The reciprocal relationships between quantitative job insecurity, job satisfaction, and psychological distress during the Covid-19 pandemic: A three-wave cross-lagged panel study

This study examined the reciprocal associations between quantitative job insecurity, job satisfaction, and psychological distress using a cross-lagged panel design. Based on the Conservation of Resources theory, it was hypothesized that quantitative job insecurity negatively affects job satisfaction (short-term) and subsequently leads to psychological distress (long-term), with job satisfaction mediating this relationship. A survey of 347 Italian employees across three waves (four-month intervals) during the Covid-19 pandemic was conducted. Contrary to expectations, the reverse causation model fit the data better, indicating that psychological distress predicted increased quantitative job insecurity and decreased job satisfaction. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.