The mediating role of organizational identification in the relationship between qualitative job insecurity, OCB and job performance

Purpose – Employees need to feel secure to perform their job effectively, therefore job insecurity has an effect on organizational citizenship behaviour (OCB) and job performance; however, some organizational attitudes may reduce these negative effects. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the mediating role of organizational identification (OID), as a process underlying the relationship between qualitative job insecurity, OCB and job performance. Design/methodology/approach – Using social exchange theory (SET) and social identification theory (SIT), this study reports the responses of 201 white and blue collar Italian employees. Data were collected through a self-report questionnaire that used standard scales on qualitative job insecurity, OID, OCB and job performance. Findings – Results of structural equation modelling revealed that the effect of job insecurity on OCB and job performance was completely mediated by OID. Fit indices of mediated model are very good and indirect effects, by bootstrapping, are significant. Research limitations/implications – The research design was cross-sectional, and thus, cause-effect relationships cannot be discerned. Practical implications – Organizations may address HRM policies to reduce job insecurity (e.g. through actions to organizational communication), and to increase OID (e.g. involving workers to the decision-making process and promoting team work). Originality/value – For the first time in a Western context, OID was tested as mediator in order to explain the relationship between job insecurity, OCB and job performance. Furthermore, Drawing on SET, this study tried to integrate SIT to explain behavioural responses to job insecurity.