Qualitative job insecurity, job satisfaction, and organizational commitment: the mediating role of control perceptions

Abstract

This study analyses job insecurity within the framework of stress theories and psychological contract breach, and focuses on how qualitative job insecurity relates to employee attitudes, such as job satisfaction and organizational commitment. Specifically, it aims to test the mediating role of work-related control perceptions (i.e. organizational control and employability) in the relation between qualitative job insecurity and employee attitudes. The study was conducted in Lithuanian organizations and draws a focus to the Baltic countries, which have rarely been represented in job insecurity research. In total, 1180 employees took part in this study. Mediation analyses were performed to test the hypotheses. The results offer support for the hypothesis that qualitative job insecurity is related to lower positive employee attitudes towards the job and the organization, namely job satisfaction and organizational commitment. It was also found that oorganizational control and employability partially mediated the link between job insecurity and these attitudes.