Validation of the QJIM: A measure of qualitative job insecurity

Abstract

Organisations are subject to ongoing changes. These changes offer opportunities but they can also increase the uncertainty about the future of jobs. Although there is a large body of literature on job insecurity, most studies focus on the worry of losing the job while another important stressor, namely the worry of losing valued job features, received less attention. The key contribution of this validation study is the development and psychometric analysis of the Qualitative Job Insecurity Measure (QJIM) that tries to account for the shortcomings of existing qualitative job insecurity scales. It is a quick but still comprehensive measurement of a highly prevalent but understudied phenomenon that directly influences organisational and employee well-being. The psychometric results show the confirmation of the scale’s one-dimensional structure via EFA and CFA, good reliability estimates and the demonstration of the scale's predictive validity regarding job satisfaction and disinclination to work. From a research perspective, QJIM can be used to gain insights into how and when changes negatively affect employees and to identify preventive or corrective measures. From an organisational perspective, QJIM is useful to recognise job features that employees value, to carefully plan changes and to actively increase employee well-being.