Although work-related learning (WRL) in this context pertains to the learning and development of employees, it is postulated that insecurity of job prospects could possibly impact the WRL of students.
“A potentially important factor that may link job insecurity and work-related learning is occupational self-efficacy” say Van Hootegem, Sverke and De Witte (2022: 230). Literature suggests “that job insecurity negatively affects the way in which individuals perceive themselves … and that self-efficacy plays an important role in the extent to which employees engage in learning behaviour”, they indicate.
Van Hootegem et al (2022: 230) “propose that job insecurity may incite a loss spiral, which travels via occupational self-efficacy to work-related learning”. A spiral can be defined as a consecutive winding or coiling curve, in a continuous and gradually tightening (loss) or widening (gain) around a central point on a flat plane, or about an axis to form a cone. Spirals illustrates the conservation of resources (COR) theory in that ‘initial loss/gain begets future loss/gain’.
Job insecurity is a significant stressor in contemporary working life, with detrimental consequences not only for individuals, but also organisations. The construct ‘job insecurity’ relates to both job continuity (quantitative) and content/characteristics (qualitative) of jobs. During turbulent times a decline in acquisition of knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics (KSAOs) could further endanger an employees’ potential to adapt. The construct ‘learning behaviour’ is conceptualised in two ways, namely process and the outcome. Process pertains to the extent to which employees engage in learning behaviours or activities. Outcome suggests changes in employees’ professional KSAOs and performance of work. Occupational self-efficacy (OSE) is defined as “the competence that a person feels concerning the ability to successfully fulfil the tasks involved in his or her job” (Van Hootegem et al,2022: 232). OSE not only plays a central role in COR theory, but also constitutes an important resource in personal mastery and control over one’s environment.
Van Hootegem, A; Sverke, M; & De Witte, H. (2022). Does occupational self-efficacy mediate the relationships between job insecurity and work-related learning? A latent growth modelling approach. Work and Stress, 36(3), 229–250.
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