Job insecurity, organisational commitment and work engagement amongst staff in a tertiaty institution

Abstract

This research explores the relationship between job insecurity, organisational commitment and work engagement amongst staff in a tertiary institution. The research was conducted through computer-aided telephone interviews and self-completion techniques. Of the total population (N=4460), a proportion of survey participants (n=260) were selected using a two-stage stratified probability sampling technique, proportional to size, across the different departments. Three instruments were administered among the survey participants, namely the Job Insecurity Scale (JIS), the Organisational Commitment Questionnaire (OCQ) and the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES). On the basis of the outcome of the study, a theoretical relationship was determined between job insecurity (JIS), organisational commitment (OCQ) and work engagement (UWES). An empirical study provided evidence on the relationship that exists between the three concepts. The results revealed that a statistically significant relationship exists between JIS and OQC as well as UWES, although the relationship is positive and weak (r=.286** for OCQ; r=.270** for UWES). These results are incongruent with previous studies and might suggest that previous studies failed to examine whether the nature and strength of the relationships between job security and its outcomes are different in situations with different levels of insecurity or threat. However, further analysis revealed a statistically significant relationship between some of the subscales. For instance, a positive statistically significant relationship was observed between perceived powerlessness and affective commitment (r=.304**), vigour (r=.346**), dedication (r=.350**) and absorption (r=.279**). The results imply that as participants feel insecure about the various job features and the job as a whole, they simultaneously express their commitment and energy as well as dedication to their work responsibilities and the organisation.