Job security and workaholism among non-permanent workers: The moderating influences of corporate culture

Abstract

The present study examined aspects of job security, leadership risk (corporate-centric management style, short-term performance-orientedness, and subordinate authoritarianism), emotional exhaustion, and workaholism among 1 009 casual foreign workers from multicultural families living in South Korea. The nationalities of the casual employees included South Africa (n = 85), Cambodia (n = 124), China (n = 274), Indonesia (n = 135), Philippines (n = 166), and Vietnam (n = 225); with 45% and 55% female participants. Statistical analysis was conducted using a hierarchical analysis method. An independent sample t-test revealed no average difference between the Asian and African (South African) nationality groups. Corporate job security reduced emotional exhaustion and reinforced workaholism in the present sample. Additionally, corporate-centric management styles and subordinate authoritarianism moderated the relationship between workaholism and job security. However, the three leadership risk components did not moderate the relationship between job security and emotional exhaustion. We conclude that corporate culture might be an overarching influence on perceptions of job security and work engagement of non-permanent foreign employees.

Keywords:

• emotional exhaustion
• foreign workers from multicultural families
• job security
• leadership risk
• workaholism