Job insecurity as a psychosocial job stressor in the context of the work-family interface

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to investigate the work-family interface among Finnish employees and dual-earner-couples within the framework of stress theory. The effects of various stressors, job insecurity in particular, on occupational, overall and family well-being are the main interests of the study. Besides job insecurity, a number of other stressors hypothesized to affect the work-family interface and well-being are studied, e.g., time pressures at work, job control, leadership relations, work-family and family-work conflict, number of children, employment status of a spouse. The study was a part of a broader longitudinal research project "Job Insecurity and Well-Being" which was conducted among four organizations in Central Finland during the years 1994-1998. The data were collected via structured questionnaires, which were delivered in three stages. In the first stage (1995) 636 employees, in the second stage (1996) 518 employees, and in the third stage (1997) 590 employees working in the organizations answered the questionnaire. This study utilized both cross-sectional and longitudinal data sets collected during the research project. Three main findings emerged. First, it turned out that job stressors negatively affected family well-being either directly or indirectly via occupational and overall well-being. Second, the particular psychosocial job stressor focused in this study, job insecurity, was found to be a relatively stable stressor, and consequently, an important precursor of different stress responses in terms of reduced well-being. Third, stressors encountered in the family domain (e.g., a high number of children, family-work conflict) were also found to be related to the interference from family to work and well-being. In sum, the findings indicate that work and family domains are not separate but rather related in several ways among Finnish male and female employees. As a conceptual conclusion, it is suggested that the conceptualization and measurement of two specific constructs, i.e., the work-family interface and job insecurity, need more attention in the future. On the basis of these empirical findings some implications for policy are also proposed. For example, in order to enhance occupational, overall and family well-being greater attention should be paid to job stressors, e.g., by alleviating severe pressures of time at work and by improving the quality of human relations in organizations. Furthermore, professionals should take measures targeted to decrease the negative effects of job insecurity on wellbeing.