Abstract

The changing nature of work, in conjunction with union power decline, has resulted in increasing levels of job insecurity and precarious work among the global workforce (Benach et al., 2014; Hoffman et al., 2020). Additionally, research has shown that older workers experience work differently than younger workers (Ng & Feldman, 2012), and represent 44% of the workforce in the United States (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2020). The present study explores the extent to which the confluence of precarious work and age creates a scenario where these workers respond to job insecurity in ways which differ from what is typically depicted in models of job insecurity. Data were collected from 460 working adults in the US (Age M=40.90, SD=10.29) and analyzed using structural equation modeling. Results suggest that aspects of precarious work, specifically vulnerability to mistreatment and uncontracted work, were indirectly related to several work- related outcomes (i.e., job search behaviors, employee voice, well-being, and presenteeism) via job insecurity. No support was found for second-stage moderation by age, but findings from supplementary analyses suggested that age interacted with part-time work to predict presenteeism, which refers to going to work while ill, with older full-time workers engaging in presenteeism more often than older part-time workers. Together, this suggests that older workers represent a heterogenous subgroup of workers, and the variability in their experiences merits future research, with special regard for older workers in precarious work conditions. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

Graduation Date

2021

Semester

Spring

Advisor

Fritzsche, Barbara

Degree

Master of Science (M.S.)

College

College of Sciences

Department

Psychology

Degree Program

Industrial and Organizational Psychology

Format

application/pdf

Identifier

CFE0008477; DP0024153

URL

https://purls.library.ucf.edu/go/DP0024153

Language

English

Release Date

5-15-2022

Length of Campus-only Access

1 year

Access Status

Masters Thesis (Open Access)

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