Job insecurity, wellness and social support within a business unit of an electricity organisation

Abstract

The primary objective of this study is to investigate the relationship between job insecurity, wellness and social support of employees (N=209) within the business unit of an electricity organisation. A cross-sectional survey design was used. Constructs were measured by means of Job Insecurity Survey Questionnaire (JISQ), the Maslach Bumout Inventory General Survey (MBI-GS), the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale W S), the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ), and the Social Support Questionnaire (SSO). In terns of MBI-GS, only two subscales were used in this study, namely exhaustion and cynicism. Construct validity was established for the two factors. UWES is reflective of a one factor model, which supported the findings of Rothmann and Stom1 (2003). The four-factor model of GHQ was supported consisting of somatic, anxiety / insomnia, social dysfunction and sever depression. Positive statistically and practically significant correlations were found between total job threats and exhaustion and cynicism, indicating that higher threat levels can lead to higher exhaustion and cynicism levels. A negatively statistically and practically significant correlation was obtained between powerlessness and exhaustion as well as cynicism. The regression analysis indicated that job insecurity have some predictive value with regards to the different wellness components researched in the study. Job insecurity was found to hold a significant amount of predictive value with regard to exhaustion (54%), social dysfunction (49%) and sever depression (50%). Although, job insecurity had very little predictive value with regards to social support (6%). It is therefore recommended that Electricity organisations should put more emphasis on an open communication strategy whenever they undergo any kind of restructuring or downsizing processes in order to enhance trust and loyalty from the workforce. The researcher would also like to reflect that the influential factor of the results of this research could be due to the diversity of participants; therefore further research is necessary in order to establish this observation.