Breach of Psychological Contract and Organizational Citizenship Behaviors in Volunteerism: The Mediator Role of Affect and the Moderation of Volunteers’ Age

Abstract

The breach of psychological contract is the perception by the members of an organization that it has reneged on promises made when they began their relationship with it. This perception generates intense negative emotions and is an effective predictor of future behavior in the work setting. In this investigation, we explore the relations between breach of contract and organizational citizenship behaviors (OCBs) in volunteers. We also explore the mediator role of negative affect in the relationship between breach and citizenship behaviors and the moderator role of age. This study was carried out using a two-wave design, with 419 socio-assistential volunteers. The results support a direct effect of breach of contract on OCB and an indirect effect of breach through negative affect. Moreover, age moderates the relation between breach of psychological contract and negative affect. Lastly, the conditional effect of breach of contract on negative affect is greater in younger volunteers but loses its power in older volunteers. The implications are discussed in order to comprehend volunteers’ activity and design interventions.