The relationship between job security, job embeddedness, work engagement and turnover intention within the mining sector

Abstract

The constructs job security, job embeddedness, work engagement and turnover intention are all very popular research constructs. Extensive research is available on all these constructs and even on the relations between some of these constructs. However, the research on the combination of all these constructs is very limited and especially within the South African industry. The current study focussed on the South African mining sector testing the dynamics in the relationships of job security, job embeddedness, work engagement and turnover intention that employees experience. The mining industry forms a vital part of the South African economy and one of the largest industries in South Africa. Therefore, it is very important to investigate how employees’ job security, job embeddedness and work engagement are affected by uncertain economic times and how this impacts their turnover intention. The objective of this research study was to investigate the relations between job security, job embeddedness, work engagement and turnover intention of employees in the mining sector. The research investigated how mining employees are affected by the economic uncertainty within the mining sector, by looking into their job security, job embeddedness, work engagement and turnover intention, as well as how work engagement mediates the relations between job security, job embeddedness and turnover intention. Hence the aim of this study was to gain a better understanding of the relations between these constructs and how they influence employees’ levels of turnover intention. A quantitative research approach was followed by using a cross-sectional design, which comprised office-bound employees within the mining sector (n = 204). Structural equation modelling was used to analyse the data and test the structural model. The results indicated that significant paths exist between all of the constructs except between job security and turnover intention, and job embeddedness and turnover intention. Furthermore, also other relations were found in the study,

such as the negative relation between job embeddedness and turnover intention and how work engagement has a mediating effect on the relation between job security and turnover intention. Lastly, the study found a serial indirect relation from job security to turnover intention through both work engagement and job embeddedness. Finally, based on the results of the study, conclusions were drawn, the limitations of the study were discussed, and recommendations were made for practice and future research.