Will I Still Have a Job Tomorrow? The Structure and Research Agenda of Job Insecurity

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5020/2318-0722.2025.31.e17170

Keywords:

job insecurity, labor precarization, systematic literature review

Abstract

Job insecurity is characterized by fear and distress over the potential loss of employment, as well as a sense of powerlessness stemming from the inability to alter this reality. This systematic literature review aimed to identify the conceptual structure of job insecurity while proposing new directions for future research. The study was conducted using the Web of Science and Scopus databases. After applying the selection criteria, 277 articles were identified and analyzed using the bibliometrix and biblioshiny packages, constituting the final sample. The findings enabled the characterization of publication patterns, providing an overview of the scientific literature on job insecurity published between 1979 and 2024. The analysis was organized into two research streams: (i) identification of bibliometric indicators, encompassing both the publication profile and the conceptual structure of the job insecurity field; and (ii) the development of a research agenda outlining promising avenues for future investigation. This review is expected to stimulate further advances by building upon the current state of the art and generating new insights that foster the continued development of job insecurity research.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Translation

This article is a translation in English of the article:  Amanhã Ainda Terei Trabalho? Estrutura e Agenda de Pesquisa da Insegurança Laboral

Author Biographies

Vanessa Piovesan Rossato, Federal University of Santa Maria, Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

PhD candidate in Business Administration at the Federal University of Santa Maria (UFSM/PPGA), in the research area of Human Resource Management and Organizational Behavior. Recipient of a full scholarship from the Brazilian Federal Agency for Support and Evaluation of Graduate Education (CAPES). Holds a teaching degree in Vocational Education from the Special Undergraduate Program for Teacher Training in Vocational Education (PEG) at the Federal University of Santa Maria (2022), a MSc in Business Administration from the PPGA at the Federal University of Santa Maria (2021), and a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the Federal University of Santa Maria. Researcher affiliated with the OPS – Organizations, People, and Society research group.

Simone Alves Pacheco de Campos, Federal University of Santa Maria, Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

Holds a BA in Business Administration from the Federal University of Santa Maria (2009), a MSc from the Postgraduate Program in Business Administration at the Federal University of Santa Maria (2011), and a doctoral degree in Business Administration from the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (2015). Research interests include social responsibility, social development projects, cultural-historical activity theory, organizational learning, practice-based studies, identity, and organizational culture.

Michel Barboza Malheiros, Federal University of Santa Maria, Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

Holds a PhD in Business Administration from the Federal University of Santa Maria (UFSM/PPGA), in the research area of Human Resource Management and Organizational Behavior (2025) as well as a MSc in Business Administration from the PPGA at the Federal University of Santa Maria (2021). Holds a BA in Business Administration from the Palmeira das Missões campus of the Federal University of Santa Maria (2019) and a technical qualification in Accounting from the Colégio Evangélico Panambi (2012).

Méroli Saccardo dos Santos, Federal University of Santa Maria, Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

Doctoral candidate in Business Administration in the Postgraduate Program in Business Administration at the Federal University of Santa Maria (PPGA/UFSM), in the research area of Human Resource Management and Organizational Behavior. Holds a master’s degree in Business Administration from the Professional Master's Program in Business Administration at the Universidade do Oeste de Santa Catarina (UNOESC – Campus Chapecó). Faculty member in Basic, Technical, and Technological Education at the Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology of Rio Grande do Sul (IFRS), working in the areas of entrepreneurship and organizational management.

References

Ashford, S. J., Lee, C., & Bobko, P. (1989). Content, cause, and consequences of job
insecurity: a theory-based measure and substantive test. Academy Of Management Journal, 32(4), 803-829. https://doi.org/10.2307/256569

Barling, J., Zacharatos, A., & Hepburn, C. G. (1999). Parents’ job insecurity affects children’s academic performance through cognitive difficulties. Journal of Applied Psychology, 84(3), 437–444. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.84.3.437

Brougham, D., & Haar, J. (2020). Technological disruption and employment: the influence on job insecurity and turnover intentions: a multi-country study. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 161, 120276. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2020.120276

Caselli, M., Fracasso, A., Marcolin, A., & Scicchitano, S. (2023). The reassuring effect of firms' technological innovations on workers' job insecurity. International Journal of Manpower, 45(4), 754-778. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJM-02-2023-0072

Chhabra, B., & Pandey, P. (2023). Job insecurity as a barrier to thriving during COVID-19 pandemic: a moderated mediation model of knowledge hiding and benevolent leadership. Journal Of Knowledge Management, 27(3), 632-654. https://doi.org/10.1108/JKM-05-2021-0403

Cobo, M. J., Lopez-Herrera, A. G., Herrera-Viedma, E., & Herrera, F. (2011). An approach for detecting, quantifying, and visualizing the evolution of a research field: A practical application to the fuzzy sets theory field. Journal of Informetrics, 5(1), 146-166. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joi.2010.10.002

Coupé, T. (2019). Automation, job characteristics and job insecurity. International Journal of Manpower, 40(7), 1288-1304. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJM-12-2018-0418

Cuyper, N. de., & Witte, H. de. (2006). The impact of job insecurity and contract type on attitudes, well‐being and behavioural reports: a psychological contract perspective. Journal Of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 79(3), 395-409. https://doi.org/10.1348/096317905X53660

Daim, T. U., Rueda, G., Martin, H., & Gerdsri, P. (2006). Forecasting emerging technologies: Use of bibliometrics and patent analysis. Technological Forecasting & Social Change, 73(8), 981-1012. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2006.04.004

Feather, N. T., & Rauter, K. A. (2010). Organizational citizenship behaviours in relation to job status, job insecurity, organizational commitment and identification, job satisfaction and work values. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 77(1), 81-94. https://doi.org/10.1348/096317904322915928

Glambek, M., Arnestad, M. N., & Matthiesen, S. B. (2023). Perceived job insecurity climate in uncertain times: implications for work-related health among leaders versus non-leaders. Journal of Managerial Psychology, 38(7), 541-557. https://doi.org/10.1108/JMP-10-2021-0542

Graham, B. A., Sinclair, R. R., & Sliter, M. (2024). Job insecurity and health and well-being: What happens when you really need or love your job? Economic and Industrial Democracy, 45(3), 674-695. https://doi.org/10.1177/0143831X231183995

Greenhalgh, L., & Rosenblatt, Z. (1984). Job Insecurity: toward conceptual clarity. The Academy Of Management Review, 9(3), 438-448. https://doi.org/10.5465/amr.1984.4279673

Gutiérrez-Salcedo, M., Martínez, M. Á., Moral-Munoz, J. A., Herrera-Viedma, E., & Cobo, M. J. (2018). Some bibliometric procedures for analyzing and evaluating research journals. Applied Intelligence, 48, 1275-1287. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10489-017-1105-y

Haar, J., & Brougham, D. (2022). A teams approach towards job insecurity, perceived organisational support and cooperative norms: a moderated-mediation study of individual wellbeing. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 33(8), 1670-1695. https://doi.org/10.1080/09585192.2020.1837200

He, C., Teng, R., & Song, J. (2024). Linking employees’ challenge-hindrance appraisals toward AI to service performance: the influences of job crafting, job insecurity and AI knowledge. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 36(3), 975-994. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJCHM-07-2022-0848

Hngoi, C. L., Abdullah, N-A., Sulaiman, W. S. W., & Nor, N. I. Z. (2023). Relationship between job involvement, perceived organizational support, and organizational commitment with job insecurity: A systematic literature review. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 1066734. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1066734

Jiang, L., Lawrence, A., & Xu, X. (2022). Does a stick work? A meta‐analytic examination of curvilinear relationships between job insecurity and employee workplace behaviors. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 43(8), 1410-1445. https://doi.org/10.1002/job.2652

Kraus, S., Breier, M., & Dasí-Rodríguez, S. (2020). The art of crafting a systematic literature review in entrepreneurship research. International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, 16, 1023-1042. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11365-020-00635-4

Lee, M. C. C., Sim, B. Y. H., & Tuckey, M. R. (2024). Comparing effects of toxic leadership and team social support on job insecurity, role ambiguity, work engagement, and job performance: a multilevel mediational perspective. Asia Pacific Management Review, 29(1), 115-126. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apmrv.2023.09.002

Lin, W., Shao, Y., Li, G., Guo, Y., & Zhan, X. (2021). The psychological implications of COVID-19 on employee job insecurity and its consequences: The mitigating role of organization adaptive practices. Journal of Applied Psychology, 106(3), 317-329. https://doi.org/10.1037/apl0000896

Lian, H., Li, J. K., Du, C., Wu, W., Xia, Y., & Lee, C. (2022). Disaster or opportunity? How COVID-19-associated changes in environmental uncertainty and job insecurity relate to organizational identification and performance. Journal of Applied Psychology, 107(5), 693-706. https://doi.org/10.1037/apl0001011

Lingmont, D. N., & Alexiou, A. (2020). The contingent effect of job automating technology awareness on perceived job insecurity: exploring the moderating role of organizational culture. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 161, 120302. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2020.120302

Marx‐Fleck, S., Junker, N. M., Artinger, F., & van Dick, R. (2021). Defensive decision making: Operationalization and the relevance of psychological safety and job insecurity from a conservation of resources perspective. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 94(3), 616-644. https://doi.org/10.1111/joop.12353

Medina, F. M., Bohle, S. A. L., Beurden, J. V., Chambel, M. J., & Ugarte, S. M. (2023). The relationship between job insecurity and employee performance: a systematic literature review and research agenda. Career Development International, 28(6/7), 589-632. https://doi.org/10.1108/CDI-06-2022-0164

Nam, T. (2019). Technology usage, expected job sustainability, and perceived job insecurity. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 138, 155-165. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2018.08.017

Nawrocka, S., De Witte, H., Brondino, M., & Pasini, M. (2021). On the reciprocal relationship between quantitative and qualitative job insecurity and outcomes. Testing a cross-lagged longitudinal mediation model. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(12), 6392. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18126392

Obregon, S. L., Lopes, L. F. D., Kaczam, F., Veiga, C. P. da, & Silva, W. V da. (2021). Religiosity, Spirituality and Work: a systematic literature review and research directions. Journal Of Business Ethics, 179(2), 573-595. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-021-04856-7

Kmieciak, R. (2023). Knowledge-withholding behaviours among IT specialists: the roles of job insecurity, work overload and supervisor support. Journal of Management & Organization, 29(2), 383-399. https://doi.org/10.1017/jmo.2021.18

Park, J. H., & Ono, M. (2017). Effects of workplace bullying on work engagement and health: the mediating role of job insecurity. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 28(22), 3202-3225. https://doi.org/10.1080/09585192.2016.1155164

Röllmann, L. F., Weiss, M., & Zacher, H. (2021). Does voice benefit or harm occupational well‐being? the role of job insecurity. British Journal of Management, 32(3), 708-724. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8551.12471

Saeed, S., Hassan, I., Dastgeer, G. & Iqbal, T. (2023). The route to well-being at workplace: examining the role of job insecurity and its antecedents. European Journal of Management and Business Economics, 32(1), 47-72. https://doi.org/10.1108/EJMBE-02-2020-0025

Santana, M., & Cobo, M. J. (2020). What is the future of work? A science mapping analysis. European Management Journal, 38(6), 846-862. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.emj.2020.04.010

Shoss, M. K. (2017). Job Insecurity: an integrative review and agenda for future research. Journal Of Management, 43(6), 1911-1939. https://doi.org/10.1177/0149206317691574

Shoss, M. K., & Vancouver, J. B. (2024). A dynamic, computational model of job insecurity and job performance. Journal of Applied Psychology, 109(2), 222-237. https://doi.org/10.1037/apl0001142

Soomro, S. A. (2022). Nexus between perceived job insecurity and employee work-related outcomes amid covid-19: attenuating effect of supervisor support. Human Systems Management, 41(2), 199-209. https://doi.org/10.3233/HSM-201150

Sora, B., Höge, T., Caballer, A., & Peiró, J. M. (2023). The construct of job insecurity at multiple levels: implications for its conceptualization and theory development. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20(4), 3052. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20043052

Staufenbiel, T., & König, C. J. (2010). A model for the effects of job insecurity on performance, turnover intention, and absenteeism. Journal Of Occupational And Organizational Psychology, 83(1), 101-117. https://doi.org/10.1348/096317908X401912

Sverke, M., Hellgren, J., & Näswall, K. (2002). No security: a meta-analysis and review of job insecurity and its consequences. Journal of occupational health psychology, 7(3), 242-264. https://doi.org/10.1037/1076-8998.7.3.242

Tranfield, D., Denyer, D., & Smart, P. (2003). Towards a methodology for developing evidence-informed management knowledge by means of systematic review. British Journal of Management, 14(3), 207-222. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8551.00375

Tu, Y., Po. H., & Lirong, L. (2023). Job replacement or job transformation? Definition, consequences, and sources of technology-driven job insecurity. Advances in Psychological Science, 31(8), 1359-1373. https://doi.org/10.3724/SP.J.1042.2023.01359

Vo-Thanh, T., Vu, T-V., Nguyen, N. P., Nguyen, D. V., Zaman, M., & Chi, H. (2022). COVID-19, frontline hotel employees’ perceived job insecurity and emotional exhaustion: does trade union support matter? Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 30(6), 1159-1176. https://doi.org/10.1080/09669582.2021.1910829

Wu, X., Zhang, L., & Zhang, C. (2025). Linking frontline construction workers' perceived abusive supervision to work engagement: job insecurity as the game-changing mediation and job alternative as a moderator. Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, 32(3), 1739-1758. https://doi.org/10.1108/ECAM-04-2023-0317

Zupic, I., & Cater, T. (2014). Bibliometric Methods in Management and Organization. Organizational Research Methods, 18(3), 429-472. https://doi.org/10.1177/1094428114562629

Downloads

Published

2025-12-19

How to Cite

ROSSATO, Vanessa Piovesan; CAMPOS, Simone Alves Pacheco de; MALHEIROS, Michel Barboza; SANTOS, Méroli Saccardo dos. Will I Still Have a Job Tomorrow? The Structure and Research Agenda of Job Insecurity. Journal of Administrative Sciences, [S. l.], v. 31, p. 1–13, 2025. DOI: 10.5020/2318-0722.2025.31.e17170. Disponível em: https://ojs.unifor.br/rca/article/view/17170. Acesso em: 28 aug. 2026.

Issue

Section

Articles