Do core self-evaluations and coping style influence the perception of job insecurity?

Abstract

Over the last few decades, increased flexibility and lack of stability in employment has made job insecurity a work stressor that affects more and more employees. Since worrying about potential job loss (quantitative job insecurity) or possible loss of valued job features (qualitative job insecurity) constitutes a subjective perception, it has been claimed that personality factors may be decisive for job insecurity perceptions. Furthermore, the perception of a stressor, in this case job insecurity, could be argued to be dependent on appraisals of available coping resources. This study investigates whether core self-evaluations predict job insecurity perceptions, and whether coping mediates this relationship, in a two-wave data set from a Swedish sample of white-collar workers (N = 425). The results show that core self-evaluations had a negative total effect on both qualitative and quantitative job insecurity. Core self-evaluations were positively related to problem-focused coping but not to emotion-focused coping. However, there was no mediating effect of coping style on the association between core self-evaluations and job insecurity.

Keywords:

• Job insecurity
• Coping
• Core self-evaluations
• Mediation

Acknowledgments

This study was supported by grants from the Swedish Council for Working Life and Social Research and The Swedish Research Council. Lena Låstad was supported by Stockholm Stress Center (SSC). All authors are affiliated with SSC and this research was carried out as a joint collaboration within the Stockholm Stress Center.