Revisiting the Nexus Between Job Insecurity and Employee Task Performance: Examining the Influence of Self-Efficacy and Emotional Intelligence in a Mediation–Moderation Model

Adewale Adekiya, Bayero University, Department of Business Administration and Entrepreneurship, Kano, NigeriaFollow
Umar Usman, Baba Ahmed University, Department of Business Administration, Kano, Nigeria

ORCID

A. Adekiya: 0000-0002-8920-2789

Keywords

Perceived job insecurity, Task performance, Emotional intelligence, Banking industry, Employee

Abstract

The objective of this study was to examine the relationship between perceived job insecurity and employee task performance. In addition, the moderating influence of emotional intelligence and mediating influence of self-efficacy was examined in this relationship. Through the multi-stage sampling technique, a total of 385 employees were proportionately selected from a cluster that represents three selected Nigerian deposit money banks. Furthermore, a close-ended and structured questionnaire was utilized in a descriptive cross-sectional research design to elicit responses from these employees. A hierarchical moderated regression analysis conducted revealed that perceived job insecurity exercises a significant and negative effect on task performance. In addition, this relationship was found to be moderated by emotional intelligence in such a way that the negative relationship between job insecurity and task performance was weaker among respondents who reported a higher level of emotional intelligence. Similarly, self-efficacy was also found to mediate this moderated relationship in such a way that it acts as the underlying mechanism through which emotional intelligence exercises its moderating influence. To conclude, recommendations were made on the need for organizations to recognize the importance of emotional intelligence whenever there is need to maintain a superior level of employee performance, especially in a working environment characterized by a high level of job uncertainty. In addition, it was recommended that while making use of emotional intelligence in attenuating the negative effect of perceived job insecurity on task performance, organizations may derive optimal benefit by focusing on the indirect relationship that highlights self-efficacy as a mediator as opposed to focusing on the direct relationship between these two variables.

Recommended Citation

Adekiya, A., & Usman, U. (2024). Revisiting the Nexus Between Job Insecurity and Employee Task Performance: Examining the Influence of Self-Efficacy and Emotional Intelligence in a Mediation–Moderation Model. Economic and Business Review, 26(1), 13-31. https://doi.org/10.15458/2335-4216.1333