Journal of Human Security

Impact of Job Insecurity on Turnover Intention: Mediating Effects of Psychological Safety and Work Pressure

Mohammed Abdullah Ammer
College of Business, King Faisal University, Al-Ahsa 31982, Saudi Arabia
Chok Nyen Vui
Dean, Faculty of Business, SEGi University, Taman Sains Selangor, Kota Damansara PJU 5, 47810 Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia.

Abstract

The purpose of the present study was to examine the impact of job insecurity on turnover intention among employees working in the telecom sector. The study further investigated the mediating roles of psychological safety and work pressure in the relationship between job insecurity and turnover intention. In addition, the moderating role of employee satisfaction on job security was examined to understand its buffering effect on the relationships between job insecurity, turnover intention, and work pressure. The study was quantitative in nature and employed a cross-sectional research design through a structured questionnaire survey. Data was collected from 263 employees working in telecom sector through convenience sampling. All the constructs were measured by scales from previous empirical studies. The collected data were processed by MPlus statistical software. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was employed to analyze direct effects, mediation effects, moderation effects, reliability, validity, and model fit indices. The findings revealed that job insecurity significantly increases turnover intention among employees. The results further indicated that psychological safety and work pressure significantly mediate the relationship between job insecurity and turnover intention. Moreover, employee satisfaction on job security significantly moderated the relationships between job insecurity and turnover intention as well as between job insecurity and work pressure by weakening the negative effects of insecurity. The study also demonstrated satisfactory model fit, reliability, and explanatory power.  The study contributes to the organizational behavior literature by integrating direct, mediating, and moderating mechanisms in a comprehensive framework explaining employee reactions to job insecurity. The results of the study have important practical implications for telecom organizations to emphasize the importance of psychological safety, supportive organizational policies, job security satisfaction, and stress reduction measures in improving employee retention and workplace well-being.

Keywords: Job Insecurity, Turnover Intention, Work Pressure, Psychological Safety, Employee Satisfaction. ,