Dualized Labor Market and Polarized Health: A Longitudinal Perspective on the Association between Precarious Employment and Mental and Physical Health in Germany

This study analyzes the longitudinal association between precarious employment and physical and mental health in a dualized labor market by disaggregating between-employee and within-employee effects and considering mobility in precariousness of employment. Analyses were based on the German Socio-Economic Panel from 2002 to 2018 considering all employees ages 18 to 67 years (n = 38,551). Precariousness of employment was measured as an additive index considering working poverty, nonstandard working time arrangements, perceived job insecurity, and low social rights. Health outcomes were mental and physical health. Random effects models were used and controlled for sociodemographic and socioeconomic variables. Results indicated that the association between precariousness of employment and mental and physical health is mainly based on between-employee differences and that prolonged precariousness of employment or upward or downward mobility are associated with poor health. We found evidence of polarization in health by precariousness of employment within a dualized labor market.

Effects of E-Government Policy on the Management of Healthcare Systems

E-government began by addressing the challenges of new technologies by delivering e-services to its citizens and has since evolved to include a growing number of areas, such as citizen communication, macroeconomic projections, budget management, and e-healthcare services. E-government is known as the use of information technology to provide administrative services, communication transactions, information exchange, integration of various electronic systems, and autonomous services between the government and citizens, the government and business environment, and the government and government. This paper discusses the role of E-government policy in healthcare crises during COVID 19. Data collected from 435 employees in the tourism industry of Iraq was used to verify the abovementioned relationships via SPSS macro. The results indicate that E-government policy has a significant effect on healthcare crises; job insecurity negatively predicted healthcare crises. The results revealed that social support moderated the relationship between E-government policy and job insecurity. Results of the study contributed to the theory within this study by demonstrating that employees who enjoy a high level of social support show less job insecurity than those with a low level of social support.

Job Insecurity and Employees’ Taking Charge Behaviors: Testing a Moderated Mediation Model

Given the rapid changes in current technologies, business models, and work environments, organizations and managers increasingly rely on their employees’ proactive behaviors, such as taking charge, to gain competitive advantages. Taking charge involves a range of risky and future-oriented behaviors, and it requires employees to work hard to achieve them in the future. For employees with high job-insecurity, their job continuity in the future is threatened. Thus, they may not be willing to take risks to do additional work that is “future-oriented”. To our knowledge, the effect of job insecurity on employees’ taking charge has rarely been studied. As a result, the purpose of our study is to investigate whether, how, and when job insecurity will influence taking charge. Drawing on the conservation of resources theory and proactive motivation model, we develop a theoretical model. Moreover, we employed a multi-wave and multi-source survey to test our predictions. Based on the data from 194 full-time employees paired with their direct supervisors, the results provided consistent support for the proposed hypotheses. Specifically, the results indicate that job insecurity prohibits employees’ taking charge behaviors through deteriorating their work engagement. Furthermore, employees’ perception of interactional justice moderates the negative influence of job insecurity on their work engagement and, consequently, their taking charge behaviors. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

Left to their own devices? Antecedents and contingent effects of workplace anxiety in the WFH selling environment

Purpose The main purpose of this research is to understand how the sudden shift to work from home (WFH) after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic has caught several sales organizations underprepared and ill-equipped to combat emergent challenges. In this research, the authors provide initial evidence into how the WFH arrangement impacts salespeople and sales organizations. Specifically, this research is guided by two objectives: to understand how the shift to WFH environment is affecting salespeople, and to explore how organizations can mitigate dysfunctional effects of the shift to WFH practices and enhance salespeople’s commitment toward this new reality. Design/methodology/approach The authors did preliminary in-depth interviews with 13 executives operating in the business-to-business (B2B) space to identify themes that reflected the reality faced by B2B sales organizations when transitioning to WFH. The authors then conducted a quantitative study involving a survey with 130 B2B salespeople. Findings The findings from the qualitative research suggested that the WFH situation is quite different from the more traditional remote selling situations that B2B salespeople are used to. More specifically, salespeople experienced more anxiety because of the WFH situations. This finding was supported in the empirical study done by the authors where stress associated with WFH and job insecurity had a significant impact on salesperson anxiety. Research limitations/implications The study primarily used subjective responses of salespeople with no objective measures. Furthermore, this study is cross-sectional in nature. Future research should build on the present work to understand the long-term consequences of WFH and factor in customer responses to the same. The impact of increased use of technology in the sales process will need further attention, including the sales management implication for the same. Originality/value Given the unforeseen nature of the COVID pandemic and how unprepared salespeople and sales organizations were to deal with it, this study is one of the first studies that documents the impact of WFH situations on salespeople.

The Job Insecurity of Others: On the Role of Perceived National Job Insecurity During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Political scientists and sociologists have highlighted insecure work as a societal ill underlying individuals’ lack of social solidarity (i.e., concern about the welfare of disadvantaged others) and political disruption. In order to provide the psychological underpinnings connecting perceptions of job insecurity with societally-relevant attitudes and behaviors, we introduce the idea of perceived national job insecurity. Perceived national job insecurity reflects a person’s perception that job insecurity is more or less prevalent in his/her society (i.e., country). Across three countries (US, UK, Belgium), we find that higher perceptions of the prevalence of job insecurity in one’s country is associated with greater perceptions of government psychological contract breach and poorer perceptions of the government’s handling of the COVID-19 crisis, but at the same time is associated with greater social solidarity and compliance with COVID-19 social regulations. These findings are independent of individuals’ perceptions of threats to their own jobs.

Future of Work and Its Implication on Employee Well-Being in the 4IR Era

Capitalist corporations seek ever-new opportunities for trade and gain. As competition intensifies within markets, profit-seeking corporations innovate and diversify their products in an unceasing pursuit of new market niches. The incessant changes and unpredictable nature of capitalism often leads to insecurity regarding job loss. Job insecurity has been empirically proven to have negative effects on individuals and organisations. It associates to reduced job satisfaction and decreased mental health. A longitudinal Swedish study showed an indirect effect of trust on job satisfaction and mental health of employees. The advent of AIs, humanoids, robotics, and digitization present reason for employees to worry about the future of their work. A recent study conducted by the McKinsey Global Institute reports that by 2030, a least 14% of employees globally could need changing their careers as a result of the rapid rate of digitization, robotics, and advancement in artificial intelligence disruptions in the world of work.

Budget participation, information asymmetry, and job insecurity as a predictor of budgetary slack

Budgetary slack occurs because of the potential difference with the revenue budget target. the difference in potential revenue with the revenue budget target indicates the occurrence of individual behavior lowering the income target to facilitate the achievement of the government budget. The purpose of this study is to empirically prove the effect of budget participation, information asymmetry, and job insecurity that trigger budgetary slack. The population of this research is officials of the Indonesian: Regional Working Unit in the province of East Java, Indonesia. The sampling technique used is proportional sampling, the research respondents were 84 people. The results show that budget participation, information asymmetry, and job insecurity have a positive effect on budgetary slack. The high budget participation of public sector employees can trigger budgetary slack. Information asymmetry motivates budget implementers to take action to reduce revenue targets and increase government spending. High job insecurity in the work environment creates pressure on employees so that budgetary slack is created.

Job Insecurity and Turnover Intentions among Banking Sector Employees: The Moderating Role of Organizational Support and Ethical Leadership

Purpose - Job insecurity exerts a significant impact on turnover intentions among employees. The association may be partly due to the influence of organizational support and the ethicality of leaders. However, there is a shortage of studies on the ameliorating role of organizational support and ethical leadership in the nexus between job insecurity and turnover intentions. Thus, the purpose of this study is to examine the nexus between job insecurity and turnover intentions among banking sector employees. The moderating role of organizational support and ethical leadership on the underlying relationship was assessed to achieve this. Design/methodology/approach – One hundred and sixty (160) banking sector employees were conveniently selected to participate in the study. The sample consisted of female (n = 92) and male (n = 68) employees, ranging from 23 to 49 years. Standardized measures were used in soliciting respondents' demographic characteristics, perceived job insecurity, ethical leadership, organizational support, and turnover intentions. Data were analyzed using regression analysis. Findings – Results revealed a significant positive correlation between perceived job insecurity and turnover intentions. Organizational support and ethical leadership also moderated the association between job insecurity and turnover intentions. The influence of job insecurity on turnover intentions minimizes when management provides the needed support and favorable climatic conditions. Originality/value – In general, the study highlights the importance of organizational support and ethical leadership in lessening the impact of job insecurity on turnover intentions.