Mediating role of job insecurity and professional identity in the relationship between internet self-efficacy and job satisfaction among young employees in new employment forms

This study intends to explore the relationships among internet self-efficacy, job insecurity, professional identity, and job satisfaction among young individuals in new forms of employment, with the objective to further understand the influencing factors and the underlying mechanisms behind job satisfaction of young employees. This cross-sectional study was conducted through the convenience sampling method from May to July 2024. A questionnaire survey was administered to 1,711 young employees working through Internet platforms. The Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire-Short Form, the internet self-efficacy Scale, the Job Insecurity Scale, and the Professional Identification Scale were employed to investigate job satisfaction, internet self-efficacy, job insecurity, and professional identity, respectively. The mean scores for job satisfaction, internet self-efficacy, job insecurity, and professional identity among the young employees were 3.46 (SD = 0.71), 2.69 (SD = 0.67), 2.93 (SD = 0.80), and 3.55 (SD = 0.67), respectively. Significant correlations were observed among internet self-efficacy, job insecurity, professional identity, and job satisfaction. Job insecurity played a mediating role in the relationship between internet self-efficacy and job satisfaction, with a partial mediating effect of 0.054 (95% CI = 0.040–0.070), accounting for 8.9% of the total effect. Professional identity also served as a mediator in the relationship between internet self-efficacy and job satisfaction, exhibiting a partial mediating effect of 0.319 (95% CI = 0.287–0.351), which accounted for 52.55% of the total effect. Furthermore, job insecurity and professional identity jointly played a chain-mediating role in the relationship between internet self-efficacy and job satisfaction, with a chain mediating effect of 0.025 (95% CI = 0.016, 0.035), representing 4.12% of the total effect. Internet self-efficacy can predict directly job satisfaction, and also predict indirectly job satisfaction through the mediating effects of job insecurity, professional identity, and the chain-mediating effects of both variables. It is recommended that the government focus on create a favorable professional environment to improve the job security and professional identity of the young employees in new forms of employment, eventually enhancing job satisfaction and supporting healthy career development for the young employees.