Showing papers on "Job security published in 2002"

No security: a meta-analysis and review of job insecurity and its consequences.

Abstract: Meta-analytic techniques were used to estimate how job insecurity relates to its postulated outcomes. Consistent with the conceptual framework, the results indicate that job insecurity has detrimental consequences for employees' job attitudes, organizational attitudes, health, and, to some extent, their behavioral relationship with the organization. Moderator analyses suggest that these relationships may be underestimated in studies relying on single-item measures of job insecurity and that the behavioral consequences of insecurity are more detrimental among manual, as compared with nonmanual, workers. Recommendations made for future research include utilization of multidimensional measures, consideration of a broader spectrum of outcomes and moderators, and use of longitudinal designs.

Who Wants to Work for the Government

Abstract: In an era when everyone wants to be a millionaire, governments struggle to attract and retain highly qualified employees, making it more important than ever to understand what attracts people to the public service. Using contingency table analysis and logistic regression on the 1989 and 1998 General Social Surveys, we explore how individuals' demographic characteristics and the importance they place on various job qualities influence their preference for and employment in the public sector. Job security may still be the strongest attraction of government jobs, but high income and the opportunity to be useful to society also attract some Americans to the public service. Minorities, veterans, Democrats, and older Americans preferred public-sector jobs more than whites, nonveterans, Republicans, and younger Americans, who were otherwise similar. Women and college graduates were more likely than comparable men and less-educated respondents to have government jobs, but no more likely to prefer them. Overall, desire for government jobs declined markedly between 1989 and 1998.

Effects of chronic job insecurity and change in job security on self reported health, minor psychiatric morbidity, physiological measures, and health related behaviours in British civil servants: the Whitehall II study

Abstract: Study objective: To determine the effect of chronic job insecurity and changes in job security on self reported health, minor psychiatric morbidity, physiological measures, and health related behaviours. Design: Self reported health, minor psychiatric morbidity, physiological measures, and health related behaviours were determined in 931 women and 2429 men who responded to a question on job insecurity in 1995/96 and again in 1997/99. Self reported health status, clinical screening measures, and health related behaviours for participants whose job security had changed or who remained insecure were compared with those whose jobs had remained secure. Setting: Prospective cohort study, Whitehall II, all participants were white collar office workers in the British Civil Service on entry to the study. Main results: Self reported morbidity was higher among participants who lost job security. Among those who gained job security residual negative effects, particularly in the psychological sphere were observed. Those exposed to chronic job insecurity had the highest self reported morbidity. Changes in the physiological measures were limited to an increase in blood pressure among women who lost job security and a decrease in body mass index among women reporting chronic job insecurity. There were no significant differences between any of the groups for alcohol over the recommended limits or smoking. Conclusion: Loss of job security has adverse effects on self reported health and minor psychiatric morbidity, which are not completely reversed by removal of the threat and which tend to increase with chronic exposure to the stressor.

Emotional Intelligence as a Moderator of Emotional and Behavioral Reactions to Job Insecurity

Abstract: We present a model linking perceptions of job insecurity to emotional reactions and negative coping behaviors. Our model is based on the idea that emotional variables explain, in part, discrepant findings reported in previous research. In particular, we propose that emotional intelligence moderates employees' emotional reactions to job insecurity and their ability to cope with associated stress. In this respect, low emotional intelligence employees are more likely than high emotional intelligence employees to experience negative emotional reactions to job insecurity and to adopt negative coping strategies.

Age effects on the predictors of technical workers' commitment and willingness to turnover

Abstract: Building commitment and preventing costly turnover of technical employees are key challenges facing organizations today. We examine whether the elements of the employment relationship that predict commitment and willingness to change companies vary significantly with age. Using a sample of over 3000 technical professionals from six large companies, we find that in comparison to those under 30, satisfaction with job security is more strongly related to the commitment of more senior workers (ages 31–45 and those over age 45) and to their desire to remain with their companies. In contrast, satisfaction with work–life balance is more strongly related to commitment of those under age 30 than those over 30. Also, for the under-30s, satisfaction with opportunities to develop technical skills and pay linked to individual performance has a stronger negative relationship with willingness to change companies than for those over 45. While statistically significant, the size of the age effects is small, suggesting popular and managerial attention devoted to differences among age groups may be overblown. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Unions and labour market institutions in Europe

Abstract: Union density The economic roles of unions and institutions We study the evolution of union density in 14 European countries over the postwar period in light of theoretical rationales for union membership. Unions offer not only wage bargaining strength, but also protection against uninsurable labour market risks, and similar protection may also be offered by labour market institutions. Empirically, such institutions as job security legislation and wage indexation do appear to crowd out unions. Conversely, institutional features that make it easier for unions to function (such as workplace representation and centralized wage bargaining) are empirically associated with higher unionization. Daniele Checchi and Claudio Lucifora

Divergent Paths: Economic Mobility in the New American Labor Market

Abstract: In the contemporary uncertain labour market situation, the tradition of upward mobility, or the chance for all workers to improve their earnings, may be a thing of the past in the United States of America (USA). In a competitive economic environment, many companies that once offered the opportunity for advancement to workers, have reinvented themselves as leaner enterprises with more flexible work forces. This publication presents empirical research into the prospects for upward mobility of workers in this new economic environment. The research is based on a comparison of the career outcomes of two generations of young, white men over the course of their working lives. It documents the gap between the upwardly mobile and the increasing numbers of workers trapped in low-wage jobs. The first generation entered the labour market during the late 1960s during a period of stability and prosperity. The second generation entered working life during the early 1980s, a period of recession, deregulation, and the weakening of organised labour. This comparative research reveals trends indicating that the new labour market is harsher than that of the 1960s. A 'pyramid' situation has evolved where highly qualified, well-connected workers at the top of the employment pyramid move from job to job, improving their earnings as they proceed, and a growing number of lower skilled workers are consigned to low paid, 'dead-end' jobs. The authors conclude with a discussion of policy strategies to improve career pathways and promote opportunities for all workers to enhance their earning power. The strategies are based on regional partnerships that link corporate, union, government, and community resources.

Layoffs and tradeoffs: production, quality, and safety demands under the threat of job loss.

Abstract: Employees often face a conflict between production targets, quality assurance, and adherence to safety policies. In a time when layoffs are on the rise, it is important to understand the effects of employee job insecurity on these potentially competing demands. A laboratory experiment manipulated the threat of layoffs in a simulated organization and assessed its effect on employee productivity, product quality, and adherence to safety policies. Results suggest that student participants faced with the threat of layoffs were more productive, yet violated more safety rules and produced lower quality outputs, than participants in the control condition. Implications for organizations contemplating layoffs and directions for future research are discussed.

Relationship between all-cause mortality and cumulative working life course psychosocial and physical exposures in the United States labor market from 1968 to 1992.

Abstract: Objective To examine the relationship between cumulative exposures to psychosocial and physical work conditions and mortality in a nationally representative sample. Methods A working cohort was created using the U.S. Panel Study of Income Dynamics. Information on psychosocial and physical work conditions were imputed using the Job Characteristics Scoring System exposure matrix for the period 1968 through 1991 to construct working life courses. Deaths were ascertained from 1970 through 1992. Results Working in low-control jobs for a working life was associated with a 43% increase in the chance of death (OR, 1.43, 1.13-1.81) assuming a 10-year time lag. No significant effect was found for high-strain work (ie, high psychosocial job demands and low job control), but a relationship was found between passive work (ie, low psychosocial job demands and low job control) and mortality (OR, 1.35, 1.06-1.72). No significant risk of death was found for psychosocial or physical job demands, job security, or work-related social support. Retirement (OR, 2.85, 1.59-5.11) and unemployment (OR, 2.26, 1.65-3.10) transitions and baseline disability (OR, 1.38, 1.06-1.79) predicted mortality. Conclusions The results support the importance of job control to health. The passive work effect suggests that job content may be important in shaping a worker's health over the life course. Future research should focus on modeling stressors over the life course to capture the dynamic interplay of life transitions, stressor intensity and duration and the role of health in the interplay.

Perceived job insecurity among dual‐earner couples: Do its antecedents vary according to gender, economic sector and the measure used?

Abstract: The aim of the study was to examine the experience and the antecedent factors of job insecurity in dual-earner couples in Finland. The data were obtained by questionnaire from a sample of 387 married or cohabiting dual-earner couples in Spring 1999. Job insecurity was defined from three viewpoints: job uncertainty, the worry over job continuity, and the probability of job-related changes. The results showed that the experience and the antecedents of job insecurity varied according to the economic sector, gender and the scale used. Generally, perceived job insecurity was more common in the private than in the public sector. Female partners were more uncertain about their job future than male partners. Psychosocial job and organizational characteristics (e.g. low job control, poor organizational communication) were the most significant predictors of job insecurity, and personal characteristics (e.g. high job involvement, low self-esteem) best predicted only the emotional aspects (i.e. worry) linked to job loss. Only a modest bidirectional crossover effect between partners was found. Perceived economic stress crossed over from one partner to another: if the man experienced a high degree of economic stress, his partner's job insecurity level was elevated and vice versa.

Effect of Temporary Contracts on Perceived Work Characteristics and Job Strain: A Longitudinal Study

Abstract: This longitudinal study investigates differences in perceived work characteristics and job strain as a function of employment status. The study examines the effects of a change from involuntary temporary to permanent status (N= 75) compared to staying permanent (N= 257), as well as comparing temporary contract and permanent contract employees at Time 1 and a second-wave comparison that included new temporary contract employees (N= 92) and new permanent contract employees (N= 34). Results suggest that temporary employment status is associated with negative and positive consequences. On the negative side, temporary status reduced perceptions of job security and participative decision making, which had deleterious effects on job strain. On the other hand, temporary employees had fewer strain-inducing role demands (in particular, lower role overload). The net effect was that temporary employees had lower job strain, which analyses suggested was due to indirect effects of the lower role demands.

The consequences of flexible work for health: are we looking at the right place?

Abstract: Association between working conditions and health Working conditions in industrialised countries have changed dramatically over the past two decades. The internationalisation of investment, production and trade, the application of new technologies, and the emergence of new forms of work organisation have transformed what had become standard forms of work arrangements, capital-labour accords and employment contracts. One of the most significant changes has been the generalisation of flexible labour markets, with the emergence of new forms of employment contracts (or the re-emergence of contract and temporary labour) and the reduction of employee security. Within this context, unemployment has declined or stabilised whereas the “standard” full time permanent job with benefits has being replaced with temporary work, contingent, part-time contract, unregulated work, home based work, and other non-standard work arrangements many of which are characterised by their reduced job security, lower compensation, and impaired working conditions. There is overwhelming evidence that unemployment is strongly associated with economic strain, and psychosocial factors that increase the risk of adverse health outcomes, unfavourable lifestyles, and economic difficulties.1 Despite optimistic claims of full employment and tight labour markets, many workers in “flexible” jobs share labour market characteristics (lower credentials, low income, female gender, migrants, non-white race) with the unemployed and go themselves through periods of unemployment. Therefore, working conditions under those new types of work arrangements may be as dangerous as unemployment for workers' health.2 What can be the consequences of flexible work for health? Most initial evidence has originated from studies of job insecurity, usually measured with attitude scales (for example, the discrepancy between the level of security a person experiences and the level she or he prefers). …

Affective organizational commitment of workers in Chinese joint ventures

Abstract: This study examines the factors affecting joint venture employees’ affective commitment in the Peoples’ Republic of China Three theoretical frameworks (ie the justice framework, the job security framework and the trust framework) are employed to study the antecedents and the consequence of workers’ affective commitment The proposed mediation model includes: distributive justice, procedural justice and perceived job security as the antecedents of affective commitment; trust in organization as the mediator; and turnover intention as the outcome variable The results supported this mediation model It has been found that trust in organization mediates the relationships between distributive justice, procedural justice, perceived job security and affective commitment In addition, perceived job security and affective commitment have significant effects on the turnover intention of workers Finally, the theoretical and practical implications of the present study are discussed

The career choice of business graduates: SMEs or MNCs?

Abstract: To promote SME growth, it is essential to attract young, educated minds to work for them. Recent graduates often view employment in small‐ and medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs) as a “second choice”, and prefer to work for multinational corporations )MNCs). This study uses a job attributes model to address the inability of SMEs to attract business graduates. The first part of the study investigates the importance of nine job attributes to graduates in initial job selections, and their perceptions of these attributes offered by SMEs and MNCs. The second part of the study reports that SME employer perceptions of the attractiveness of these attributes are very much different from those of the graduates. Finally, recruitment packages of SMEs and MNCs are compared, and attributes such as job security and long‐term career prospects are found to be better in SMEs, thus suggesting that SME owners must communicate more effectively with graduates.

Designated redundant but escaping lay‐off: A special group of lay‐off survivors

Abstract: A 3-year longitudinal panel study compared employees who had been declared redundant (N =49) in the initial downsizing stage, but who remained in the organization, and employees who had not been designated redundant (N =118). During the downsizing period, those who were declared redundant reported a significant decline in organizational trust and commitment compared with those who were not designated redundant. However, in the post-downsizing period those who had been designated redundant reported a significant increase in their job satisfaction, trust in the organization and organizational commitment, reporting higher levels on these factors than survivors who had not been designated redundant. There were no significant differences between the two groups for self-reported job performance, perceived job security and perceived organizational morale but there were significant time effects. Perceived job security showed a dramatic increase at Time 3 following the involuntary departure phase of the downsizing and continued to increase significantly, so that perceived job security in the post-downsizing period was significantly higher than during any of the three downsizing phases. Survivors reported a significant decline in job performance in the early phases of the downsizing and in the post-downsizing period 3 years later job performance remained slightly below the initial level. Although there was a significant increase in perceived organizational morale in the post-downsizing period, the level of perceived morale continued to be below the mid-point of the scale. The level of organizational trust showed a similar trend indicating that downsizing has a long-term negative effect on these two variables.

Recent Trends in Job Stability and Job Security: Evidence from the March CPS

Abstract: Over the past few years there has been a keen interest, both in the popular press and among researchers, in whether job stability and job security have declined. Anecdotal evidence suggests that stability and security declined in the 1980s and 1990s. But academic studies have been divided in their findings. This paper uses sheds additional light on this question using data from the March CPS. The main advantage to using March CPS data is that the transition variables are defined consistently over the 1975-76 through 2000-2001 period covered by my data. I find that overall job separation rates changed very little over this time period, but that there were large changes in the component transitions. Employment-to-unemployment transitions declined dramatically, indicating a significant increase in job security. For men, nearly all of the increase in job security occurred in the 1990s, while for women, the increase was more uniform throughout the period. There was an equally dramatic increase in employment-to-employment transitions (job changes with two or fewer weeks of unemployment), indicating that it has become easier to change employers. I also examine trends in these transitions treating married couples as a unit. I find that job stability fell for married couples, but that job security increased. The decrease in stability would have been smaller and the increase in security would have been larger were it not for the increase in the proportion of couples in which the wife’s earnings are a significant share of total earnings.

Job mobility, its determinants, and its effects: longitudinal data from the Maastricht Cohort Study.

Abstract: This prospective study of 12,140 employees examined the effects of work characteristics and situational, psychological, and health aspects on job mobility. Before job change, the mobility group reported significantly more conflicts with the supervisor, higher physical and emotional strain, higher degree of job insecurity, lower job satisfaction, and lower degree of commitment compared with employees who did not change jobs. After job change, the mobility group reported improved autonomy, task diversity, decreased occurrence of conflicts with the supervisor, decreased physical and emotional strain, and improved training possibilities and job security than before the change. Changing jobs had a positive effect on employees with respect to job perception and job satisfaction and led to reduced fatigue and need for recovery.

Principal Recruitment: An Empirical Evaluation of a School District’s Internal Pool of Principal Certified Personnel

Abstract: Applicant pools for principal vacancies are shrinking nationwide. This shortage of job applicants requires school districts to evaluate their internal pools of principal certified personnel. In this study, 194 certified individuals from a large school district responded to a survey measuring attraction to the job of principal, current job satisfaction versus expected satisfaction in the job of principal, barriers to pursuing the job, and recommended changes in the job. Few participants intended to apply for principal vacancies due to age (median=51), lack of self-reported capability to do the job, and satisfaction with the current job. Participants perceived their job satisfaction would decrease on assuming the job of principal relative to factors such as time with family and job security, and increase relative to factors such as salary and opportunity to experience varied activities. Implications for principal recruitment and recommendations for restructuring the job are discussed.

Job satisfaction of correctional psychologists: Implications for recruitment and retention.

Abstract: Do correctional psychologists report levels of job satisfaction consistent with that of psychologists working in other professional areas? Although the number of professionals choosing to work in correctional environmentsis increasing, relatively little has been written about their job-related experiences. This article explored issues pertaining to career satisfaction among 800 correctional psychologists. Overall, these professionals described a moderate level of job satisfaction. Job dimensions such as safety, job security, and relationships with clients were ranked as most satisfying, whereas opportunities for advancement and professional atmosphere were ranked as least satisfying. Psychologists working in federal prisons or less crowded facilities were comparatively more satisfied. Implications for recruiting and retaining psychologists are highlighted.

The Psychology of Work and Unemployment in Australia Today: An Australian Psychological Society Discussion Paper

Abstract: This paper reviews recent literature on psychological aspects of work, unemployment, and underemployment in Australia at the beginning of the 21st century. It examines different notions of “work”, including paid employment and unpaid work (e.g., emotional work, volunteer work). It draws attention to the fact that, in our society, most of the important emotional work is carried out by women (caring for children, disabled relatives, and elderly dependent parents). It discusses the well-documented negative effects of unemployment and underemployment and the corresponding benefits of having work, focusing on young people, middle-aged people, and retired people. Finally, it discusses the psychological and health costs of being employed, in the light of the changes in the workplace that have occurred in the last decade: increased work pressures, less job security, increasing needs for retraining, increased income inequality, and an inequitable distribution of paid work.

Labour Market Transitions and Employment Regimes: Evidence on the Flexibility-Security-Nexus in Transitional Labour Markets

Abstract: This paper deals with the question whether the concept of transitional labour market(TLM) might be useful to formulate hypotheses about the relationship between the size and nature of labour market transitions and the performance of employment regimes. The paper starts from the idea that the TLM concept, as being developed by Gunther Schmid and others, might be connected with the notion of ‘employment regimes’ as defined by Gosta Esping-Andersen and others. Subsequently the paper aims at testing empirically whether the claims of the TLM concept with respect to labour market flexibility and work security hold in the real worlds of European labour markets. The paper comes to the conclusion that the liberal regime combines a high level of labour mobility and flexibility (although not much higher than the corporatist or social-democratic regime) with a low level of work security, and that the social-democratic regime comes out with a high level of work security but a (somewhat) lower level of labour market mobility. However, these regimes do not fit that nicely in the ‘ideal-type’ as this conclusion might suggest: the liberal regimes also have fairly high levels of employment security and social-democratic countries have fairly high levels of labour mobility and flexibility. The convergence hypothesis might find some ground in these findings. Notwithstanding this assessment, we find that the Southern regime can and shouldbe quite clearly distinguished from the other regimes. Although the share of flexible jobs is rather high, upward mobility into permanent jobs is lower in the South and downward mobility (from work into exclusion) is higher. Hence, the Southern regime is performing worse both in terms of enhancing job mobility and preventing labour market exclusion. Apparently, regimes differ and the differences concern the particular tradeoff or balance between flexibility and security within the distinct regimes.

Assessing the principles of partnership: Workplace trade union representatives’ attitudes and experiences

Abstract: The article examines the attitudes and experiences of senior workplace trade union representatives, from the Manufacturing, Science and Finance Union, against the TUC’s six principles of partnership. The findings suggest some acceptance of the ideological aspects of partnership, such as the need to move away from adversarial cultures and understand the impact of market imperatives and pressures on the firm. The results reveal little support, however, for improvements in job security, transparency and involvement and the quality of working life (the TUC’s so‐called “acid test” of partnership). Against a backdrop of job insecurity and widespread work intensification, the article argues that the material and organisational basis to partnership appears to be undermining various attitudinal changes within the thinking of trade union representatives regarding their roles and relations at work.

The Current State of the Japanese Economy and Remedies

Abstract: Japan has reached the limits of conventional macroeconomic policies. Lowering interest rates will not stimulate the economy because widespread excess capacity has made private investment insensitive to interest rate changes. Increasing government expenditure in the usual way will have small effects because it will take the form of unproductive investment in the rural areas. Cutting taxes will not increase consumption because workers are concerned about job security and future pension and medical benefits. Expanding the monetary base will not induce banks to increase investment loans because the proportion of nonper-forming loans in their portfolios is growing because of the prolonged economic stagnation. In order for sustained economic recovery to occur in Japan, the government must change the makeup and regional allocation of public investments, resolve the problem of nonperforming loans in the banking system, improve the corporate governance and operations of the banks, and strengthen the international ...

Gender and career experience in mainland Chinese state‐owned enterprises

Abstract: This paper examines the career experience of Chinese male and female managers in an emerging socialist market economy. The paper is based on research carried out in a range of Chinese state‐owned enterprises. It explores managers’ attitudes toward their careers as a result of changes in enterprise governance, which limit promotion opportunities and reduce job security. In particular, this study investigates gender differences in coping strategies, when career expectations have been frustrated. The results and their implications for future studies of career experience are discussed.

Has the Public Sector Retained its ‘Model Employer’ Status?

Abstract: The authors investigate whether public sector organizations can still be considered ‘model employers’ as they were before the late 1970s. Comparisons are made with private sector human resource management (HRM) practices to determine how closely the ‘model employer’ rhetoric approximates the public sector reality. The article focuses on recent changes in the core and traditional non-traded areas of public sector employment funded directly through either central or local taxation—the National Health Service, central and local government and higher education. Objective quantitative data on public sector HRM practices and flexible work patterns are examined from both primary and secondary sources. Central to the discussion is the question of which sector offers the greater job security to employees.