The associations of quantitative/qualitative job insecurity and well-being: the role of self-esteem

Job insecurity is recognized as one of the most prominent job stressors for employees. Despite decades of research, the concurrent examination of both quantitative (i.e., perceived threat of job loss) and qualitative (i.e., perceived threat of losing some job features) job insecurity and the analysis of their different relationships with well-being at work have received relatively scarce attention. This study examined a moderated mediation model of the relationship between quantitative job insecurity and well-being at work. In doing so, the focus was on the mediating effects of qualitative job insecurity and the moderating effects of self-esteem in the aforementioned relationships. Drawing from Warr’s model, four indicators of well-being at work were included (i.e., vigor, emotional exhaustion, job satisfaction, and psychological symptoms), offering a more detailed analysis of the consequences of job insecurity. A sample of 751 Italian employees participated in a self-report questionnaire. Results showed that qualitative job insecurity fully mediated the effects of quantitative job insecurity on outcomes. Concerning job satisfaction, the conditional indirect effect of quantitative job insecurity varied significantly on the basis of self-esteem, showing the moderating role of the latter variable. These findings provided additional evidence of the different role of job insecurity dimensions on well-being in workplaces. Moreover, the overall moderated mediation analysis provided new insights about the buffering role of self-esteem. Finally, implications for human resource management and stress management were provided.