A comparative study of job insecurity: who suffers more?

Purpose: This study is a pioneering attempt to explore a relatively unexplored research area that examines the differences experienced by subordinates and supervisors when confronted with both quantitative and qualitative job insecurity (JI) and its influence on their creative performance (green and non-green), taking into account their subjective well-being (SWB). Furthermore, this study aims to examine the potential role of supportive leadership in enhancing the SWB of both subordinates and supervisors, aiming to determine the level of support they receive from their supervisors/managers/leaders during challenging situations. Design/methodology/approach: Data were collected from supervisors and subordinates working in upscale hotels in Guangzhou, China. The online survey platform WJX.com was used to gather the data. The confirmatory factor analysis, measurement reliability and validity assessment were carried out using a consistent partial least squares (PLS) algorithm. The causal relationships of the hypotheses were tested through consistent PLS bootstrapping. Findings: At the subordinate level, quantitative JI positively influenced two forms of performance, whereas qualitative JI had a negative impact. SWB partially mediated the impact of qualitative JI on outcomes. At the supervisory level, quantitative JI had no significant impact on the measured variables. Supportive leadership partially moderated the qualitative JI-SWB relationships. Originality/value: Building upon the transactional model of stress and conservation of resource - theory, this comparative study provides novel insight into how the hierarchy perceives JI and stress and how these perceptions and suffering impact their well-being and responsibilities. The novel findings contribute to the literature by highlighting that, in times of adversity (e.g., the recent health crisis), supervisors whose responsibility is to support subordinates may themselves feel uncertain about their job security and seek support from upper management.