Measuring quantitative and qualitative aspects of the job insecurity climate: Scale validation. Issue 3 (8th June 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Låstad, Lena; Berntson, Erik; Näswall, Katharina; Lindfors, Petra; Sverke, Magnus
• Is Part Of: Career development international. Volume 20:Issue 3(2015)
• Page Start: 202
• Page End: 217
• Publication Date: 2015-06-08
• Subjects: Job insecurity climate -- Psychological collective climate -- Qualitative job insecurity -- Quantitative job insecurity -- Referent-shift -- Scale validation; Career development -- Periodicals; Executives -- Training of -- Periodicals; 650.1
• DOI: 10.1108/CDI-03-2014-0047
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1362-0436

Abstract

Abstract : Purpose: – The purpose of this paper is to develop and validate a measure of job insecurity climate by: first, testing whether job insecurity climate and individual job insecurity are two separate constructs; and second, investigating the relative importance of individual job insecurity and job insecurity climate in predicting work-related and health-related outcomes. Design/methodology/approach: – Data were collected by questionnaires in a simple stratified random sample of 1, 380 white-collar workers in Sweden. The response rate was 56 percent. Findings: – Confirmatory factor analyses showed that job insecurity climate was distinct from individual job insecurity. Four separate ridge regression analyses showed that qualitative job insecurity climate was a significant predictor of demands, work-family conflict, psychological distress, and poor self-rated health and that quantitative job insecurity climate predicted demands and work-family conflict. Research limitations/implications: – The study is based on self-reports, which may involve common method bias. The cross-sectional study design limits the possibility to make causal inferences regarding the relationship between job insecurity climate and outcomes. Practical implications: – Future studies may consider measuring job insecurity climate in line with a referent-shift model. Work environment surveys in organizations that include measures of individual job insecurity and job insecurity climate can provide practitioners with a fuller picture of the psychosocial work environment. Originality/value: – The present study adds to previous research by introducing a new approach to measuring and conceptualizing job insecurity climate.