Configurational dynamics and structural mediators of psychosocial attrition in contemporary labor ecosystems

  • Rashid Shar Baloch orcid

    Faculty of Business and Management Sciences (SAAF), Indus University, Karachi 75300, Pakistan
  • Ramsha Shar Baloch

    Faculty of Business & Health Management (IBHM), Dow University of Health Sciences, Karachi 74200, Pakistan
Article ID: 3957
DOI: https://doi.org/10.59400/apr3957
Keywords: job insecurity, health outcomes, configurational, organizational threats, psychosocial work conditions, multilevel modelling (MLM), structural pathways

Abstract

Within the volatile landscape of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, pervasive occupational precarity has emerged as a critical systemic stressor, catalyzed by the rapid onset of autonomous systems and macro-economic restructuring. While the deleterious effects on physiological and psychological well-being are documented, the underlying mechanisms and nonlinear thresholds through which insecurity erodes institutional vitality remain theoretically fragmented. Using a diverse, multi-sectoral cohort (N = 874), this study employs a sophisticated methodological nexus, integrating Structural Equation Modelling (SEM), fuzzy set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA), Necessary Condition Analysis (NCA), and Multilevel Modelling (MLM) to map the multidimensional architecture of psychosocial attrition. Our findings establish that job instability functions as a potent driver of direct and mediated declines in psychosomatic equilibrium, exacerbated by fractured communication channels and heightened organizational threat perceptions. Specifically, the application of NCA identifies precise critical insecurity thresholds (3.1–3.3) that serve as tipping points for health degradation, while fsQCA reveals diverse equifinal pathways to employee vulnerability. By synthesizing these advanced analytical frameworks, this research positions job insecurity not merely as a localized concern but as a fundamental structural health hazard. Consequently, we advocate for the institutionalization of proactive monitoring infrastructures and high-fidelity early warning systems to safeguard the long-term sustainability of human capital.

Published
2026-03-25
How to Cite
Baloch, R. S., & Baloch, R. S. (2026). Configurational dynamics and structural mediators of psychosocial attrition in contemporary labor ecosystems. Applied Psychology Research, 5(1). https://doi.org/10.59400/apr3957
Issue
Vol. 5 No. 1 (2026)
Section
Article

Copyright (c) 2026 Rashid Shar Baloch, Ramsha Shar Baloch

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

References

[1]Alibegovic, A. (2025). The relationship between emotional intelligence, job insecurity, and psychological strain: A study among real estate agents in the Western Balkans. Ecoforum Journal, 14(3). Available online: https://ecoforumjournal.ro/index.php/eco/article/view/2897

[2]Ashforth, B. E., Caza, B. B., & Meister, A. (2025). Mobilities and moorings: A reply to “keeping movement in mind: workplace identification and mobilities theorizing”. Academy of Management Review, 50(1), 145–147. https://doi.org/10.5465/amr.2024.0143

[3]Bambra, C. (2024). The political economy of health and place: From the Great Compression to COVID-19. In The Routledge Handbook of the Political Economy of Health and Healthcare. Routledge. pp. 210–219.

[4]Begum, A. (2022). Employment generation challenges and strategies for Pakistan: A diagnostic analysis. Unisia, 40(1), 67–102. https://doi.org/10.20885/unisia.vol40.iss1.art4

[5]Burchell, B. (2023). Job Security. In: Maggino, F. (editor). Encyclopedia of Quality of Life and Well-Being Research. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-17299-1_1569

[6]Burgard, S. A., & Wang, J. (2026). Job loss, job insecurity, and health. In: Chen, V. T., Pultz, S., Sharone, O. (editors). Handbook on Unemployment and Society. Edward Elgar Publishing. pp. 18–34. https://doi.org/10.4337/9781800886834.00010

[7]Cheng, G. H. L., & Chan, D. K. S. (2008). Who suffers more from job insecurity? A meta-analytic review. Applied Psychology, 57(2), 272–303. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1464-0597.2007.00312.x

[8]Collins, C. R. (2025). Systemic psychological insecurity: A framework for understanding well-being in unstable societies. Review of General Psychology, 29(3), 293–310. https://doi.org/10.1177/10892680251357266

[9]Cui, Z., Li, C., & Chen, M. (2026). An Empirical Study of the Dynamics of Collective Employee Turnover and Its Implications for Dismissal Policy—Evidence From a Distribution Center. Human Resource Management Journal. https://doi.org/10.1111/1748-8583.70030

[10]Darvishmotevali, M. (2025). A comparative study of job insecurity: Who suffers more? International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 37(5), 1603–1621. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJCHM-04-2024-0617

[11]De Witte, H., Van Hootegem, A., & Roll, L. C. (2025). Is occupation insecurity associated with conspiracy views? A test of parallel mediation through political powerlessness and relative deprivation. Economic and Industrial Democracy, 46(3), 714–741. https://doi.org/10.1177/0143831X251347770

[12]Dekker, S. W. A., & Schaufeli, W. B. (1995). The effects of job insecurity on psychological health and withdrawal: A longitudinal study. Australian Psychologist, 30(1), 57–63. https://doi.org/10.1080/00050069508259607

[13]Dooley, D., Rook, K., & Catalano, R. (1987). Job and non-job stressors and their moderators. Journal of Occupational Psychology, 60, 115–132. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.2044-8325.1987.tb00245.x

[14]Dragano, N., Backhaus, I., Lohmann-Haislah, A., et al. (2024). Organizational change: Challenges for workplace psychosocial risks and employee mental health. BMC public health, 24(1), 2477. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-024-19815-w

[15]Everson, S. A. (1996). Interaction of workplace demands and cardiovascular reactivity in progression of carotid atherosclerosis: Population-based study. BMJ, 314, 553. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.314.7080.553

[16]Ferrie, J. E. (2002). Is job insecurity harmful to health? Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, 94(2), 71–76. https://doi.org/10.1177/014107680109400206

[17]Ferrie, J. E., Shipley, M. J., Marmot, M. G., et al. (1998). The health effects of major organizational change and job insecurity. Social Science & Medicine, 46(2), 243–254. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0277-9536(97)00158-5

[18]Graham, A., Sinclair, R. R., & Sliter, M. (2024). Job insecurity and health and well-being: What happens when you really need or love your job? Economic and Industrial Democracy, 45(3), 674–695. https://doi.org/10.1177/0143831X231183995

[19]Green, F., Felstead, A., Gallie, D., et al. (2022). Working still harder. ILR Review, 75(2), 458–487. https://doi.org/10.1177/0019793920977850

[20]Greenhalgh, L., & Rosenblatt, Z. (1984). Job insecurity: Toward conceptual clarity. Academy of Management Review, 9(3), 438–448. https://doi.org/10.5465/amr.1984.4279673

[21]Gupta, N., Wåhlin-Jacobsen, C., Abildgaard, J., et al. (2018). Effectiveness of a participatory physical and psychosocial intervention to balance the demands and resources of industrial workers: A cluster-randomized controlled trial. Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment & Health, 44(1), 58–68.

[22]Hartley, J., & Knell, L. (2022). Innovation, exnovation and intelligent failure. Public Money & Management, 42(1), 40–48. https://doi.org/10.1080/09540962.2021.1965307

[23]Hatton, E. (2017). Mechanisms of invisibility: Rethinking the concept of invisible work. Work, Employment and Society, 31(2), 336–351.

[24]Imai, K., Keele, L., & Tingley, D. (2010). A General Approach to Causal Mediation Analysis. Psychological Methods, 15(4), 309–334.

[25]International Labour Organization. (2018). Working Time—Preparatory Questionnaire for the National Reports—European Labour Court Judges Meeting. In: Proceedings of the XXVI Meeting Of European Labour Court Judges; 25–26 September 2018; Madrid, Spain.

[26]Iversen, L., Sabroe, S., & Damsgaard, M. (1989). Hospital admissions before and after shipyard closure. BMJ, 299, 1073–1076. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.299.6707.1073

[27]Jacobsen, J., Bürmann, M., Kristen, C., et al. (2022). Did immigrants perceive more job insecurity during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic? Evidence from German panel data. Social Sciences, 11(5), 224. https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci11050224

[28]Kalleberg, A. L. (2018). Precarious Lives: Job Insecurity and Well-Being in Rich Democracies. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.

[29]Karasek, R., Dollard, M., Östergren, P. O., et al. (2025). The multi-level Job Content Questionnaire 2.0 (JCQ 2.0) and the Associationalist Demand–Control (ADC) Theory for a sustainable global economy. Preprints. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202507.1172.v1

[30]Kim, B. J., Kim, M. J., & Lee, J. (2024). The impact of an unstable job on mental health: The critical role of self-efficacy in artificial intelligence use. Current Psychology, 43(18), 16445–16462. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-023-05595-w

[31]Lee, G. H., Huang, G. H., & Ashford, S. J. (2018). Job insecurity and the changing workplace: Recent developments and future trends in job insecurity research. Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior, 5, 335–359. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-orgpsych-032117-104651

[32]McDonough, P. (2000). Job insecurity and health. International Journal of Health Services, 30(3), 453–476. https://doi.org/10.2190/BPFG-X3ME-LHTA-6RPV

[33]Milner, A., Krnjack, L., & LaMontagne, A. D. (2017). Psychosocial job quality and mental health among young workers: A fixed-effects regression analysis using 13 waves of annual data. Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment & Health, 43(1), 50–58.

[34]Pearlin, L. I., Menaghan, E. G., Lieberman, M. A., et al. (1981). The stress process. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 22(4), 337–356. https://doi.org/10.2307/2136676

[35]Richter, A., & Näswall, K. (2019). Job insecurity and trust: Uncovering a mechanism linking job insecurity to well-being. Work & Stress, 33(1), 22–40. https://doi.org/10.1080/02678373.2018.1461709

[36]Rugulies, R. (2019). What is a psychosocial work environment? Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment & Health, 45(1), 1–6. Available online: https://www.jstor.org/stable/26567054

[37]Russo, G., & Terraneo, M. (2020). Mental well-being among workers: A cross-national analysis of job insecurity impact on the workforce. Social Indicators Research, 152(2), 421–442. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-020-02441-5

[38]Schnall, P. L., Landsbergis, P. A., & Baker, D. (1994). Job strain and cardiovascular disease. Annual Review of Public Health, 15, 381–411. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.pu.15.050194.002121

[39]Smith, B., Peterson, M. F., & Schwartz, S. H. (2002). Cultural values, sources of guidance, and their relevance to managerial behavior: A 47-nation study. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 33(2), 188–208. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022022102033002005

[40]Standing, G. (2011). The Precariat: The New Dangerous Class. London: Bloomsbury Academic. https://doi.org/10.5040/9781849664554

[41]Steffy, D., & Laker, D. R. (1991). Workplace and personal stresses antecedent to employees’ alcohol use. Journal of Social Behavior and Personality, 6(7), 115–126.

[42]Stockholm University. (2018). The division of work and organizational psychology. Available online: https://www.su.se/english/research/research-catalogue/sub-subjects/6/work-and-organizational-psychology/the-division-of-work-and-organizational-psychology (accessed on 12 January 2026).

[43]Virtanen, P., Janlert, U., & Hammarström, A. (2011). Exposure to temporary employment and job insecurity: A longitudinal study of the health effects. Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 68(8), 570–574. https://doi.org/10.1136/oem.2010.054890

[44]Wood, S., Michaelides, G., & Ogbonnaya, C. (2020). Recessionary actions and absence: A workplace-level study. Human Resource Management, 59(6), 501–520. https://doi.org/10.1002/hrm.22008