Abstract
Economic studies have considered the impact
of job insecurity on savings and consumption, but
they have tended to overlap the subjective perception
of job insecurity and the condition of temporary work
(i.e., fixed-term contracts = job insecurity). On the
other hand, psychological studies have introduced the
distinction between ’objective’ (referred to temporary
employment) and ’subjective’ job insecurity (referred
to the way individuals perceive and experience their
situation), but they have mainly focused on organizational
(commitment in one’s organization, job satisfaction,
) and personal (health, well-being,) outcomes,
paying less attention to their influence on extra - organizational
variables (such as family/life projects and
consumption). This paper aims to explore some of the
extra-organizational outcomes (such as consumers’ behaviours
and life projects) of job insecurity, both in
terms of subjective perception and in terms of objective
condition. In particular, this study seeks (a) to analyze
the relationship between contract (temporary vs. permanent
work) and (subjective) job insecurity; and (b)
to explore the effects of job insecurity (both subjective
and objective) on extra-organizational contexts. Results
derive from secondary analysis of two databases:
1) a tracking study conducted with quantitative surveys
repeated every three months with representative
samples (1000 subjects per wave) of Italians, in order to
study the relationship between temporary employment
and job insecurity; 2) a survey carried out on a large
sample (n=2717) of Italian workers, in order to explore
the relationship between job insecurity and individuals’
daily economic behaviours (such as buying groceries,
apparels, cosmetics or entertainment) and life projects
(such as buying a home, marrying or having children).
Results shows that while these two dimensions (perception
of job insecurity and fixed-term work contract)
are clearly connected, they appear to differ and do not
directly coincide: a regression between work contract
(i.v.) and job insecurity (d.v.) accounts for an important
but minor share of variance. Furthermore, the
analysis suggests that (subjective) job insecurity works
as a mediator between permanent/temporary employment
and specific extra-organizational behaviours (i.e.:
sacrifices to both daily consumptions and life projects).
The implications of this study are discussed, both from
a theoretical and a pragmatic perspective.
Lingua originale | English |
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Titolo della pubblicazione ospite | 15th Conference of the European Association of Work and Organizational Psychology |
Pagine | 146 |
Numero di pagine | 1 |
Stato di pubblicazione | Pubblicato - 2011 |
Evento | 15th Conference of the European Association of Work and Organizational Psychology - Maastricht Durata: 25 mag 2011 → 28 mag 2011 |
Convegno
Convegno | 15th Conference of the European Association of Work and Organizational Psychology |
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Città | Maastricht |
Periodo | 25/5/11 → 28/5/11 |
Keywords
- job insecurity