Can Union Support Reduce the Negative Effects of Job Insecurity on Well-Being?

In: Economic and industrial democracy, Band 24, Heft 2, S. 271-289

Abstract

In the context of rapidly changing environmental conditions, innumerable organizations engage in restructuring activities. As a consequence, many employees feel insecure about the future existence of their jobs. While research suggests that such job insecurity has negative consequences for employee attitudes and well-being, less is known about if and how these negative effects can be alleviated by social support from the union. This present study tests for a potential moderator effect of perceived union support in the insecurity-mental health complaints relation using survey data collected among unionized workers in Italy, the Netherlands and Sweden. The results indicate that job insecurity is associated with mental health complaints in all participating countries and that union support relates negatively to mental health complaints in one of the participating countries. However, no interaction effect was obtained, thus indicating that union support does not reduce the effects of job insecurity on mental health complaints.