Understanding the Consequences of Job Insecurity: Evidence from Indian Software Engineers

Abstract

Era marked by rapid technological disruption and heightened workforce volatility, job insecurity has emerged as a salient psychological stressor, particularly in knowledge-intensive sectors. This study investigates the correlational relationships between job insecurity and key employee outcomes job satisfaction, turnover intention, organizational citizenship behavior (OCB), and positive affectivity among 287 software engineers employed across five major IT hubs in India. Adopting a cross-sectional survey design and using validated psychometric instruments, Pearson correlation analysis was applied to assess associations. Results reveal a significant negative correlation between job insecurity and job satisfaction (r = - 0.18, p < .01), and significant positive correlations with turnover intention (r = 0.21, p < .01), OCB (r = 0.32, p < .01), and positive affectivity (r = 0.19, p < .01). Notably, the positive relationship between job insecurity and OCB indicates potential compensatory or impression management behaviors under perceived threat. The results provide a subtle and balanced understanding of job insecurity, indicating that it may generate both negative and adaptive reactions, depending on individual characteristics and contextual conditions. This study contributes to the literature by contextualizing the dual-path effects of job insecurity within the Indian IT sector, offering insights for human resource policy and managerial practices in high-uncertainty environments.