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Job insecurity and employees' attitudes: The moderating role of fairness

Authors:
Inmaculada Silla at University of Valencia
Inmaculada Silla
Francisco J. Gracia at University of Valencia
Francisco J. Gracia
Miguel A Mañas Rodríguez at University of Almería
Miguel A Mañas Rodríguez
Jose M. Peiro at University of Valencia
Jose M. Peiro
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Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationships between both job insecurity and fairness and employees' attitudes (job satisfaction, organisational commitment and turnover intention). Moreover, of even greater interest, it aims to test whether fairness mitigates the negative correlates associated with job insecurity. Design/methodology/approach The aproach takes the form of a cross‐sectional study based on self‐reported data. The sample was composed of 697 employees from a Spanish public organisation. Findings The findings showed that job insecurity is detrimental to employees' attitudes, whereas fairness is beneficial. Moreover, the results showed the negative correlates of job insecurity to be less strong in the presence of fairness. Research limitations/implications First, this is a cross‐sectional study, and therefore no causal relationships can be assumed. Second, the study is based on self‐reported data, which could lead to common variance source and method problems. Practical implications Job insecurity is a widespread concern in contemporary societies. Thus, research on how to palliate its negative correlates is valued. This study suggests fairness judgements might buffer the negative correlates associated with job insecurity. Originality/value Previous research has shown job insecurity to be detrimental to both individuals and organisations (e.g. job satisfaction, organisational commitment and turnover intention). Nonetheless, differences observed across studies in the strength of these relationships suggest the presence of moderating factors. The study provides evidence on the moderating role of fairness judgements.
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www.emeraldinsight.com/O I 43 -7 7 2O.}:ltrr:.
Job insecurity and employees' The moderating
role of fairness
attitudes: the moderating role of
fairness
Inmaculada Silla
CIEMAT-UWG Research Growp, Barcelona, Spain
Francisco J. Gracia
Departrnent of Social Psychologt, IDOCAL, OPAL, UrLiuersity of Valencia,
Valencia, Spain
Miguel Angel Mañas
Uniuersity of Alanerta, Altnena, Spain, and
José M. Peiró
Departtment of Social Psycltology. [-lniuersity of Valencia, IVIE, IDOCAL,
Valencia, Spain
449
Abstract
Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to examine the relarionships betseen both job insecurity and
faimess and emplovees' atlifudes (job satisfaction, organisa¡ional comrnilment and turnover
intention). Moreover, of even ¡yeater interest. it aims to test rvhether fairness mitigates the negative
correlates associated with job insecurity.
Desigrr/methodology/approach * The aproach takes the fonn of a cr-oss-sectional study based on
self-repofied data. 'lhe sample was composed of 697 employees from a Spanish public organisation.
Findings - The findings showed that job insecurity is detrimental to employees' attitr-rdes, whereas
faimess is benef,cial. Moreover, the results showed the negative corelates of job insecuriry to be less
strong in the presence of faimess.
Research limitations/implications - First, this is a cross-sectionai study, and therefore no causal
relationships can be assumed. Second, the study is based on seif-reported data, which could lead to
common variance source and method prclblems.
Practical implications - Job insecurity is a widespread concern in contemporary societies. Thus,
research on how to palliate its negative correlates is valued. This study suggests fairness judgemcrtts
might buffer the negative correlates associated with job insecurity.
Originality/value * Previous research has shorvn jrü insecurity to be detnmental to both
individuals and organisations (e.g. job satisfaction, organisationai commitment and turnover
intention). Nonethelqss, differences observed across studies in the strength of these relationships
suggest the presence of moderating factors. The study provides evidence on the moderating roie of
fairness judgements.
Keywords Empioyment protection, Employee attitudes, Unceftainty management, Spain
Paper type Research paper
Intemational Joumal of N{arpower
\krl. 31 No. 4. 2010
pp. 449-465
{t) Emerald Group Publi,shing Linited
01,13"7720
DOI 10.1108i01437721011057029
Francisco J. Gracia ancl José M. Peiró acknorvledge the support of CONSOLIDER EJEC (SEJ
2006 14086/PSrC).
... Besides the psychological health challenges, job insecurity is also associated with negative changes in employees' job attitudes (Hellgren et al., 1999). For example, job insecurity has been found to lower job satisfaction and organizational commitment (Hellgren et al., 1999;Silla et al., 2010) and employee engagement (Wang et al., 2021). Similar outcomes have been observed in studies related to COVID-19 (e.g., Aktan & Toraman, 2022;Jung et al., 2021). ...
... The effect of job insecurity on satisfaction also tends to vary according to tenure, whether permanent or fixed term (Mauno et al., 2005). Previous empirical studies have revealed that higher job security is associated with job satisfaction, while higher job insecurity is associated with lowered job satisfaction (Hellgren et al., 1999;Silla et al., 2010;Stankevičiūtė et al., 2021). Considering this literature, we presume that job insecurity during the COVID-19 pandemic is negatively related to teachers' job satisfaction. ...
Job Insecurity during the COVID-19 Pandemic, Teachers’ Psychological Wellbeing, and Job Attitudes: Organizational Compassion as a Buffer
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The heightened employment uncertainty during the peak of COVID-19 due to the forced closure of work places and the slump in economic activities exacerbated the stress occasioned by the pandemic situation. Based on the Event System Theory and job insecurity literature, the current study investigates organizational compassion as a buffer against the effects of job insecurity during COVID-19 on teachers' psychological wellbeing and job attitudes after the reopening of schools. Data was obtained from 470 primary and secondary school teachers across Uganda. Using psychological wellbeing as a mediator and organizational compassion as a moderator, the moderated mediation hypothesis was supported for all job attitudes except normative commitment. Our findings suggest that organizational compassion is essential in alleviating employees’ suffering during time of need. However, it should be offered to employees in a way that does not foster less desired employee attitudes and behaviors.
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... Clearly, this paper primarily refers to the literature on job insecurity (JI, hereafter), a topic investigated through the lenses of various disciplines, such as psychology, sociology, political science and, only marginally, economics (see, as examples of this variety of approaches, de Bustillo and de Pedraza, 2010;Witte, 2005;Erlinghagen, 2008;Keim et al., 2014;Dill and Jirjahn, 2016;Gallie et al., 2017;Silla et al., 2010). ...
... Malik et al. (2022) find that the personal understanding of new technology is a moderating factor with respect to its impact on perceived JI. Finally, a few other works analyse moderating factors associated with firm-level characteristics and strategies (see, for instance, Gallie et al., 2017;Silla et al., 2010). Notwithstanding these studies focus on the role of moderating factors between JI and technology, none of them considers the correlation between JI and the workers' direct experience of technology adoption in the workplace. ...
The reassuring effect of firms' technological innovations on workers' job insecurity
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  • INT J MANPOWER
Purpose This work analyses how the adoption of technological innovations correlates with workers' perceived levels of job insecurity, and what factors moderate such relationship. Design/methodology/approach The study makes use of the 2018 wave of the Participation, Labour, Unemployment Survey (PLUS) from Inapp. The richness of the survey and the representativeness of the underlying sample (including 13,837 employed workers) allow employing various empirical specifications where it is possible to control and moderate for many socio-demographic features of the worker, including her occupation and industry of employment, thereby accounting for various potential confounding factors. Findings The results of this ordered logit estimations show that workers' perception of job insecurity is affected by many subjective, firm-related and even macroeconomic factors. This study demonstrates that the adoption of technological innovations by companies is associated with lower levels of job insecurity perceived by their workers. In fact, the adoption of technological innovations by a company is perceived by surviving workers (those who remain in the same firm even after the introduction of such innovations) as a signal of the firm's health and its commitment to preserving the activity. Individual- and occupation-specific moderating factors play a limited role. Originality/value This study estimates how perceived job insecurity relates to the technological innovations adopted by the firms in which the interviewees are employed rather than analyzing their general concerns about job insecurity. In addition, this study identifies different types of innovations, such as product and process innovation, automation and other types of innovations.
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... In this regard, a novel theoretical approach has been introduced to the fielduncertainty management theory (Lind & Van den Bos, 2002) -which places justice in the focus of HRM as a key factor that breaks the harmful vicious circle in which job insecurity undermines organizational effectiveness, which then further increases experience of job insecurity (Greenhalgh & Rosenblatt, 1984). Research has shown that external resources such as fair treatment and organizational justice moderate the association of job insecurity with job attitudes (Richter & Näsvall, 2019;Silla et al., 2010;Sverke & Hellgren, 2002). In a longitudinal study, Chirumbolo and Areni (2005) found that job satisfaction and organizational commitment moderate the negative impact of job insecurity on job performance and suggested organizational interventions that lead to greater job satisfaction and organizational commitment among employees. ...
... On the contrary, perceived injustice of organizational procedures (especially those related to layoffs), distribution of resources and information could intensify the negative emotions and frustrations that job insecurity already caused, as well as foster the belief that the organization is not worth employee work engagement. Researchers that focus on justice, fairness, or external resources representing their correlates (e.g., voice, communication, or social support) ground their hypotheses on social exchange theory (e.g., Chirumbolo & Areni, 2005;Schreurs et al., 2012;Silla et al., 2010). ...
Job insecurity and job performance: Why do job-insecure employees not perform better?
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  • Aug 2023
Although the most recent meta-analysis by Sverke et al. (2019) provides conclusive evidence documenting adverse effects of employees’ perceived job insecurity on a wide range of performance outcomes, theoretical understanding of the psychological processes underlying these relationships and their boundary conditions is still lagging behind. The aim of this review chapter is to address these lacunae by summarizing dominant theoretical frameworks used to explain the job insecurity-performance relationship. In particular, in the following paragraphs we (i) describe and integrate main theoretical explanations of the negative effects of job insecurity on performance; and (ii) account for moderators that can potentially ameliorate indirect effects of job insecurity by placing particular emphasis on organizational justice. We also highlight several plausible research pathways that could further advance the understanding of the intervening variables in the job insecurity-performance relationship, including test of multiple mediators, more rigorous longitudinal research methodology and test of boundary conditions.
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... H2: Job insecurity on turnover intention has a partial and significant mediating effect through job satisfaction. Silla et al. (2010) stated that psychological contract theory is a condition of uncertainty in the organization that will cause serious problems, one of which is job insecurity which can have an impact on employee job satisfaction. Mahaputra et al. (2013) stated that the psychological contract theory of employees who feel high job insecurity will increasingly have low job satisfaction. ...
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Study this aim for knowing the influence of job insecurity and job stress on the turnover intention with job satisfaction as variable mediation employee at PT. Graha Maju Property Palembang. Study this done with use approach quantitative with sample 130 employee at PT. Graha Maju Property Palembang. Data processing using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) with the Smart PLS program. Research results show that job insecurity and job stress are influential and significant to turnover intention. Job satisfaction has a significant effect on turnover intention and can partially mediate the relationship between job insecurity and job stress among employees at PT. Graha Maju Property Palembang.
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... Sementara Hurriyati & Apriyanti, (2022) menjelaskan bahwa job insecurity dapat menciptakan ketidaknyamanan dalam melakukan pekerjaan sehingga menimbulkan kekhawatiran akan kelanjutan kerja mereka. Silla et al., 2010) Hasil penelitian ah Ezra et al., (2019) menemukan fakta bahwa karyawan berkeinginan keluar dari perusahaan yang dikarebakan ketidakamanan saat bekerja, dengan tuntutan pekerjaan yang tinggi serta konpensasi yang diterima tidak sesuai dengan kinerja mereka. Indikator job insecurity yang digunakan dalam penelitian diadopsi dari penelitian Prestiana & Putri, (2013), antara lain terdiri dari: pentingnya job event yang negatif, pentingnya faktor-faktor pekerjaan, kemungkinan perubahan negatif, kemungkinan adanya job event yang negatif dan kemampuan dalam mengendalikan perubahan. ...
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