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We investigated the impact of work-family conflict on job insecurity according to conservation of resources theory, and examined the mediating role of core self-evaluation in this relationship. In addition, we investigated if men and women show differences in their levels of work-family conflict. Participants were 378 employees of a stateowned enterprise in China, and we analyzed the data using correlation analysis and the bootstrapping method. Results show that work-family conflict was positively correlated with job insecurity and negatively correlated with core self-evaluation, with men experiencing greater work-family conflict than women did. Further, core self-evaluation was negatively correlated with job insecurity, and also mediated the relationship between work-family conflict and job insecurity. We have used conservation of resources theory to broaden understanding of job insecurity. Suggestions are provided for ways managers can alleviate employees' job insecurity.
Keywords
work-family conflict; job insecurity; core selfevaluation; conservation of resources; resource loss; gender differences
With the rapid development of science and technology and the acceleration of economic globalization, the business environment has changed dramatically in recent decades (Sora, Caballer, & Peiró, 2010). To cope with fierce competition, management personnel in enterprises commonly aim to reduce operating costs through organizational restructuring, personnel reduction, and other reform measures (Ito & Brotheridge, 2007). As a result, more scholars are focusing on job insecurity and potential mitigation strategies in their research. Job insecurity is a perceived threat to the continuity and stability of employment as it is currently experienced. As a hindrance stressor, job insecurity has negative effects on job performance, job satisfaction, job involvement, organizational citizenship behavior, and other organization-level variables (see, e.g., Song, Zhang, & Wang, 2018). Furthermore, job insecurity poses a great threat to individual employees' physical and mental health (Shoss, 2017).
Many researchers have explored the social, organizational, and personal factors involved in how job insecurity adversely affects both organizations and individuals (Debus, König, & Kleinmann, 2014), such as layoffs and reduced locus of control (Shoss, 2017). However, few have explored the relationship between family life and job insecurity (Mauno, Cheng, & Lim, 2017). Given that family is an important factor in an individuaľs life, family factors can permeate into employees' work life, affecting their subjective feelings and psychological security.
Individuals have different responsibilities and obligations in their work...