Long-term job insecurity, job satisfaction and organisational attitudes: Test of Warr’s Curvilinear Hypothesis

Abstract

Research suggests that job insecurity is an important work stressor, negatively affecting well-being and organisational attitudes and behaviours. This article concentrates on two often ignored issues in this field. First, the consequences of long-term job insecurity regarding job satisfaction, the evaluation of management and organisational attitudes are analysed. Secondly, Warr’s assumption of curvilinear associations between job insecurity and well-being is tested, and extended to the evaluation of management and organisational attitudes. The hypotheses are tested with data of 769 employees from various branches of a large European multinational company. In total, 15 reliable scales were used to test the hypotheses. The results show that 48,2% of the interviewees had worries about their long-term job security. Separate analyses of variance showed that long-term job insecurity was associated with two thirds of the scales. Long-term job insecurity was associated with lower job satisfaction, lower organisational attitudes and a lower evaluation of supervisors and management. Warr’s assumption of curvilinear associations with job insecurity was not corroborated, however. Suggestions for practice and for future research are discussed. Opsomming Navorsing stel voor dat werksonsekerheid ’n belangrike werk stressor is en dat dit welstand, organisasie gesindhede en gedrag negetief affekteer. Die artikel konsentreer op twee onderwerpe in hierdie veld wat gereeld geignoreer word. Eerstens word die gevolge van langtermyn werksonsekerheid met betrekking tot werkstevredenheid, die evaluering van bestuur en organisasiegesindhede geanaliseer. Tweedens, is Warr se aanames van kromlynige verhoudings tussen werksonsekerheid en welstand getoets, en uitgebrei tot die evaluasie van bestuur en organisasiegesindhede. Die hipotese is getoets met data van 769 werknemers van verskeie takke van ’n groot Europese multinasionale maatskappy. Daar is in totaal 15 betroubare skale gebruik om die hipotese te toets. Die resultate dui aan dat 48,2% van die persone angstig was oor hulle lang-termyn werksekuriteit. Afsonderlike analise van variansies toon dat langtermyn werkonsekerheid geassosiëer was met twee derdes van die skale. Lang-termyn werkonsekerheid was geassosiëer met laer van werkstevredenheid, laer organisasie gesindhede en ’n laer evaluasie van toesighouers en bestuur. Warr se aannames van kromlynige verhoudings met werksonsekerheid was nie bevestig nie. Voorstelle vir toekomstige navorsing word ook bespreek.