Responses to job insecurity

• Published in: Career development international Vol. 17; no. 4; pp. 314 - 332
• Main Authors: Kang, Dae-seok, Gold, Jeff, Kim, Daewon
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Bradford Emerald Group Publishing Limited 10.08.2012
• Subjects: Behavior; Career Development; Career Planning; Careers; Citizenship; Employees; Employer Employee Relationship; Employment; Employment Potential; Employment security; Expectation; Feedback (Response); Hypotheses; Job Security; Labor Legislation; Labor market; Opportunities; Recessions; Self Management; Studies; Workers; Career development; Job insecurity; Employment; Workplace security; Employability; Extra-role behaviour; Career perspective; Impression management behaviour; Korea
• ISSN: 1362-0436; 1758-6003
• DOI: 10.1108/13620431211255815

Purpose - This paper aims to focus on a career perspective to investigate the association between employee experience of job insecurity and work-related behaviors, specifically discretionary extra-role and impression management behaviors. A second purpose is to analyze the interaction effect of perceived employability and job insecurity on extra-role and impression management behaviors.Design methodology approach - Based on a sample of 207 supervisor-subordinate dyads in Korean banking and financial institutions, the relationships between job insecurity and extra-role or impression management as two career behaviors are tested. The interaction effects of employability and job insecurity on behavioral options are also tested.Findings - The results showed that the perception of job insecurity led to both reduced extra-role and impression management behavior and the intensity of withdrawal increased as employability increased.Research limitations implications - The findings provide a fundamental new insight into how a careerist orientation functions in the age of job insecurity.Practical implications - Extra-role and impression management behaviors may be an individual's method of career management, especially in the context of job insecurity, allowing managers to capture a more dynamic picture of an individual's career choice in a new employment relationship.Originality value - The paper adopts a career perspective in investigating employee extra-role and impression management behaviors under conditions of declining job security. It adds further value by showing the moderating effect of employability on such behaviors.