Qualitative and quantitative job insecurity: relations with nine types of performance

This study adds to the understanding of the negative effect of job insecurity on employee performance, by investigating the differences between qualitative and quantitative job insecurity when predicting individual performance at task, team, and organization level, taking into account the individual’s proficiency, adaptivity, and proactivity. We expect both types of job insecurity to be negatively related to performance. The hypotheses were examined using structural equation modelling on a sample of 225 Romanian employees. Data were collected at a single point in time. Results indicate job insecurity as negatively associated mostly with the proficiency facet of performance, and minimally with the proactivity dimension. Our analyses also indicate that qualitative job insecurity is negatively associated with more performance facets than quantitative job insecurity. This research contributes to the job insecurity literature by being one of the few studies to compare qualitative and quantitative job insecurity effects. Additionally, the in-depth look at performance facets sheds light on a possible reason as to why existing research on the relationship between job insecurity and performance has not been consistent in results. Being cross-sectional in nature, our study does not allow us to draw conclusions as regards causality. Given the importance of the topic, it would be warranted to replicate the study on different samples.