Jouko Nätti

Psychological consequences of fixed-term employment and perceived job insecurity among health care staff

The present study sought to clarify the roles of fixed-term employment and perceived job insecurity in relation to an employees job attitudes (job satisfaction, turnover intentions) and well-being (work engagement, job exhaustion). Specifically, we examined which of the two situations, high subjective job insecurity and a permanent job (i.e., violation hypothesis) or high subjective job insecurity and a fixed-term job (i.e., intensification hypothesis), would lead to the most negative job attitudes and well-being. Data from 736 employees in one Finnish health care district were collected by questionnaires. The results supported the violation hypothesis: Under conditions of high perceived job insecurity permanent employees had lower levels of job satisfaction and work engagement as well as a higher level of job exhaustion than fixed-term employees, whereas under conditions of a low level of perceived job insecurity there were no differences between permanent and fixed-term employees in this respect. Generally, employees with fixed-term contracts had more positive job attitudes and well-being than their permanent counterparts. Thus, permanent employees with perceived job insecurity showed the most negative job attitudes and well-being.

Organizational antecedents and outcomes of job insecurity: a longitudinal study in three organizations in Finland

The aim of the study was to examine perceived job insecurity and its organizational antecedents and outcomes within a one-year time period. The study was carried out by means of questionnaires, which were responded to twice, in 1995 (Time 1) and 1996 (Time 2), by employees in three organizations: a factory, a bank, and a municipal social and health care department. The present article is based on the data of those employees (n=210) who participated in the study in both years. The results indicated that perceived job insecurity varied with gender and organization, but not with time. In particular, female employees in the bank reported a high level of job insecurity compared with men. The use of a restorative strategy by management at Time 1 decreased job insecurity at Time 2, whereas job insecurity at Time 1 weakened the quality of human relations and perceived efficiency within the organizations at Time 2. Copyright

Job insecurity in Finland: Antecedents and consequences

Abstract Trends towards more unpredictable and flexible labour markets are often presumed to fuel feelings of job insecurity among employees, especially the threat of losing ones job. The aim of the study was to examine the prevalence, antecedents, and consequences of job insecurity in a representative sample of Finnish wage and salary earners (N = 3503) gathered in 1990. One out of ten respondents felt the threat of lay-off, dismissal, or unemployment. According to hierarchical regression analysis, perceived job insecurity was best explained by positional factors, especially earlier unemployment experiences and the temporary nature of the employment relationship. The role of demographic factors predicting job insecurity was strikingly minor. Variance and regression analysis confirmed the negative effects of perceived insecurity on work and health behaviour found in previous studies. Social support was found to have a light moderating effect in alleviating the negative effects of job insecurity. Thus, jo...

Flexibility, Segmentation and Use of Labour in Finnish Retail Trade

The purpose of the study is to analyse the effects of management strategies on the segmentation of five department store labour markets in Finland. (1) The competitive strategies of firms are expected to have different con sequences for the use of labour (2) Within firms, the differentiated use of labour is examined in relation to the use of different flexibility strategies In department stores the most important strategy for obtaining (numerical) flexibility has been the fast growth of part-time work.The purpose of the study is to analyse the effects of management strategies on the segmentation of five department store labour markets in Finland. (1) The competitive strategies of firms are expected to have different con sequences for the use of labour (2) Within firms, the differentiated use of labour is examined in relation to the use of different flexibility strategies In department stores the most important strategy for obtaining (numerical) flexibility has been the fast growth of part-time work.