Coping with Job Insecurity: A Longitudinal Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) Study

PhD Candidate: Ina Lempereur First Promoter: Profs. Dr. Hans De WitteSecond Promoter: Profs. Dr. Jan de Mol

Coping with Job Insecurity 1

Structure of Presentation

What? How? Why? Discussion, ideas, thoughts …..

Coping with Job Insecurity 2

What?

Coping with Job Insecurity 3

63438818

My PhD is an in-Depth Exploration of the experience of job insecurity among commercial airline pilots. The research question that I aim to answer through this study is:

How do commercial airline pilots experience job insecurity and how do they cope with this

insecurity?

Coping with Job Insecurity 4

A Paradigm Shift since the 80’s

From job security … the perceived belief that one’s job is safe, secure, and perhaps even guaranteed for life.

To job insecurity … fear of losing one’s job and/or the fear of loss of some aspects of the job.

Coping with Job Insecurity 5

Definition of JI

Job insecurity is essentially a perceptual phenomenon that occurs within a complex employment environment (Greenhalgh & Rosenblatt, 1984; Jacobson, 1991).

Coping with Job Insecurity 6

The Job Insecurity ExperienceThe Job Insecurity Experience

• Objective work situation• Subjective perception of the situation• Specific individual’s life situation• Personal characteristics• Appraisal of the complex situation• Coping behaviour used through this

experience

Coping with Job Insecurity

Ingredients:

7

Job insecurity lies somewhere between full secure employment and job loss (McLaren, 2001; De Witte, 2005).

Coping with Job Insecurity 8

The Documented Effects The Documented Effects of Job Insecurity

High anxiety & depression levelssleeping problemsdistresseffects also tend to transfer to the non-work settingattitudinal changes at work such as dissatisfaction with

the present job and the propensity to leave it voluntarily (Hellgren, Sverke, & Isaksson, 1999)

more stressful than job loss itself (De Witte, 1999; Hartley, Jacobson, Klandermans, & van Vuuren, 1991; Dekker & Schaufeli, 1995)

Coping with Job Insecurity 9

More Documented Effects …. More Documented Effects ….

marked by periods of worry, anger, anxiety, fear, blaming, apathy (Bartrum, 2006)

hostility (Greenglass & Burke, 2000)psychological withdrawal behaviours similar

to the grieving process (Katcher, 1978; Strange, 1977; Greenhalgh, 1979; in Greenhalgh & Rosenblatt, 1984).

  Coping with Job Insecurity 10

… … and more effects!! and more effects!!

In the short term, responses to the stress of job insecurity could be emotional (anxiety, tension, dissatisfaction), physiological (elevated health rate, increased catecholamine secretion) and behavioral (drug use, absenteeism, lack of concentration);

In the longer term, the accumulation of these responses could result in adverse consequences for physical health

(Heaney & colleagues, 1994, p. 1432)

Coping with Job Insecurity 11

How?

Coping with Job Insecurity 12

My PhD: Three related but independent studies

QualitativeLongitudinal

Using investigator triangulation

Coping with Job Insecurity 13

IPA

Interpretative phenomenological analysis: IPA, developed by Jonathan Smith, Professor of Psychology, Birkbeck University of London, is an experiential qualitative approach to research in psychology and the human, health and social sciences.

Coping with Job Insecurity 14

IPA informed by three philosophical concepts:

1. Phenomenology2. Hermeneutics

3. Idiography

Suggested Text: Smith, J.A., Flowers, P., & Larkin, M. (2009). Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. Theory, Method, and Research. USA: Sage.

Coping with Job Insecurity 15

A Longitudinal Study

Persons need to be seen over time within the framework of their life stories :

What is important or unimportant in their lives;

Ways of thinking about themselves and the world;

Changes and transitions that threaten existing psychological structures; and

Patterns of coping with problems of living.

Coping with Job Insecurity 16

Study 1: Investigator Triangulation

The main researcher will conduct a semi-structured interview with one participant, transcribe the interview verbatim and analyse the interview;

A second researcher will use the same interview guide to conduct another semi-structured interview with another participant, transcribe the interview verbatim and analyze the interview; the second researcher will be completely ‘naive’ to airline crews thus decreasing the possibility of bias;

The promoter and the co-promoter will, individually, re-analyze both interviews;

The main researcher will analyze the whole work.

Coping with Job Insecurity 17

Why?

Coping with Job Insecurity 18

I choose to conduct a qualitative study as:

Most effort in job insecurity research has been directed towards consequences and relatively less attention given to work on construct conceptualization ….

(Mauno & Kinnunen, 2002)

Coping with Job Insecurity

My PhD in context of existing literature

19

I choose to explore both negative and positive effects of JI as ….

Any possible positive aspect of job insecurity has not received much attention …

(Bartrum, 2006)

Coping with Job Insecurity

My PhD in context

20

My PhD in context

I choose to do research with commercial airline pilots as my sample as:

This area of research in aviation psychology remains relatively unexplored within the active pilot population.

21Coping with Job Insecurity

And yet pilots are not unfamiliar to job insecurity experiences especially when one considers:

The present vulnerability of the airline industry

The rigorous proficiency, physical and psychological regular checks

Coping with Job Insecurity 22

Pilot Evaluation Events are an ongoing process

Recurrent checks: proficiency and medical Monitored performance: operational management,

fellow crewmembers, & on-board monitoring computer Subject to random blood and/or urine checks before-

after operating a flight Airline industry encourages use of formal or

confidential self-reporting system to report any behaviour that can jeopardize flight safety

Regulatory authorities impose on all pilots to self-assess one’s physical and mental condition before operating a flight.

23Coping with Job Insecurity

Safety as the goal of the Evaluation System

The fact that universally all pilots are regularly evaluated according to international standards is meant to ensure that no matter the age, gender, race, nationality, or airline, commercial airline pilots are in good health and qualified to do their job. And yet ….

24Coping with Job Insecurity

When evaluation is placed in the context of a pilot’s life, its consequences may be substantial

...every time pilots are put to test they risk failure and thus possible temporary or permanent loss of license. Loss of license may mean loss of job, loss of income, and also possible loss of professional status and the right to ever practice their profession.

25Coping with Job Insecurity

Being a commercial airline pilot is the most stressful job in America this year…

Limited control over events Depend heavily on other professionals Experience big swings in stress Profession affected by the economy with layoffs, high

oil prices, and cost cutting in the airline industry threatening pay raises and job prospects.

Reference: CareerCast.com

Coping with Job Insecurity 26

Discussion, ideas, thoughts ……

Coping with Job Insecurity 27