In the eye of the beholder: How proactive coping alters perceptions of insecurity.
Why do some workers experience less insecurity than others even when facing the same objectively insecure work situation? Combining appraisal theory with the construct of proactive coping, we propose that proactive career behavior represents a form of resource accumulation that mitigates the extent...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Journal Article |
| Language: | English |
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EDUCATIONAL PUBLISHING FOUNDATION-AMERICAN PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOC
2020
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://hdl.handle.net/11245.1/0985b944-ee56-4935-809f-bf0cf4558d3b http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/90962 |
| _version_ | 1848765473125040128 |
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| author | Koen, J. Parker, Sharon |
| author_facet | Koen, J. Parker, Sharon |
| author_sort | Koen, J. |
| building | Curtin Institutional Repository |
| collection | Online Access |
| description | Why do some workers experience less insecurity than others even when facing the same objectively insecure work situation? Combining appraisal theory with the construct of proactive coping, we propose that proactive career behavior represents a form of resource accumulation that mitigates the extent to which insecure work situations result in perceived insecurity. We hypothesize that proactive career behavior moderates the effect of an acute insecure work situation (time remaining before contract expiration) and a chronic insecure work situation (probability of digitalization) on control appraisals of these situations and, in turn, perceptions of job and employment insecurity. We tested this moderated mediation model in a 3-wave field study with 2 samples. First, workers in unstable temporary jobs (with no renewed contract, N = 227) perceived higher lack of control and hence higher job insecurity as their contract got closer to expiring. As hypothesized, this process was mitigated by proactive career behavior. Second, workers in stable jobs (with a renewed contract or a permanent contract, N = 205) perceived higher lack of control and hence higher employment insecurity, as their occupation had a higher probability of digitalization. In contrast to our hypothesis, proactive career behavior did not mitigate this effect. Results further replicated established relationships between perceived insecurity and later stress and career dissatisfaction. By moving up the causal chain and focusing on the emergence of insecurity rather than the more common emphasis on consequences of insecurity, our study uncovers the role of proactive coping in the job insecurity process. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved) |
| first_indexed | 2025-11-14T11:35:48Z |
| format | Journal Article |
| id | curtin-20.500.11937-90962 |
| institution | Curtin University Malaysia |
| institution_category | Local University |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2025-11-14T11:35:48Z |
| publishDate | 2020 |
| publisher | EDUCATIONAL PUBLISHING FOUNDATION-AMERICAN PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOC |
| recordtype | eprints |
| repository_type | Digital Repository |
| spelling | curtin-20.500.11937-909622023-05-11T01:56:48Z In the eye of the beholder: How proactive coping alters perceptions of insecurity. Koen, J. Parker, Sharon Science & Technology Social Sciences Life Sciences & Biomedicine Public, Environmental & Occupational Health Psychology, Applied Psychology proactive coping job insecurity employment insecurity stress career satisfaction JOB INSECURITY PERCEIVED CONTROL PERMANENT WORKERS TEMPORARY STRAIN ASSOCIATIONS EMPLOYMENT CONTRACT STRESS EMPLOYABILITY Adaptation, Psychological Adult Emotions Employment Europe Female Humans Internal-External Control Job Satisfaction Male Middle Aged Occupational Stress Occupations Perception Surveys and Questionnaires Workplace Humans Adaptation, Psychological Emotions Internal-External Control Perception Job Satisfaction Adult Middle Aged Employment Workplace Occupations Europe Female Male Surveys and Questionnaires Occupational Stress Why do some workers experience less insecurity than others even when facing the same objectively insecure work situation? Combining appraisal theory with the construct of proactive coping, we propose that proactive career behavior represents a form of resource accumulation that mitigates the extent to which insecure work situations result in perceived insecurity. We hypothesize that proactive career behavior moderates the effect of an acute insecure work situation (time remaining before contract expiration) and a chronic insecure work situation (probability of digitalization) on control appraisals of these situations and, in turn, perceptions of job and employment insecurity. We tested this moderated mediation model in a 3-wave field study with 2 samples. First, workers in unstable temporary jobs (with no renewed contract, N = 227) perceived higher lack of control and hence higher job insecurity as their contract got closer to expiring. As hypothesized, this process was mitigated by proactive career behavior. Second, workers in stable jobs (with a renewed contract or a permanent contract, N = 205) perceived higher lack of control and hence higher employment insecurity, as their occupation had a higher probability of digitalization. In contrast to our hypothesis, proactive career behavior did not mitigate this effect. Results further replicated established relationships between perceived insecurity and later stress and career dissatisfaction. By moving up the causal chain and focusing on the emergence of insecurity rather than the more common emphasis on consequences of insecurity, our study uncovers the role of proactive coping in the job insecurity process. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved) 2020 Journal Article http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/90962 10.1037/ocp0000198 English https://hdl.handle.net/11245.1/0985b944-ee56-4935-809f-bf0cf4558d3b http://purl.org/au-research/grants/arc/FL160100033 EDUCATIONAL PUBLISHING FOUNDATION-AMERICAN PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOC restricted |
| spellingShingle | Science & Technology Social Sciences Life Sciences & Biomedicine Public, Environmental & Occupational Health Psychology, Applied Psychology proactive coping job insecurity employment insecurity stress career satisfaction JOB INSECURITY PERCEIVED CONTROL PERMANENT WORKERS TEMPORARY STRAIN ASSOCIATIONS EMPLOYMENT CONTRACT STRESS EMPLOYABILITY Adaptation, Psychological Adult Emotions Employment Europe Female Humans Internal-External Control Job Satisfaction Male Middle Aged Occupational Stress Occupations Perception Surveys and Questionnaires Workplace Humans Adaptation, Psychological Emotions Internal-External Control Perception Job Satisfaction Adult Middle Aged Employment Workplace Occupations Europe Female Male Surveys and Questionnaires Occupational Stress Koen, J. Parker, Sharon In the eye of the beholder: How proactive coping alters perceptions of insecurity. |
| title | In the eye of the beholder: How proactive coping alters perceptions of insecurity. |
| title_full | In the eye of the beholder: How proactive coping alters perceptions of insecurity. |
| title_fullStr | In the eye of the beholder: How proactive coping alters perceptions of insecurity. |
| title_full_unstemmed | In the eye of the beholder: How proactive coping alters perceptions of insecurity. |
| title_short | In the eye of the beholder: How proactive coping alters perceptions of insecurity. |
| title_sort | in the eye of the beholder: how proactive coping alters perceptions of insecurity. |
| topic | Science & Technology Social Sciences Life Sciences & Biomedicine Public, Environmental & Occupational Health Psychology, Applied Psychology proactive coping job insecurity employment insecurity stress career satisfaction JOB INSECURITY PERCEIVED CONTROL PERMANENT WORKERS TEMPORARY STRAIN ASSOCIATIONS EMPLOYMENT CONTRACT STRESS EMPLOYABILITY Adaptation, Psychological Adult Emotions Employment Europe Female Humans Internal-External Control Job Satisfaction Male Middle Aged Occupational Stress Occupations Perception Surveys and Questionnaires Workplace Humans Adaptation, Psychological Emotions Internal-External Control Perception Job Satisfaction Adult Middle Aged Employment Workplace Occupations Europe Female Male Surveys and Questionnaires Occupational Stress |
| url | https://hdl.handle.net/11245.1/0985b944-ee56-4935-809f-bf0cf4558d3b https://hdl.handle.net/11245.1/0985b944-ee56-4935-809f-bf0cf4558d3b http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/90962 |