job insecurity: definitions, determinants,...

Job insecurity:

definitions, determinants, effects

Sergio Scicchitano INAPP

Antonio Chirumbolo University “La Sapienza” of Roma

University of Modena and Reggio Emilia

Department of Economics Marco Biagi

Seminar – 30 Oct 2018

2

Gli effetti della crisi e della flessibilità occupazionale

• Viviamo in un epoca di forte incertezza

– the “society of uncertainty” (Bauman, 2014)

– “L’età del caos” (Rampini, 2015)

• Fattori di macro scenario (Shoen, 2017; 2018):

– Ciclo economico liberista

– globalizzazione dei mercati, forte competizione internazionale,

– crisi finanziaria ed ecomomica,

– ambiente “liquido” e “turbolento” (politica),

– focus su profitti a breve (brevissimo) termine

• Dura prova per tutte le organizzazioni

3

Gli effetti della crisi e della flessibilità occupazionale

• Ristrutturazioni, fusioni, ridimensionamenti, riduzione di

personale, flessibilità occupazionale ( lavoro temporaneo, in

somministrazione …)

– Risorse Umane considerate solo come “costi” e non più viste come

“risorse” chiave per la competitività organizzativa

• Svolta epocale che ha cambiato la natura stessa del lavoro

e la sua percezione (da sicuro a insicuro, precariato strutturale, Gig

Ecomomy) (e.g. Sverke & Hellgren, 2002; Sverke, Hellgren & Naswall, 2002; 2006)

• Quale effetto/ricaduta sulle persone?

– Aumento dell’incertezza generale e del “senso” di insicurezza (con

evidenti ricadute sociali e politiche)

– Aumento dell’insicurezza lavorativa ( job insecurity)

Monitoring the social impact of the crisis (Eurobarometer EU)

ITALIA: 19% insecure

Monitoring the social impact of the crisis (Eurobarometer EU)

ITALY: 62% insecure of being able

to find a new job “Employability”

Job Insecurity

Definitions and facets of Job Insecurity

Definitions of Job Insecurity

• “Perceived powerlessness to maintain desired continuity in a threatened

job situation” (Greenhalgh & Rosenblatt, 1984).

• Two key aspects:

– (1) powerlessness ( out of control)

– (2) threat

• “The subjectively experienced anticipation of a fundamental and involuntary

event related to job loss” (Sverke et al., 2002)

• Key aspects:

– Anticipation ( uncertainty)

– subjective

– involuntary event

• JOB INSECURITY IS A SUBJECTIVE EXPERIENCE/PERCEPTION

– Not equal of unemployement, being fired, temporary work …

• JOB INSECURITY IS a very powerful STRESSOR


Job insecurity is an employee’s…

• “…expectations about continuity in a job situation” (Davy et al.,

1997)

• “…concern about the future permanence of the job” (van Vuuren

& Klandermans, 1990)

• “…perception of a potential threat to continuity in his or her

current job” (Heaney et al., 1994)

• ”…subjectively perceived likelihood of involuntary job loss” (Sverke et al., 2002)


Core aspects of different definitions:

• Subjective: JIS is a perceptual phenomenon – Different perception of same ‘objective’ situation

• Uncertainty about the future – Not ‘certainty of dismissal’ ( it’s different from unemployment, being

fired, or temporary job)

• Involuntary – Discrepancy between experience and preferences

Diverse sfaccettature della Job Insecurity

• Cognitive (perceived likelihood/probability of job loss)

• vs. Affective (worry/fear about job loss)

• Quantitative (perceived threats to job as such)

• vs. Qualitative (perceived threats to valued job features)

…..

• Subjective (individual/personal perception)

• vs. Objective (contract type)

An Integrated View of Job Insecurity

QUANTITATIVE Job insecurity :

•Perception of the risk of loosing one’s own job (probability, cognitive evaluation) (Eurobarometer)

•“I think I am not keep my job”

•Anxiety, worry, fear of loosing one’s own job (emotional, affective evaluation)

•“I fear to loose my job”

Concern about the continued existence of the job ‘as such’ (global,

overall concern) -> dismissal

QUALITATIVE Job insecurity :

•Cognitive perception

•Fear, worry

•... of loosing valued job features

•… of loosing “qualitative” aspects related to the job that define its objective and subjective value

•Salary

•Career

•Tasks

•Job role

•Challenge

Dimension more hidden, subtle and sneaky of job insecurity

Because often not recognized as such

Multidimensional

Multidimensional Integrated Approach of Job Insecurity (Chirumbolo, Callea & Urbini, 2018)

Quantitative Qualitative

Cognitive

Affective

The probability of

loosing my job is high

I think that my salary

will not increase in the

future

I fear of loosing my job I fear that I will not have

career opportunity

in my organization

Type of Insecurity

Foc

us o

f Ins

ecur

ity

Job Insecurity Objective vs Subjective

Percezione di insicurezza e contratto di lavoro (dati INAPP 2015)

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

7000

Temp Indet

Sicuri

Insicuri

Importanza dell'insicurezza percepita e di come il tipo di contratto non sia una variabile che racconta tutta la storia

Tra i lavoratori a tempo INDETERMINATO circa il 19,4% si dichiara insicuro:

Job Insecurity Objective vs Subjective

Percezione di insicurezza e contratto di lavoro

(dati INAPP 2010 e 2015)

Tra tutti i lavoratori a tempo INDETERMINATO, gli insicuri nel 2010 erano c.a. il 10%, mentre nel 2015 salgono al 19,4%

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

2010 2015

Ind

Det

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

2010 2015

Sicuri

Insicuri

Theoretical Frameworks for the Study

of Job Insecurity

A Job Insecurity Integrated Framework

Sverke & Hellgren, 2002

Integrated model of Job Insecurity as a stressor

Outcomes of Job Insecurity

What are the consequences of Job Insecurity?

Who is it affecting?

Consequences

Job insecurity

perceptions ?

Consequences of Job Insecurity

• Type of consequence? – Psychological, Somatic, Behavioral

• For whom? – Individual, Organization, Union, Social Relationships (eg. Family),

Society

• When does it occur? – Short-term vs. Long-term

For a review see e.g., Cheung & Chan, 2008; Chirumbolo, 2003; Chirumbolo et al., 2017;

De Witte, 1999; 2005; De Witte et al., 2011; 2015; Sverke & Hellgren, 2002;

Sverke, Hellgren & Naswall, 2002; 2006; Sverke, Hellgren, Naswall, Chirumbolo, De Witte, & Goslinga,

2004)

Consequences for individual health and well-being

• Mental health, Psychological well-being

– Anxiety & depression (+)

– Stress, Strain, Burnout (+)

• Physical health, Somatic complaints

– More physical diseases in general (+)

– High blood pressure (+)

– Use of medical services (+)

– Occurrence of heart disease (+)

– Muscle-skeleton diseases (+)

• Life dissatisfaction (-)

• Bullying at the workplace, harassment,

violence, mobbing (+)

• Acceptance of worse working conditions (+)




2004)

Consequences for the job and the organization

• Job satisfaction (-)

• Job involvement (-)

• Work Engagement (-)

• Organizational commitment (-)

• Organizational Identification (-)

• Organizational Citizenship Behavior (-)

• Trust (in management, organization), Justice, Fairness (-)

• Turnover intention (withdrawal intentions) (+)

• Performance (self & rated by managers) (-)

• Innovative work behaviors (-)

• Safety behaviors (-), Injuries (+)

• Counterproductive Work Behaviors (+)

– Absenteeism, tardiness

– Deviant workplace behavior




2004)

Consequences for individual health and well-being

• Work–family conflict (+)

• Crossover to partner (+)

• Marital dysfunctioning (+)

• Effects on children’s school performance (-)

• Interpersonal strain/conflicts (+)

• Sacrifices of life projects (e.g. buying a home, marrying, or having children) – and also daily consumption (e.g.

buying groceries, apparel, or entertainment)

Consequences of Job Insecurity: Meta-Analytic Evidence

Consequences of Job Insecurity: Meta-Analytic Evidence

Sverke et al, 2002 Cheng & Chan, 2008

Job satisfaction -.40 -.43

Job involvement -.38 -.20

Org commitment -.36 -.35

Trust -.51 -.49

Performance -.17ns -.21

Turnover intention .30 .32

Physical health -.16 -.23

Mental health -.24 -.28

Results of scientific studies converge in showing a negative impact of job

insecurity on individual and organizational well-being

Job Insecurity in Italy: Chirumbolo 1999-2018

• Individual outcomes – Mental health (GHQ) (-)

– Physical health (somatic complaints) (+)

– Perceived Stress (+)

– Psychological strain (+)

– Vocational strain (+)

– Interpersonal strain, burn out (+)

– Life satisfaction (-)

– Self-efficacy (-)

– Self-esteem (-)

– Wage Inequality (-)

Job Insecurity in Italy: Chirumbolo 1999-2018

• Organizational outcomes

– Job attitudes (-)

– Job Satisfaction (-)

– Work engagement (-)

– Work empowerment (-)

– Organizational attitudes (-)

– Committment (-)

– Identification (-)

– Reputation (-)

– Empowerment (-)

– Organizational based self-esteem (-)

– Trust in organization (-)

– Justice, fair treatment (-)

• Organizational outcomes

– Withdrawl cognitions, turn over intentions (+)

– Extra-role performance

– Organizational citizenship behaviors (-)

– Non cooperative/deviant work behaviors (+)

– Absenteeism, latenees (+)

– In-role Performance (-)

– Task Performance (-)

Moderators of Job Insecurity

How can the consequences of Job Insecurity be

mitigated?

Are they conditioned by other variables?

Consequences

Job insecurity

perceptions

?

Sverke & Hellgren, 2002

Integrated model of Job Insecurity as a stressor


• Research on job insecurity has been focusing on those

intervening variables that could mitigate and reduce its

negative consequences (e.g. De Witte et al, 2015; Sverke, & Hellgren, 2002)

• Some variables buffer the job insecurity-outcomes association,

some other however boost it

• Moderators are relevant for practical implications,

interventions and policy making

Internal Resources Contextual Resources


• Individual differences in personality traits

– negative affect and self-care

– self-esteem and optimism

– locus of control

– Honesty-Humility

• External resources

– social support

– perceptions of process and work control

– participations in decision processes

– fairness of treatment and organizational justice

Antecedents of Job Insecurity

Who feels job insecure and why?

Job insecurity

perceptions

Antecedents

?


Why do people feel insecure?

Consequences

Job insecurity

perceptions

”Objective”

work situation

Individual characteristics

(e.g., age, gender, personality, employability)

Organizational and social factors (e.g., social support, information, turbulence)

Sverke, Hellgren, Naswall, Chirumbolo, De Witte, Goslinga (2004)



• ‘Subjective’: individual differences and personality traits

• internal locus of control: perceive less threat/strain

• negative affectivity: perceive more negative emotions

• many other more… Trust in people, self-esteem, positive affectivity, self-efficacy, core self evaluation… positivity (?)



• ‘Objective’: socio-demographics, individual features

weak/disadvantaged position on the labour market • Blue collar workers, low skilled workers & industry

• Temporary workers ( “objectively” job insecure)

• Private sector employment

• Employability

• Age and gender (unclear, mixed evidence)



• Characteristics of the environment MACRO STRUCTURAL

DETERMINANTS

Huge country and regional differences

• High unemployment in region/country (+)

• Evolution of unemployment in region or country (+)

• Rate of temporary employment (+)

• Employment protection legislation (-)

• Generosity of unemployment compensation (-)

• Inequality at Regional/Country level (+)



• Characteristics of the environment ORGANIZATIONAL

DETERMINANTS

• Organizational uncertainty about the future (crisis, firing…)

• Organizational change (merging, downsizing …)

• Information

• Communication

• Leadership, Management style

• Opportunities for participation, involvment

• Fair treatment

Thank you!!!

[email protected]

[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

job insecurity: definitions, determinants,...

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