Hostname: page-component-76fb5796d-9pm4c Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-26T14:07:54.167Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Consequences of Job Insecurity and the Moderator Role of Occupational Group

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 January 2013

Beatriz Sora Miana ,
M. Gloria González-Morales ,
Amparo Caballer  and
José M. Peiró
Beatriz Sora Miana
Affiliation:
Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (Spain)
M. Gloria González-Morales
Affiliation:
University of Guelph (Canada)
Amparo Caballer*
Affiliation:
Universitat de València (Spain)
José M. Peiró
Affiliation:
Universitat de València (Spain)
*
Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Amparo Caballer. Departament de Psicologia Social, Facultat de Psicologia, Av. Blasco Ibáñez, 21, 46010 València (Spain). E-mail: Amparo.Caballer@uv.es
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

In recent decades, transformations in organizations and the labour market have produced an increase in employee job insecurity. In response to this situation, workers present different negative reactions. However, the intensity of these reactions varies across studies that have investigated the outcomes of job insecurity. One possible explanation for this inconsistency may lie in the influence of other factors, such as the occupational group (Sverke et al., 2002). The aim of this study is to provide additional evidence about the relationship between job insecurity and its outcomes (i.e., life satisfaction, job satisfaction, perceived performance and organizational commitment), and examine the moderator role of occupational group in this relationship. The sample was composed of 321 employees from different Spanish organizations. The results showed that job insecurity was directly and negatively related to life satisfaction, job satisfaction and organizational commitment, and they suggest that occupational group moderated relations between job insecurity and three studied outcomes. In the case of life satisfaction and perceived performance, this relationship was stronger among blue collar workers. The relationship between job insecurity and job satisfaction was stronger in white collar workers. The implications and limitations of this study are discussed.

Las transformaciones en el mercado laboral y las organizaciones de las últimas décadas han conllevado un aumento de la inseguridad laboral de los trabajadores. En respuesta a esta inseguridad, los trabajadores presentan distintas reacciones negativas. Sin embargo, la intensidad de estas reacciones varía en los estudios que se han centrado en examinar estos efectos asociados. Una posible explicación de esta variabilidad se basa en la influencia de otros factores, como por ejemplo el grupo ocupacional (Sverke y col., 2002). El objetivo del presente trabajo es proporcionar evidencia adicional a la relación entre la inseguridad laboral y sus efectos asociados (ej: satisfacción con la vida, satisfacción laboral, desempeño percibido y compromiso organizacional), así como examinar el papel modulador del grupo ocupacional en esta relación. La muestra de este estudio estuvo compuesta por 321 trabajadores de diversas organizaciones españolas. Los resultados mostraron que la inseguridad laboral se relacionaba directa y negativamente con la satisfacción con la vida, la satisfacción laboral y el compromiso organizacional. Los resultados sugirieron que el grupo ocupacional modulaba la relación entre inseguridad laboral y tres de los efectos asociados estudiados. En el caso de la satisfacción con la vida, y el desempeño percibido esta relación era más intensa en el grupo de empleados de cuello azul. La relación entre inseguridad laboral y satisfacción laboral resultó más fuerte en el caso de los empleados de cuello blanco. Se discuten las implicaciones y limitaciones de este estudio.

Keywords

job insecurityoccupational grouplife satisfactionjob satisfactionorganizational commitmentinseguridad laboralgrupo ocupacionalsatisfacción con la vidasatisfacción laboralcompromiso organizacional
Type
Research Article
Information
The Spanish Journal of Psychology , Volume 14 , Issue 2 , November 2011 , pp. 820 - 831
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2011

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Abramis, D. (1994). Relationship of job stressors to job performance: linear or an inverted-U? Psychological Reports, 75(1), 547–558.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Adkins, Ch. L., Werbel, J. D., & Farh, J. (2001). A field study of job insecurity during a financial crisis. Group & Organization Management, 26, 463–483. doi:10.1177/1059601101264004Google Scholar
Aitken, L. S., & West, S. G. (1991). Multiple regression: Testing and interpreting interactions. Newbury Park, CA: Sage.Google Scholar
Appleton, S., & Song, L. (2008). Life satisfaction in urban China: Components and determinants. World Development, 36, 2325–2340. doi:10.1016/j.worlddev.2008.04.009Google Scholar
Armstrong-Stassen, M. (1993). Survivors' reactions to a workforce reduction: A comparison of blue-collar worker and their supervisors. Canadian Journal of Administrative Sciences, 10, 334–343. doi:10.1111/j.1936-4490.1993.tb00038.xCrossRefGoogle Scholar
Armstrong-Stassen, M. (2005). Coping with downsizing: A comparison of executive-level and middle managers. International Journal of Stress Management, 12(2), 117–141. doi:10.1037/1072-5245.12.2.117Google Scholar
Armstrong-Stassen, M. (1997, August). The reactions of older female civil service employees to organizational downsizing. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Psychological Association, Chicago, IL.Google Scholar
Ashford, S. J., Lee, C., & Bobko, P. (1989). Content, causes, and consequences of job insecurity: A theory-based measure and substantive test. Academy of Management Journal, 32(4), 803–829. doi:10.2307/256569CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bryk, A. S., & Raudenbush, S. W. (1992). Hierarchical linear models. Newbury Park, CA: Sage.Google Scholar
Buckley, P. J., & Ghauri, P. (1993). Introduction and over-view. In Buckley, P. J. & Ghauri, P. (Eds.), The internationalization of the firm. London, UK: McMillan PressGoogle Scholar
Burke, R. J. (1997). Correlates of job insecurity among recent business school graduates. Employee Relations, 20(1), 92–98. doi:10.1108/01425459810369850Google Scholar
Cascio, W. F. (1998). Managing human resources: Productivity, quality of work life, profits. (5th ed.) New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.Google Scholar
Cheng, G. H. L., & Chan, D. K. S. (2008). Who suffers more from job insecurity? A meta-analytic review. Applied Psychology: An International Review, 57(2), 272–303. doi:10.1111/j.1464-0597.2007.00312.xGoogle Scholar
Chirumbolo, A., & Hellgren, J. (2003). Individual and organizational consequences of job insecurity: A European study. Economic and Industrial Democracy, 24(2), 217–240. doi:10.1177/0143831X03024002004CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cook, J., & Wall, T. (1980). New work attitude measures of trust, organizational commitment and personal need fulfilment. Journal of Occupational Psychology, 53(1), 39–52.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Davy, J. A., Kinicki, A. J., & Scheck, C. L. (1997). A Test of Job Insecurity's Direct and mediated effects on withdrawal cognitions. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 18, 323–349.3.0.CO;2-#>CrossRefGoogle Scholar
De Cuyper, N., & De Witte, H., (2006). The impact of job insecurity and contract type on attitudes, well-being and behavioral reports: A psychological contract perspective. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 79, 395–409. doi:10.1348/096317905X53660Google Scholar
De Cuyper, N., Notelaers, G., & De Witte, H. (2009). Job insecurity and employability in fixed-term contractors, agency workers, and permanent workers: Associations with job satisfaction and affective organizational commitment. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 14(2), 193–205. doi:10.1037/a0014603Google Scholar
De Witte, H. (1992). Tussen optimisten en teruggetrokkenen. Een empirisch onderzoek naar het psychosociaal profiel van langdurig werklozen en deelnemers aan de Weer-Werkactie in Vlaanderen. [Between optimists and withdrawn. Analysis of the psychological profile of the long term unemployed]. Leuven, Belgium: HIVA.Google Scholar
De Witte, H. (1999). Job insecurity and psychological well-being: A review of the literature and exploration of some unresolved issues. European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 8(2), 155–177. doi:10.1080/135943299398302CrossRefGoogle Scholar
De Witte, H. (2000). Arbeidsethos en jobonzekerheid: meting en gevolgen voor welzijn, tevredenheid en inzet op het werk. [Work ethic and job insecurity: measurement and consequences for well-being, satisfaction and performance]. In Bouwen, R., Witte, K. De, Witte, H. De, & Taillieu, T. (Eds.), Van groep naar gemeenschap. Liber Amicorum Prof. Dr. Leo Lagrou (pp. 325–350). Leuven, Belgium: Garant.Google Scholar
De Witte, H., & Claes, R. (2000). De toekomst is rooskleurig… doch veraf. Resultaten van de Campus-enquête in opdracht van Vacature. [The future is bright…but distant. Results of a survey among graduates]. Gent/Brussel, Belgium: Vakgroep Personeelsbeleid.Google Scholar
Filipkowski, M., & Johnson, C. M. (2008). Comparisons of performance and job insecurity in union and nonunion sites of a manufacturing company. Journal of Organizational Behavior Management, 28(4), 218–237. doi:10.1080/0160806080 2454437Google Scholar
Frese, M. (1985). Stress at work and psychosomatic complaints: A causal interpretation. Journal of Applied Psychology, 70, 314–328. doi:10.1037//0021-9010.70.2.314CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Gallie, D., White, M., Cheng, Y., & Tomlinson, M. (1998). Restructuring the employment relationship. Oxford, UK: Clarendon.Google Scholar
Goldberg, D. (1979). Manual of the General Health Questionnaire. Windsor: National Foundation for Educational Research.Google Scholar
Greenhalgh, L. (1983). Managing the job insecurity crisis. Human Resource Management, 22(4), 431–444. doi:10.1002/hrm.3930220409CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Greenhalgh, L., & Rosenblatt, Z. (1984). Job insecurity: Toward conceptual clarity. Academy of Management Review, 9(3), 438–448. doi:10.2307/258284CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Guest, D. (2001). Employment contracts, the psychological contract and employee outcomes: an analysis and review of the evidence. Unpublished manuscript. Internal document of SALTSA project.Google Scholar
Hartley, J., Jacobson, D., Klandermans, B., & Van Vuuren, T. (1991). Job insecurity: Coping with jobs at risk. London, UK: Sage.Google Scholar
Hellgren, J., & Sverke, M. (2003). Does job insecurity lead to impaired well-being or viceversa? Estimation of cross-lagged effects using latent variable modelling. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 24, 215–236. doi:10.1002/job.184Google Scholar
Hellgren, J., Sverke, M., & Isaksson, K. (1999). A two-dimensional approach to job insecurity: consequences for employees' attitudes and well-being. European Journal of Work and Organizational psychology, 8(2), 179–195. doi:10.1080/135943299398311CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ianni, O. (1998). Teorías de la globalización [Theories of Globalization]. México: Siglo XXI, UNAM.Google Scholar
Ito, J., & Brotheridge, C. (2007). Exploring the predictors and consequences of job insecurity's components. Journal of Managerial Psychology, 22, 40–64. doi:10.1108/02683940710721938Google Scholar
Iverson, R. D., & Maguire, C. (2000). The relationship between job and life satisfaction: evidence from a remote mining community. Human Relations, 53, 807–839. doi:10.1177/0018726700536003CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jaccard, J., Turrisi, R., & Wan, C. K. (1990). Interaction effects in multiple regression. Newbury Park, CA: Sage.Google ScholarPubMed
Jahoda, M. (1982). Employment and unemployment. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Jones, B., Flynn, D. M., & Kelloway, E. K. (1995) Perception of support from the organization in relation to work stress, satisfaction, and commitment. In Sauter, S. L. & Murphy, L. R. (Eds), Organizational risk factors for job stress (pp. 42–51). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.Google Scholar
King, J. E. (2000). White-collar reactions to job insecurity and the role of the psychological contract: Implications for human resource management. Human Resource Management, 39(1), 79–92. doi:10.1002/(SICI)1099-050X(200021)39:1<79::AID-HRM7>3.0.CO;2-A3.0.CO;2-A>CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kinnunen, U., Mauno, S., Nätti, J., & Happonen, M. (1999). Perceived job insecurity: A longitudinal study among Finnish employees. European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 8(2), 243–260. doi:10.1080/135943299398348Google Scholar
Kozlowski, S. W. J., Chao, G. T., Smith, E. M., & Hedlund, J. (1993). Organizational downsizing: Strategies, interventions, and research implications. In Cooper, C. L. & Robertson, I. T. (Eds.), International Review of Industrial and Organizational Psychology (pp. 263–332). New York, NY: Wiley.Google Scholar
Kreft, I., & De Leeuw, J. (1998) Introducing multilevel modeling. London, UK: Sage.Google Scholar
Lazarus, R. S., & Folkman, S. (1984). Stress, appraisal, and coping. New York, NY: Springer.Google Scholar
Ley 8/1980, de 10 de marzo, del Estatuto de los Trabajadores [Law 8/1980, March 10, Workers' Statute]. (BOE de 14 de marzo de 1980).Google Scholar
Ley 32/1984, de 2 de agosto, sobre modificación de determinados artículos de la Ley 8/1980, de 10 de marzo, del Estatuto de los Trabajadores [Law 32/1984, August 2, modification of several articles of the Law 8/1980, March 10, Workers' Statute]. (BOE de 4 de agosto de 1984).Google Scholar
Ley 63/1997, de 26 de diciembre, de medidas urgentes para la mejora del mercado de trabajo y el fomento de la contratación indefinida [Law 63/1997, December 26, of urgent measures for the improvement in the labor market and promotion of permanent recruitment]. (BOE de 30 de diciembre de 1997).Google Scholar
Ley 35/2010, de 17 de Septiembre, de medidas urgentes para la reforma del mercado de trabajo [Law 35/2010, September 17, urgent measures for the reform of labor market]. (BOE de 18 de Septiembre de 2010).Google Scholar
Lim, V. K. G. (1996). Job insecurity and its outcomes: Moderating effects of work-based and non-work-based social support. Human relations, 49(2), 171–194. doi:10.1177/001872679604900203Google Scholar
Luthans, B. C., & Sommer, S. M. (1999). The impact of downsizing on workplace attitudes. Group and Organization Management, 24(1), 46–70. doi:10.1177/1059601199241004Google Scholar
Makikangas, A., & Kinnunen, U. (2003). Psychosocial work stressors and well-being: Self-esteem and optimism as moderators in a one-year longitudinal sample. Personality and Individual Differences, 35, 537–557. doi:10.1016/S0191-8869(02)00217-9CrossRefGoogle Scholar
McClelland, G. H., & Judd, C. M. (1993). Statistical difficulties of detecting interactions and moderator effects. Psychological Bulletin, 114, 376–390. doi:10.1037//0033-2909.114.2.376CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Meyer, J. P., & Allen, N. J. (1991). A three-component conceptualization of organizational commitment. Human Resource Management Review, 1, 61–89. doi:10.1016/1053-4822(91)90011-ZCrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mishel, L., & Podgursky, M. (1988). The incidence of displacement. In Dennis, B. (Ed.), Proceedings of the fortieth annual meeting of the Industrial Relations Research Association (pp. 118–124). Madison, WI: Industrial Relations Research Association.Google Scholar
Mowday, R. T. (1998). Reflections on the study and relevance of organizational commitment. Human Resource Management Review, 8(4), 387–401. doi:10.1016/S1053-4822(99)00006-6CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mowday, R. T., Porter, L. W., & Steers, R. M. (1979). The measurement of organizational commitment. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 14, 224–247. doi:10.1016/0001-8791(79)90072-1Google Scholar
Muse, L. A., Harris, S. G., & Field, H. S. (2003). Has the Inverted-U Theory of Stress and Job Performance had a fair test? Human Performance, 16(4), 349–364. doi:10.1207/S15327043HUP1604_2Google Scholar
Näswall, K., Sverke, M., & Hellgren, J. (2005). The moderating role of personality characteristics on the relationship between job insecurity and strain. Work & Stress, 19, 37–49. doi:10.1080/02678370500057850CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pinheiro, J. C., & Bates, D. M. (2000). Mixed-effects models in S and S-PLUS. New York, NY: Springer-Verlag.Google Scholar
Quick, J. D., Cooper, C. L., Gavin, J. H., & Quick, J. C. (2002). Executive health: Building self-reliance for challenging times. In Cooper, C. L. & Robertson, I. T. (Eds.), International review of industrial and organizational psychology (vol. 17, pp. 187–216). New York, NY: Wiley.Google Scholar
R Development Core Team (2004). R: A language and environment for statistical computing. Vienna, Austria: R Foundation for Statistical Computing.Google Scholar
Radigan, J. E. (1990). Setting the scene: Can a company be both pro-profits and pro-people?. In Fishman, D. B., & Cherniss, C. (Eds.), The human side of corporate competitiveness (pp. 13–17). Newbury Park, CA: Sage.Google Scholar
Real Decreto 1989/1984, de 17 de octubre, por el que se regula la contratación temporal como medida de fomento del empleo [Law 1989/1984, 17th October, by regulating the temporary employment as a measure to promote employment]. (BOE de 9 de noviembre de 1984).Google Scholar
Real Decreto-ley 5/2001, de 2 marzo, de medidas urgentes de reforma del mercado de trabajo para el incremento del empleo y la mejora de su calidad [Law 5/2001, 2nd March, urgent measures of reform of the labour market to increase employment and its quality]. (BOE de 3 de marzo de 2001).Google Scholar
Robinson, S. L. (1996). Trust and breach of the psychological contract. Administrative Science Quarterly, 41, 574–599. doi:10.2307/2393868Google Scholar
Rosenblatt, Z., & Ruvio, A. (1996). A test of a multidimensional model of job insecurity: The case of Israeli teachers. Journal of organizational behavior, 17, 587–605. doi:10.1002/ (SICI)1099-1379(199612)17:1+<587::AID-JOB825>3.3.CO; 2-J3.0.CO;2-S>CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rosenblatt, Z., Talmud, I., & Ruvio, A. (1999). A gender based framework of the experience of job insecurity and its effects on work attitudes. European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 8, 197–217. doi:10.1080/135943299398320Google Scholar
Roskies, E., & Louis-Guerin, C. (1990). Job insecurity in managers: Antecedents and consequences. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 11, 345–359. doi:10.1002/job.4030110503CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Silla, I., De Cuyper, N., Gracia, F. J., Peiro, J. M., & De Witte, H. (2009). Job insecurity and well-being: Moderation by employability. Journal of Happiness Studies, 10, 739–751. doi:10.1007/s10902-008-9119-0CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Silla, I., Gracia, F. J., & Peiró, J. M. (2005). Job insecurity and health-related outcomes among different types of temporary workers. Economic and Industrial Democracy, 26(1), 89–117. doi:10.1177/0143831X05049404Google Scholar
Sonnentag, S., & Frese, M. (2003). Stress in organizations. In Borman, W. C., Ilgen, D. R., & Klimoski, R. J. (Eds.), Handbook of psychology: Industrial and organizational psychology (vol. 12, pp. 453–492). New Jersey, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.Google Scholar
Sora, B., Caballer, A., & Peiró, J. M. (2010). The consequences of job insecurity for employees: The moderator role of job dependence. International Labour Review, 149, 59–72. doi:10.1111/j.1564-913X.2010.00075.xGoogle Scholar
Sora, B., Caballer, A., Peiró, J. M., Silla, I., & Gracia, F. (2010). Moderating influence of organizational justice on the relationship between job insecurity and its outcomes: A multilevel analysis. Economic and Industrial Democracy, 3(4), 613–637. doi:10.1177/0143831X10365924Google Scholar
Stepina, L. P., & Perrewe, P. L. (1991). The stability of comparative referent choice and feelings of inequity: A longitudinal field study. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 12, 185–200. doi:10.1002/job.4030120303Google Scholar
Stone, A. A., & Neale, J. M. (1984). New measure of daily coping: Development and preliminary results. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 46, 892–906. doi:10.1037//0022-3514.46.4.892Google Scholar
Sutton, R. I., & D'Aunno, T. (1989). Decreasing organizational size: Untangling the effects of money and people. Academy of Management Review, 14, 194–212. doi:10.2307/258416CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sverke, M., & Hellgren, J. (2002). The nature of job insecurity: understanding employment uncertainty on the brink of a new millennium. Applied Psychology: An International Review, 51, 23–42. doi:10.1111/1464-0597.0077zGoogle Scholar
Sverke, M., Hellgren, J., & Näswall, K. (2002). No security: A meta-Analysis and Review of Job Insecurity and its Consequences. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 7(3), 242–264. doi:10.1037//1076-8998.7.3.242Google Scholar
Swanson, V., & Power, K. (2001). Employees' perceptions of organizational restructuring: The role of social support. Work and Stress, 15, 161–178. doi:10.1080/02678370110066995Google Scholar
Wong, Y., Wong, Ch., Ngo, H., & Lui, H. (2005). Different responses to job insecurity of Chinese workers in joint ventures and state-owned enterprises. Human Relations, 58(11), 1391–1418. doi:10.1177/0018726705060243Google Scholar
Worrall, L., & Cooper, C. (2004). Managers, hierarchies and perceptions: A study of UK managers. Journal of Managerial Psychology, 19, 41–68. doi:10.1108/02683940410520655CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Yousef, D. A. (1998). Satisfaction with job security as a predictor of organizational commitment and job performance in a multicultural environment. International Journal of Manpower, 19, 184–194. doi:10.1108/01437729810216694Google Scholar