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On the link between job insecurity and CWB: moderated mediation by employment status and turnover intention

Wenzhu Lu (School of Business Administration, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China)
Xiaolang Liu (School of Management, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou, China)
Shanshi Liu (School of Business Administration, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China)
Haibo Wu (School of Business Administration, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China)
Chuanyan Qin (School of Business Administration, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China)
Bing Ma (School of Management, Xi'an Polytechnic University, Xi'an, China)

Chinese Management Studies

ISSN: 1750-614X

Article publication date: 14 June 2022

Issue publication date: 19 April 2023

471

Abstract

Purpose

Despite mounting evidence that job insecurity triggers counterproductive work behavior (CWB), the underlying mechanism within the association in hybrid employment remains unknown. This study aims to investigate turnover intention as a mediator in the association between job insecurity and CWB, as well as the differences between permanent and contract workers concerning the effect of job insecurity on employees’ CWB.

Design/methodology/approach

Dyadic data were collected from 213 workers (103 contract and 110 permanent workers) and their supervisors, who were employed in one of the three branches of a Chinese state-owned enterprise, respectively, located in Hunan, Shenyang and Xinjiang.

Findings

This study found that job insecurity was positively related to CWB, in which turnover intention acted as a partial mediator. Employment status acted as a moderator between job insecurity and CWB.

Originality/value

First, this study extends the theoretical knowledge concerning how job insecurity activates CWB by identifying turnover intention as a mediating mechanism. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to explore the mediating role of turnover intention in terms of job insecurity and CWB. Second, this research expands the understanding of the relation between job insecurity and CWB by investigating this link in the case of contract workers versus permanent workers. Finally, this paper aims to provide an understanding of why contract workers and permanent workers may differ in their reactions to job insecurity.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

Funding Information: This research was funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China Youth Project (72002072, 71902037), Humanities and Social Sciences Youth Project of the Ministry of Education (19YJC630106) and the Key Project of the National Natural Science Foundation of China (71832003).

Citation

Lu, W., Liu, X., Liu, S., Wu, H., Qin, C. and Ma, B. (2023), "On the link between job insecurity and CWB: moderated mediation by employment status and turnover intention", Chinese Management Studies, Vol. 17 No. 3, pp. 683-700. https://doi.org/10.1108/CMS-05-2020-0215

Publisher

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Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2022, Emerald Publishing Limited

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