Discrete-time event history models linked husbands’ and wives’ labor force status and job insecurity with subsequent odds of divorce in mid to later life. Findings show that husbands’ part-time employment, unemployment, and disability status were risk factors for divorce. Wives’ work disability also increased the risk of divorce, whereas wives’ retirement and exclusion from the labor force were protective against divorce. Husbands’ exposure to objective job insecurity (shorter job tenure) and perceived job insecurity were associated with divorce in mid to later life, whereas the adverse consequence of wives’ exposure to shorter job tenure reduced to non-significance with the inclusion of covariates. The present study documents previously untested predictors of gray divorce, finding that work-related factors may be an area of vulnerability for marriages in later life. Understanding the linkages between job insecurity and divorce is important because job insecurity is pervasive and divorce can contribute to declines in health and well-being.

Job insecurity and vote for radical parties: A four-country study

Job insecurity is a pervasive phenomenon whose effects on support for different parties have attracted increasing attention in the literature. A growing body of research has assessed the relationship between job insecurity and the success of radical parties in Western democracies, but results are still inconclusive due to the complex nature of this independent variable. This article contributes new evidence to the current debates on this topic by analyzing how both objective labour market status and perceived job insecurity are associated with the vote for radical right and radical left parties. Our findings, based on four original surveys conducted in France, Germany, Greece and Spain, suggest that perceived job insecurity is generally associated with greater support for the radical left, but not for the radical right. In contrast, we find the relationship between objective labour market status and support for radical parties to be more ambiguous (and, in most cases, statistically non-significant).

Will undergraduate students pursue a career in the tourism and hospitality industry in the post-COVID-19 era?

ABSTRACT The COVID-19 pandemic severely impacted employment within the tourism and hospitality industry. Students have witnessed employment instability during the pandemic, thus shaping their attitudes toward their careers and perceived job security risks in the post-pandemic era. This study therefore explored the key factors influencing the students’ attitudes and intentions toward pursuing a career in the tourism and hospitality industry in Thailand. Data collected from 394 participants were analyzed, and the results underscore the significant role of internship experience in enhancing students’ motivation to work in the industry while reducing their perceived job insecurity. The results also indicate that career attitudes were influenced by motivation and perceived job insecurity but not by internship experience. Furthermore, students were likely to pursue a tourism and hospitality career when they possessed positive career attitudes and perceived lower job insecurity. The study highlights the mediating role of career attitude in linking motivation and the intention to pursue a career. These results provide insights for guiding the formulation of strategies to enhance undergraduate students’ career perceptions and intentions to pursue a career, contributing to filling job vacancies, sustaining business performances, and supporting the recovery of the tourism and hospitality industry in the post-COVID-19 era.

The Moderating Effects of Gender and Age in the Relationship Between Job Insecurity and Turnover Intention During the Global Pandemic

This article explores the effect of perceived job insecurity on employees’ turnover intention during the global pandemic. A conceptual model was developed and tested with data collected from 398 faculty members in higher educational institutions in Southern India. After checking the instrument’s psychometric properties using structural equation modelling, the hypotheses were tested using hierarchical regression. The results indicate that three dimensions of job insecurity—the perceived threat to job features, the perceived threat to total job and the feeling of powerlessness—are positively associated with turnover intentions of faculty members. The results also reveal that age and gender moderated the relationship between (a) perceived threat to total job and turnover intention and (b) feeling of powerlessness and turnover intention. This study recommends that administrators not underestimate the perils of perceived job insecurity in terms of turnover intentions and steps need to be taken to ensure that employees feel safe and continue to work. This study highlights a simple fact: If adequate steps are not taken, crises like the global pandemic may adversely affect organisations.

Linking perceived job insecurity and work passion: The mediating role of mindful self‐care in academic staff

AbstractSelf‐care is proactive action that involves a repertoire of practices aimed at developing, maintaining and improving physical health and mental well‐being. Although there is a growing number of studies on mindfulness in a variety of academic fields, there is a dearth of studies that look at academics' mindful self‐care in relation to job insecurity and work passion in the higher education institutions. This study aims to examine how job insecurity is related to academic staff's work passion in Ethiopia. It also looks at the role of mindful self‐care in lessening the impact of job insecurity. A cross‐sectional study was carried out, and snowball sampling was used to collect data from a total of 251 academics, ranging in age from 23 to 66 years, who voluntarily consented to participate in the self‐report survey. Job insecurity was inversely related to passion for work and mindful self‐care. Mindful self‐care was a mediator in the link between job insecurity and passion for work. The study encourages workplace mental health professionals to consider the role of mindful self‐care in their psychological intervention programs aimed at minimizing job insecurity and increasing passion for work.

Trajectories of job insecurity and the probability of poorer mental health among prime working-age Australian women and men

Precarious and insecure employment arrangements are important social determinants of health. Prior evidence has consistently found perceived job insecurity to be associated with poorer mental health. Nonetheless, several key under-researched areas remain in the existing evidence base. This study addresses some of these gaps by examining trajectories of job (in)security and assessing the effect of various persistent job security trajectories on subsequent mental health of both men and women. Utilising 15 waves of data from the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) Survey, we employed group-based trajectory modelling (GBTM) to identify trajectories of job (in)security through men and women's prime working years (from baseline age of 28–38yrs to 41–51yrs) across 14 years (waves 5–18), before subsequently examining the associations between these estimated trajectories and mental health at wave 19 (aged 42–52yrs). We identified four distinct trajectories of job (in)security for both men and women: persistently secure, becoming more secure, becoming less secure, and persistently insecure. Examining the association between these trajectories and mental health, we found that chronic exposure to any amount of persistent job insecurity (improving, worsening or persistently insecure) is detrimental to the mental health of both men and women. Furthermore, a somewhat incremental or dose dependant effect was found, with persistent job insecurity associated with the largest declines in mental health scores. Given mental health disorders are a substantial cause of disability globally, our study provides evidence that developing policy and practice interventions to reduce job insecurity (as an increasingly recognised and highly modifiable social determinant of mental health) has considerable potential to enact positive population health improvements.

Investigating OTA employees’ double-edged perceptions of ChatGPT: The moderating role of organizational support

Based on the conservation of resources theory, this study investigated the relationships between the online travel agency employees' perceived benefits and risks of ChatGPT, job insecurity, and turnover intention. Additionally, we also examined the mediating role of job insecurity and the moderating role of organizational support. Using data from a sample of 432 United States OTA employees, the findings demonstrated that the perceived benefits and risks of ChatGPT significantly affected perceived job insecurity. Moreover, the perceived benefits and risks of ChatGPT indirectly influenced turnover intention through the intermediary variable of perceived job insecurity. Organizational support positively moderated the impact of perceived benefits and negatively moderated perceived risks on job insecurity and turnover intentions, thus helping employees cope with challenges and reduce uncertainty. The findings underscore the need for organizations to foster supportive environments to manage the impact of ChatGPT on OTA employee retention. The theoretical and practical implications were discussed.

Exploitative Leadership and Vertical Knowledge Withholding: Examining Multiple Mediational Effects

This study analyzes the relationship between employee’s perceptions of exploitative leadership and their vertical knowledge withholding and the mediating roles of employee’s perception of job insecurity, organizational injustice, and hostile attribution bias. A time lag study was conducted to test hypotheses by data collection in three phases from the 402 employees working in three service sectors (i.e., banking, telecommunication, and higher education) of Pakistan. Results of statistical analysis showed that (i) employees who experience high levels of exploitation from leaders are more likely to withhold knowledge; (ii) exploitative leadership has a significant influence on hostile attribution bias, perceived job insecurity, organizational injustice; (iii) perceived job insecurity and perceived organization injustice function as strong mediators between the relationship of exploitative leadership and vertical knowledge withholding; and, (iv) hostile attribution bias acts as a strong mediator between exploitative leadership and perceived job insecurity. This study explains the connection between employees’ perceptions of exploitative leadership and resultant knowledge withholding tendency, with specific consideration of individual and organizational factors to explain this process. The organizations should develop a culture within the organization that discourages knowledge withholding practices and motivates positive leader-employee relationships.