The Impact of Job Insecurity on Employee Engagement and Job Performance: Mediating Role of Engagement

Abstract

This study investigates the effect of job insecurity on employee engagement and job performance and examines the mediating role of employee engagement in the relationship between job insecurity and job performance. Employing a quantitative research approach with a causal design, the study was conducted at RSUD Dr. H. Moh. Anwar Sumenep, involving all 169 non-civil servant (non-PNS) employees using a total sampling technique. Data were analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) to determine the strength and direction of the relationships among variables. The findings indicate that job insecurity has a positive and significant impact on both employee engagement and job performance. Moreover, employee engagement significantly enhances job performance and mediates the relationship between job insecurity and job performance. These results highlight the complex dynamics in the workplace, where job insecurity, despite traditionally being viewed as a negative factor, can drive employees to engage more actively and perform better, possibly due to heightened motivation to secure their positions. The study offers important policy implications for healthcare institutions. Hospital management should prioritize initiatives that foster employee engagement, such as open communication, career development opportunities, and supportive leadership, to buffer the effects of job insecurity. These strategies can help maintain high performance levels even in uncertain employment contexts. Future research is encouraged to validate these findings in other sectors or regions, employ longitudinal designs to track changes over time, and integrate additional variables such as organizational culture, leadership style, and psychological resilience to enrich the analysis.