JOB INSECURITY AND WORK ENGAGEMENT IN PRIVATE UNIVERSITIES OF PAKISTAN: A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY

Abstract

The rapid expansion of private higher education in Pakistan has created competitive and performance-driven institutional environments characterized by contractual employment arrangements and enrollment-based financial pressures. Such conditions may heighten employees’ perceptions of job insecurity, potentially undermining positive work-related motivational states. Drawing on Conservation of Resources (COR) theory and the Job Demands Resources (JDR) model, this study examines the relationship between job insecurity and work engagement among employees in private universities in Pakistan. A cross-sectional survey design was employed, and data were collected from 301 academic and administrative staff members across 14 private universities representing all major provinces and administrative units of Pakistan. Job insecurity was measured using De Witte’s 4-item scale, while work engagement was assessed using the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES-9). Confirmatory factor analysis demonstrated satisfactory model fit . Structural equation modeling revealed a significant negative association between job insecurity and work engagement (β = –0.48, p < 0.001), with job insecurity explaining 23% of the variance in engagement (R² = 0.23). The findings indicate that perceived employment instability significantly diminishes employees’ vigor, dedication, and absorption. The study contributes to the literature by extending job insecurity research to private higher education within an emerging economy context and highlights precarious employment as a structural concern affecting motivational outcomes. Practical implications for institutional policy and employee engagement strategies are discussed.