Job insecurity during organizational change: a dynamic perspective on the explanatory mechanisms of job insecurity

Organisational change gives rise to job insecurity. This dissertation analyses the reasons why and the circumstances in which job insecurity has negative effects. A research model is presented showing two independent but coinciding explanations for negative effects of job insecurity: justice and exhaustion. Therefore, job insecurity does not only lead to exhaustion, but also evokes feelings of injustice, because the social relationship between employer and employee is unbalanced. The results show that these relationships are very complex. The relationship between job insecurity and justice is significant during the initial stages of organisational change in particular, whereas the relationship between job insecurity and exhaustion is most clear during the middle stages of organisational change. The results also indicate that employees who feel insecure about their jobs perform worse, if they think changes are communicated insufficiently. Proper management of organisational change is important and requires a tailor-made approach in particular.