Beatrice Piccoli

Job insecurity and emotional exhaustion: Testing psychological contract breach versus distributive injustice as indicators of lack of reciprocity

ABSTRACT This study examines the processes underlying the association between job insecurity and emotional exhaustion, proposing that lack of reciprocity in the organizational exchange relationship is a main theoretical explanation for this association. Specifically, based on the social exchange perspective, we compared and tested two distinct mediating mechanisms: psychological contract breach and distributive injustice. These two indicators of lack of reciprocity constitute the explanatory process through which job insecurity relates to emotional exhaustion, the primary component of burnout. Data analyses from a sample of 322 blue-collar workers in Italy confirmed the mediational hypotheses. A contrast test revealed that distributive injustice was the indicator with more explanatory strength. The results contribute to research on the theoretical explanations of the adverse consequences of job insecurity, considering the nature and antecedents of psychological distress from an organizational exchange perspective.

Job insecurity and performance: the mediating role of organizational identification

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to extend knowledge about theoretical explanations of the job insecurity-performance relationship. Specifically, the authors examine how and why job insecurity is negatively associated with task and contextual performance (i.e. organizational citizenship behavior) and whether organizational identification may account for these relationships. Design/methodology/approach The mediational hypotheses were examined using structural equation modeling in a heterogeneous sample of Italian employees. Findings Consistent with social identity theory, results show that job insecurity is related to reduced levels of identification with the organization and, consequently, to low task and contextual performance. These findings suggest that employees’ behaviors in job insecure contexts are also driven by evaluations about the perceived belongingness to the organization. Practical implications The research supports initial evidence that it is possible to prevent low performance resulting from job insecurity by designing interventions to boost organizational identification. By ensuring a sense of belonging and providing a positive basis for employees’ social identity, managers may increase involvement and attachment to the organization. Originality/value This study provides a deeper understanding of behavioral reactions to job insecurity and adds a path unexplored so far, by introducing a theoretical perspective from social psychology. Job insecurity may represent a specific condition that leads organizational identification to be a key mechanism for employees and their behaviors.

Proactive personality and training motivation among older workers: a mediational model of goal orientation

Purpose – This paper aims at examining the relationship between proactive personality and training motivation among older workers (aged over 55 years) in a context characterized by the growing ageing of the global population. First, the authors hypothesized that proactive personality predicts the motivation to learn among older workers and that this relationship is mediated by goal orientation. In particular, the authors hypothesized that learning goal orientation may mediate the relationship between proactive personality and learning motivation. Design/methodology/approach – The employees of an Italian bank completed an online questionnaire. AMOS 17 was used to carry out confirmatory factor analysis, and the SPSS macro was used to test the meditational model. Findings – The results confirmed both the hypotheses, demonstrating the influence of proactive personality on training motivation of older workers, as mediated by goal orientation and, in particular, by learning goal orientation. Practical implications – From an applicative point of view, this study may have implications for organizations that aim to increase the employability of older people by encouraging them to undertake more training. In particular, interventions aimed at increasing learning goal orientation could contribute in strengthening proactive personality that, in turn, may affect levels of training motivation. Originality/value – Even if proactive personality has already been found as a predictor of learning motivation, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, the present study demonstrates that the relationship between proactive personality and training motivation is mediated by goal orientation among older workers.

The Influence of Job Insecurity on Task and Contextual Performance: The Mediational Role of Overall Job Attitude

Job insecurity, that is the perceived threat of losing the current job, has become an increasing concern for organizations in the last decade mainly due to uncertain economic conditions and global competition. In this study, we intend to examine in particular the mechanisms through which job insecurity affects work performance, a criterion of central interest to management scholars. Drawing on the compatibility principle in attitude theory, we proposed that overall job attitude (job satisfaction and affective commitment) predicts behavioural criteria in response to job insecurity. In particular, relying on social exchange theory and rational choice theory two predictions were compared: job insecurity can be an harmful stressor with negative strain reactions (behavioural withdrawal, low performance) or a challenge stressor that motivates employees to engage actively in actions coping with the threat (higher performance). A sample of 570 Italian employees were used to test the hypotheses derived from our framework. Results from structural equations provided support for the social exchange model, showing the negative influence of job insecurity (as hindrance stressor) on task and contextual performance, i.e., in-role and extra-role behaviours.

THREAT OF LOSING THE JOB AND DEVIANT BEHAVIOURS AS CONSEQUENCE: COMPARING SOCIAL EXCHANGE PERSPECTIVE AND JUSTICE CONTROL MODEL AS THEORETICAL EXPLANATIONS

In the current context of economic crisis, more flexibility from the workforce and organizations is required by the labour market. Job insecurity is a major source of psychological strain during these organizational changes. Research suggests that stressful working conditions may contribute to employees engaging in counterproductive work behaviours in an attempt to regain control over their environment. Alternatively, the fear for uncertainty may lead to avoid any behaviour increasing the likelihood of job loss. In this study we compare two different mediating mechanisms to investigate the relationship job insecurity and deviant behaviours in order to understand the psychological processes underlying. Specifically, psychological contract, rooted in the exchange perspective, and procedural justice, explained by the control model, are the theoretical explanations that we propose. In a sample of 322 blue-collar workers, the results showed that job insecurity is positively related to deviant behaviours indirectly (full mediation) through both breach of psychological contract and procedural injustice: both indirect effects have the same strength in explaining the relationship. The consequences of these findings for theory and practice are highlighted in the discussion.

Counterproductive Work Behaviours: Clarify the Role of Job Dissatisfaction and Organizational Injustice as Attitudinal Predictors

Counterproductive work behaviours (CWB) are discretionary behaviours that violate organizational rules thus endangering the well-being of the organization and its members. Workplace deviance is a pervasive and expansive problem for the organizations and, consequently, it has become increasingly important to managers and organizational scholars. This study intends to clarify the roles of job dissatisfaction and organizational injustice perceptions in predicting counterproductive work behaviours. Drawing on theoretical bases, the author compared three possible models using structural equation modelling: full mediation (job dissatisfaction mediates the injustice-CWB relationship), partial mediation (direct and indirect relationship - through job dissatisfaction - between injustice and CWB) and independent effects model (job dissatisfaction and injustice are separate predictors of CWB). The results show greatest support for the second model where job dissatisfaction is a partial mediator of the injustice-CWB relationship. The article considers in particular the implications of the results for research and managerial practices and proposes suggestions for theory development.