Relative impact of differences in job security on performance among local government employees: The moderation of affective commitments

Abstract

We investigated the relationship between public employees’ job security, motivation, and role performance; and how affective commitments moderate this relationship among local government service employees. Participants were 373 local government service employees from Ghana (females = 41.5%; mean service experience = 2.71, SD = 1.03; junior employees = 43.4%). The employees completed self-report surveys. Results following Hayes’ process macro models showed that motivation mediates the relationship between job security and in-role and extra-role behaviours. Moreover, the results revealed affective organisational and occupational commitments to moderate the job security-role performance relationship. Affective commitment was high when job security was low. Affective commitment seems conditional on job security and role performance among low job security employees. This is perhaps due to their desire to present a self-image that may improve their prospects of job continuity with the organisation and occupation.