The relationship between job insecurity, job satisfaction and organisational commitment in a mining organisation

Abstract

Companies throughout the world are faced with continual changes in order to remain competitive and survive. These changes are caused by economic uncertainty, globalisation, mergers and acquisitions. The results are unemployment or transfer of workers to the different areas of the organisation. These changes have unprecedented effect on workers, especially the survivors of retrenchments or downsizing, resulting in a feeling of job insecurity. lnsecurity is concerned with the continued existence of jobs for the employees in the organisation. It is characterised by feelings of powerlessness, uncertainty and fear. Consequently, job insecurity has emerged as an important stressor in modern organisations. Studies indicate that job insecurity leads to physical and psychological health problems. Further employees who experience feelings of job insecurity are more likely to display undesirable organisational outcomes such as withdrawal behaviours, job dissatisfaction and low organisational commitment. The empirical objective of this study was to determine the possible relationship between job insecurity, job satisfaction and organisational commitment. Also, whether job insecurity can predict job satisfaction and organisational commitment. A survey design was used to realise the research objectives. The study population consisted of 121 employees in a mining organisation. The Job Insecurity Questionnaire, the Revised Short-version of the Minnesota Job Satisfaction Questionnaire and the Organisational Commitment Questionnaires were used as measuring instruments. Reliability and construct validity of all three questionnaires were found to be acceptable. It was found that respondents experienced below average levels of job insecurity. They further showed above average levels of job satisfaction and organisational commitment. The findings indicate that a relationship exists between job insecurity, job satisfaction and organisational commitment. Practically significant differences of medium to large effect were established for race, respondents having qualifications of less than Std 10, semiskilled, grade C3, 4 and 5 and E, DL and DU, and who are affiliated to NUMSA, which means that they experience more job insecurity compared to other groups. Through regression analysis, it was established that job insecurity predicts 44% of total variance of job satisfaction and organisational commitment. Limitations were identified and recommendations with regard to future research and recommendations for the organisation were made.

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