Theory of Job Insecurity

Theory of Job Insecurity

definition

Job insecurity is a condition of powerlessness to maintain desired continuity in a threatened job situation. Insecurity will have an impact on employee job attitudes, decreased commitment, even the desire for greater turnover.



Smithson and Lewis (2000) defined job insecurity as a psychological condition of a person (employee) who showed a sense of confusion or feeling unsafe due to environmental conditions change (perceived impermanance). This condition arises because of the type of work that is momentary or contract work. The number of types of jobs with a duration of time that temporary or permanent, causing the increasing number of employees who experience job insecurity.

Job insecurity was measured based on the components of the proposed Greenhalgh and Rosenblatt and Ashford, et al. in Pasewark and Strawser (2001), namely:
(1) the level of importance of these aspects are perceived individual work,
(2) the possibility of adverse changes in those aspects of the work to the individual,
(3) the importance that every individual of the potential events that may negatively affect the overall individual work,
(4) the likelihood of those events that can negatively affect the overall individual work, and
(5) the perceived powerlessness of the individual.

Chirumbolo, Areni (2005) describes some important definitions of job insecurity among them according Hellgren, Sverke and Isaksson distinguishes two forms of job insecurity that quantitative job insecurity, which is worried about losing the job itself, and the worry of losing their jobs. While quantitative job insecurity refers to the feelings of potential loss in the quality of the organization's position, such as the worsening of working conditions, lack of career opportunities, salary decrease development (Sverke & Hellgren, 2002).

These two different sides of the job insecurity that is in common an underlying assumption that job insecurity is meant to be a subjective experience, based on individual perception and understanding of the environment and situation, and refers to the anticipation of stressful events job loss itself (Sverke & Hellgren , 2002).

As one would expect, "objective" job insecurity, derived from the situation as organizational streamlining, restructuring, dismissal, generally leads to greater insecurity "subjective" job (Klandermans & Van Vuuren; Hartley et al,. Probst, 2003 in Chirumbolo, Areni, 2005).

Based on the above it can be concluded that job insecurity or job ketidakmanan a threat perceptions, opportunities and control individuals have about their responsibilities in the workplace. When the threat is considered greater than chance, when there is a perceived lack of control and changes in the characteristics of the job, the employee victim will experience job insecurity.

References:

Chirumbolo Antonio (2005). "The Influence Of Job Insecurity On Job Performance And Absenteeism: The Moderating Effect Of Work Attitudes".

Barbara Beham, Sonja Drobnic, (2010) "Satisfaction with work-family balance Among German office workers", Journal of Managerial Psychology, Vol. 25 Iss: 6, pp.669 - 689

Hellgren, J., M. Sverke, and K. Isaksson. 1999 "A Two-Dimensional Approach to Job insecurity: Consequences For Employee Attitudes and Well-being", European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 8 (2): 179-195.

Pasewark, W. R., and J. R. Strawser. 2001, "The Determinants and Outcomes Associated with Job Insecurity in a Professional Accounting Environment", Behavioral Research in Accounting, 8, pages 91-113.

Smithson, Janet., Suzan Lewis .2000. Is job insecurity changing the psychological contract? Personnel Review, 29 (6): 1-15.