ABSTRACT
The research upon which this book is based was initiated at a time of unprecedented interest in job insecurity. By 1997, it was widely assumed that job insecurity had increased rapidly over the past decade.1 There was also an emerging understanding that job insecurity was not only unpleasant for individuals (in terms of their psychological well-being), but that it raised serious problems for family stability and for organisational efficiency by lowering the commitment and motivation of employees. But while the popular press began to pay more attention to the negative consequences of job insecurity, the need for a flexible workforce that could compete in global markets was becoming the top priority for managers and policy makers alike.
