IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/sae/ecoind/v44y2023i2p504-525.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Supervisor and customer incivility as moderators of the relationship between job insecurity and work engagement: Evidence from a new context

Author

Listed:
  • Fabian O Ugwu

    (Department of Psychology, Alex Ekwueme Federal University Ndufu-Alike, Ebonyi State, Nigeria; Institute for Psychology, TU Dortmund University, Germany)

  • Ike E Onyishi

    (Department of Psychology, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Nigeria)

  • Lawrence E Ugwu

    (Department of Psychology, Renaissance University, Ugbawka, Enugu, Nigeria; Coal City University, Enugu, Nigeria)

  • Jens Mazei

    (Institute for Psychology, TU Dortmund University, Germany)

  • Joy Ugwu

    (Department of Business Administration, Alex Ekwueme Federal University Ndufu-Alike, Ebonyi State, Nigeria)

  • Josephine M Uwouku

    (Department of Educational Psychology, College of Education, Katsina-Ala, Benue State, Nigeria)

  • Kwasedoo M Ngbea

    (Department of Psychology, Benue State University, Makurdi, Benue State, Nigeria)

Abstract

Earlier studies on job insecurity tested job resources that may buffer the usual negative impact of job insecurity on job outcomes. The current study extends prior results by establishing that, given certain conditions, such as during an economic crisis that often gives rise to a dearth of employment opportunities and a precariousness of employment, perceived job insecurity could positively predict work engagement. Specifically, this study examined the relationship between perceived job insecurity and work engagement, and supervisor and customer incivility as moderators of this relationship. Cross-sectional data were collected from 1,200 volunteer mini-bus drivers from nine mass transit services companies in the Southeastern region of Nigeria. Results of a structural equation model (SEM) showed that job insecurity was positively related to work engagement. In turn, this positive relationship was weakened by supervisor incivility (but not by customer incivility). The results suggest that when supervisors are not supervised they could jeopardize employee effort.

Suggested Citation

  • Fabian O Ugwu & Ike E Onyishi & Lawrence E Ugwu & Jens Mazei & Joy Ugwu & Josephine M Uwouku & Kwasedoo M Ngbea, 2023. "Supervisor and customer incivility as moderators of the relationship between job insecurity and work engagement: Evidence from a new context," Economic and Industrial Democracy, Department of Economic History, Uppsala University, Sweden, vol. 44(2), pages 504-525, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:ecoind:v:44:y:2023:i:2:p:504-525
    DOI: 10.1177/0143831X221078887
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0143831X221078887
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1177/0143831X221078887?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Yong Hyun Kim & Seung Yeon Son & Seung-Wan Kang, 2021. "Effects of Anger and Moral Identity on the Relationship between Supervisors’ Incivility and Deviant Behavior: A Study of Public Service Officers in Republic of Korea," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(20), pages 1-12, October.
    2. William D. Reisel & Tahira M. Probst & Swee-Lim Chia & Cesar M. Maloles & Cornelius J. König, 2010. "The Effects of Job Insecurity on Job Satisfaction, Organizational Citizenship Behavior, Deviant Behavior, and Negative Emotions of Employees," International Studies of Management & Organization, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 40(1), pages 74-91, January.
    3. Uju Violet Alola & Simplice A. Asongu & Andrew Adewale Alola, 2019. "Linking supervisor incivility with job embeddedness and cynicism: The mediating role of employee self-efficacy," Working Papers of the African Governance and Development Institute. 19/091, African Governance and Development Institute..
    4. Green, Francis, 2011. "Unpacking the misery multiplier: How employability modifies the impacts of unemployment and job insecurity on life satisfaction and mental health," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 30(2), pages 265-276, March.
    5. Katharina Näswall & Hans De Witte, 2003. "Who Feels Insecure in Europe? Predicting Job Insecurity from Background Variables," Economic and Industrial Democracy, Department of Economic History, Uppsala University, Sweden, vol. 24(2), pages 189-215, May.
    6. Yei-Yi Chen & WenChang Fang, 2008. "The Moderating Effect of Impression Management on the Organizational Politics–Performance Relationship," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 79(3), pages 263-277, May.
    7. Elena Cottini & Paolo Ghinetti, 2018. "Employment insecurity and employees' health in Denmark," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 27(2), pages 426-439, February.
    8. Yuhyung Shin & Won-Moo Hur, 2019. "When Do Service Employees Suffer More from Job Insecurity? The Moderating Role of Coworker and Customer Incivility," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(7), pages 1-17, April.
    9. Tahira M. Probst & John O. Ekore, 2010. "An Exploratory Study of the Costs of Job Insecurity in Nigeria," International Studies of Management & Organization, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 40(1), pages 92-104, January.
    10. Adrian Furnham & John Taylor, 2004. "The Dark Side of Behaviour at Work," Palgrave Macmillan Books, Palgrave Macmillan, number 978-0-230-51010-4.
    11. Johnny Nelson & Okoyan Krokeme & Dumani Markjarkson & Ekokeme Tamaroukro Timipere, 2018. "Impact of Capital Flight on Exchange rate in Nigeria," International Journal of Academic Research in Accounting, Finance and Management Sciences, Human Resource Management Academic Research Society, International Journal of Academic Research in Accounting, Finance and Management Sciences, vol. 8(1), pages 41-50, January.
    12. Beatriz SORA & Amparo CABALLER & José María PEIRÓ, 2010. "The consequences of job insecurity for employees: The moderator role of job dependence," International Labour Review, International Labour Organization, vol. 149(1), pages 59-72, March.
    13. Inmaculada Silla & Nele Cuyper & Francisco Gracia & José Peiró & Hans Witte, 2009. "Job Insecurity and Well-Being: Moderation by Employability," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 10(6), pages 739-751, December.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Anthony Lepinteur, 2021. "The asymmetric experience of gains and losses in job security on health," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 30(9), pages 2217-2229, September.
    2. Gregor Gonza & Anže Burger, 2017. "Subjective Well-Being During the 2008 Economic Crisis: Identification of Mediating and Moderating Factors," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 18(6), pages 1763-1797, December.
    3. Steffen Otterbach & Alfonso Sousa-Poza, 2016. "Job insecurity, employability and health: an analysis for Germany across generations," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 48(14), pages 1303-1316, March.
    4. Felipe Muñoz Medina & Sergio López Bohle & Lixin Jiang & Maria José Chambel & Sebastian M Ugarte, 2023. "Qualitative job insecurity and voice behavior: Evaluation of the mediating effect of affective organizational commitment," Economic and Industrial Democracy, Department of Economic History, Uppsala University, Sweden, vol. 44(4), pages 986-1006, November.
    5. Ibrahim A. Elshaer & Marwa Ghanem & Alaa M. S. Azazz, 2022. "An Unethical Organizational Behavior for the Sake of the Family: Perceived Risk of Job Insecurity, Family Motivation and Financial Pressures," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(11), pages 1-16, May.
    6. Paul Fiedler, 2021. "Worrying about Work? Disentangling the Relationship between Economic Insecurity and Mental Health," SOEPpapers on Multidisciplinary Panel Data Research 1145, DIW Berlin, The German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP).
    7. Dain Jung & Do Won Kwak & Kam Ki Tang & Myra Yazbeck, 2021. "How Do Job Conditions Amplify the Impacts of Mental Health Shocks?," Discussion Papers Series 647, School of Economics, University of Queensland, Australia.
    8. Muhammad Rafiq & Tachia Chin, 2019. "Three-Way Interaction Effect of Job Insecurity, Job Embeddedness and Career Stage on Life Satisfaction in A Digital Era," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(9), pages 1-13, May.
    9. Jung, Dain & Kwak, Do Won & Tang, Kam Ki & Yazbeck, Myra, 2022. "Poor Job Conditions Amplify Negative Mental Health Shocks," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 79(C).
    10. JaeWon Shin & HyoungChul Shin, 2020. "Impact of Job Insecurity on Hotel Workers’ Workaholism and Work–Family Conflict in Korea," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(21), pages 1-12, October.
    11. Concetta Russo & Marco Terraneo, 2020. "Mental Well-being Among Workers: A Cross-national Analysis of Job Insecurity Impact on the Workforce," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 152(2), pages 421-442, November.
    12. Eve Caroli & Mathilde Godard, 2016. "Does job insecurity deteriorate health?," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 25(2), pages 131-147, February.
    13. Federico Belotti & Joanna Kopinska & Alessandro Palma & Andrea Piano Mortari, 2022. "Health status and the Great Recession. Evidence from electronic health records," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 31(8), pages 1770-1799, August.
    14. Lefgren, Lars J. & Stoddard, Olga B. & Stovall, John E., 2021. "Rationalizing self-defeating behaviors: Theory and evidence," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 76(C).
    15. repec:dau:papers:123456789/13646 is not listed on IDEAS
    16. Jan Eichhorn, 2013. "Unemployment Needs Context: How Societal Differences between Countries Moderate the Loss in Life-Satisfaction for the Unemployed," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 14(6), pages 1657-1680, December.
    17. Papageorgiou, Athanasios, 2018. "The Effect of Immigration on the Well-Being of Native Populations: Evidence from the United Kingdom," MPRA Paper 93045, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    18. Zwysen, Wouter, 2013. "Where you go depends on where you come from: the influence of father’s employment status on young adult’s labour market experiences," ISER Working Paper Series 2013-24, Institute for Social and Economic Research.
    19. Hae-ryoung Chun & Inhyung Cho & Youngeun Choi & Sung-il Cho, 2020. "Effects of Emotional Labor Factors and Working Environment on the Risk of Depression in Pink-Collar Workers," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(14), pages 1-16, July.
    20. Rudi Wielers & Peter H. Meer, 2021. "Beyond Income: Why We Want to Keep on Working Even if We Don’t Need the Money," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 16(4), pages 1613-1635, August.
    21. Ubaldi, Michele & Picchio, Matteo, 2023. "Intergenerational scars: The impact of parental unemployment on individual health later in life," GLO Discussion Paper Series 1271, Global Labor Organization (GLO).

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:sae:ecoind:v:44:y:2023:i:2:p:504-525. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: SAGE Publications (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.ekhist.uu.se/english.htm .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.