Psychological Contract Perspective Research Articles

Experience layoffs, work engagement and the buffering effect of POS: a psychological contract perspective

PurposeThis study aims to explore the relationship between experience layoffs and employees’ work engagement. Drawing on the psychological contract theory, we examine the parallel mediating role of cognitive and affective job insecurity, along with the moderating role of perceived organisational support.Design/methodology/approachThe hypotheses were tested based on data collected from 737 employees of companies in various industries in China in an online survey.FindingsThe results showed the significant effect of experiencing layoffs on employees’ work engagement through cognitive and affective job insecurity, and the effect was stronger when perceived organisational support was lower. The moderated mediation effect mainly occurred through affective job insecurity but not cognitive job insecurity.Originality/valueThis study deepens the understanding of the mechanism of the negative effect of experiencing layoffs and the boundaries of its impact from a psychological contract breach perspective. By analysing the mediating role of cognitive and affective job insecurity, we have enhanced our understanding of the exchange-based mechanism of employees after experiencing layoffs. By examining the moderating role of perceived organisational support, we reveal the important role of supportive behaviours of organisations in mitigating the negative effects of experiencing layoffs.

Give and take: understanding innovative behaviour from a psychological contract perspective

ABSTRACT Despite numerous studies, little is known about public employees’ motivation to innovate. Based on psychological contract theory, this article examines why they have different levels of motivation for innovative behaviour. Using national-scale surveys of public employees in South Korea, this study demonstrates that employees become less innovative when financially compensated as expected, but more innovative when their expectations regarding career development and well-being are met. This indicates that individual motivation for innovation varies depending on the quality of the relationship with the organization, emphasizing that the organization should make a relational commitment to employees to foster innovative behaviour.

The Loyalty of New Generation Employees from The Perspective of Psychological Contract

The proportion of the post-90s generation of employees in the enterprise is higher and higher, and they are increasingly becoming the main force for the future operation and development of the enterprise. At present, the turnover rate of the younger generation of employees is significantly increased, and their loyalty to the enterprise is obviously lower than that of the older employees. Therefore, the loyalty of the new generation of employees to the enterprise is a matter of great concern to the human resources department of the enterprise. Not only small and medium-sized enterprises, but also large-scale enterprises are also facing the problems caused by the low loyalty of the new generation of employees. In the face of the turnover rate of the new generation of employees, it is very necessary to understand the basic situation of such employees and analyze the factors affecting turnover, especially from the aspects of psychological needs, emotional needs and interpersonal relationships. Only employees can clearly feel that the enterprise can fulfill its commitments and realize its wishes, Achieve balance and improve their loyalty to the enterprise from the perspective of psychological contract. This paper takes the new generation of post-90s employees of Internet data service enterprises as the research object, starting from the relationship between employee psychological contract and employee loyalty, analyzes the impact of psychological contract on the loyalty of the new generation of post-90s employees, and finds the way to improve employee loyalty from the perspective of psychological contract.

Psychological Contract Perspective and Implications in Small and Medium Enterprises

MSMEs are micro, small and medium enterprises which are contributing significantly to India’s total GDP. In fact, it is the growth engine of Indian economy which generates highest employments. This study attempts (a) to understand the importance of psychological contract (PC) in small and medium enterprises (SMEs), (b) to assess the extent to which organisational culture dimensions and happiness contribute in determining PC in SMEs. Three standardised questionnaires namely Organisational Culture: OCTAPACE Profile, Psychological Contract Scale and The Oxford Happiness Scale have been used to collect the data. Four hundred samples have been drawn from different SMEs. The statistics used is multiple regression analysis to analyse the data and interpret the results. The study has thrown many interesting results. The present research findings show that PC is the function of happiness and organisational culture dimensions. It is found that the dimensions of culture namely trust, collaboration and pro-action have come out to be the most promising influencers to PC along with happiness. Numerous studies have identified a strong linkage between PCs, organisational performance and productivity. Based on the findings organisation development (OD) and behavioural intervention strategies are suggested to enhance PC in SMEs.

Research on the improvement path of job satisfaction of doctors in a tertiary public hospital in Yinchuan city from the perspective of psychological contract

research purpose: This study aims to explore the relationship between doctors' psychological contract and job satisfaction, and to further explore the impact of the four dimensions of hospital responsibility and doctor responsibility on overall satisfaction and interpersonal relationships, work itself, working conditions, training and promotion, compensation and benefits , The specific impact of the six dimensions of leadership and management. Research methods: Using the public hospital doctor's psychological contract scale and doctor's job satisfaction scale, Spss software was used to conduct multiple linear regression analysis to explore the relationship between the psychological contract and its various dimensions and the various dimensions of doctor's job satisfaction. Analysis conclusion:(1) Hospital development, relationship, and concept responsibility have a significant positive predictive effect on "interpersonal relationship", and the impact of hospital relationship responsibility is greater; (2) Hospital development, relationship, and concept responsibility have a significant positive effect on "work itself" (3) Hospital transaction and development responsibilities have a significant positive impact on "working conditions", and hospital transaction responsibilities have a greater impact on working conditions; (4) Hospital development and relationship responsibilities have a significant impact on "working conditions" "Training and promotion" has a significant positive impact, and hospital development responsibilities have a greater impact; (5) Hospital responsibilities and only hospital transaction responsibilities have a significant impact on "remuneration and benefits"; (6) Hospital development, relationship, and concept responsibilities , doctor's conceptual responsibility has a significant positive predictive effect on "leadership and management", and hospital relationship responsibility has the greatest impact on leadership and management.

A psychological contract perspective to managing the employment relationship during the COVID-19 pandemic in the aviation industry

Although the literature on psychological contracts is rich, researchers have so far paid limited attention to psychological contracts in times of crisis. To investigate how employees assess their psychological contracts during a crisis, we conducted 32 semistructured interviews during the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Europe. The interviewees worked in the airline industry, which the pandemic severely affected. Our qualitative approach allowed us to gain novel insights into the mechanisms by which contracts are managed when the typical parameters of contract assessment are not possible, thereby allowing us to expand psychological contract theory. In addition to illustrating the key employer obligations that employees perceived during a crisis, we introduce two novel theoretical concepts –psychological contract credit and psychological contract inactivation – that explain how employees managed their contracts during the crisis. The practical findings of this study are of relevance to HR managers in managing future crises and addressing the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Celebrity CEOs and corporate investment: A psychological contract perspective

Drawing on the psychological contract theory, we examine how the celebrity status of chief executive officers (CEO) influences corporate investment behavior. Using a sample of Chinese listed companies from 2002 to 2019, we find that celebrity CEOs increase corporate investment levels, leading to lower investment efficiency. In addition, they employ more impression management tactics to signal their superior managerial ability, and dodge possible rejections of their investment decisions by having fewer board meetings. Furthermore, since the perceived psychological contract is dynamic, we provide evidence that the association between the celebrity CEO and corporate investment is more pronounced when a firm faces environmental uncertainty, and pressures from intensive industry competition and peers' performance. Our study contributes to corporate finance literature and results indicate that CEOs with celebrity status are pressured to maintain a psychological contract, which in turn, reduce the efficiency of corporate resource allocation.

A Study on the Turnover Intention of Substitute Teachers in H School from the Perspective of Psychological Contract.

In addition to their regular teaching responsibilities, substitute teachers also have to manage their own self-promotion and handle complaints, which leads to a heavier workload compared to permanent teachers. This study focuses on 285 substitute teachers in School H, and utilizes the statistical analysis tool spss18.0 to demonstrate that the transactional, relational, and developmental dimensions of the substitute teachers' psychological contracts are significantly and negatively related to their intention to leave (p < 0.05). Furthermore, multiple linear regression shows that the developmental dimension of the psychological contract has the greatest impact on the intention to leave. Finally, the paper provides recommendations for optimizing human resource management in private schools.

A psychological contract perspective on how and when employees' promotive voice enhances promotability

AbstractWhile promotive voice is conventionally considered a favourable work behaviour to the organisation, whether engaging in promotive voice will help employees move up the career ladder is inconclusive across a handful of studies. Drawing on a psychological contract perspective, this study aims to understand why and when employees' promotive voice can contribute to supervisor‐rated employees' promotability. We propose that employees' engagement in promotive voice will strengthen supervisor‐sponsored balanced psychological contract with the employees and thus employees' promotability, and these effects will be stronger when the employees and supervisors have higher versus lower quality of leader‐member exchange (LMX) relationship. Results of a three‐wave field study with 281 employees and their 59 supervisors supported our hypotheses. We conclude by discussing the important implications of these findings for theory and practice.

Employment relationships of Chinese expatriates: A multi-foci perspective of psychological contract.

Research into expatriation has made a great contribution to the understanding of issues surrounding international human resource management. However, academic discussion around the subject of expatriate management remains Western-centred, neglecting the use of expatriate staffing in multinational corporations (MNCs) from Eastern countries. By adopting a multi-foci perspective of the psychological contract, the overall objective of this research is to explore the content of Chinese expatriates' psychological contracts. This paper draws on the findings of an organisational case study and is based on semi-structured interviews with 14 expatriates. The findings provide evidence that individuals have multiple simultaneous psychological contracts, each with a different focus. The contracts held by the Chinese expatriates in this sample contain predominately balanced contract beliefs, which contrast sharply to what the other authors find to be salient beliefs (e.g., transactional contract beliefs) for expatriates based on Western samples. Importantly, the most frequently listed exchange partners by the pre-departure expatriates were line managers and department managers in headquarters; individuals appreciate the respective role of each party in shaping their aspects of work conditions whilst acknowledging the simultaneous existence of such influences. This paper has implications for expatriate management in the following ways. First, managers are encouraged to appreciate the role of multiple parties in shaping expatriates' psychological contracts. This helps to enhance management's understanding on the motives and demands of those expatriates. Second, policies of support and contact would aid feelings of integration. Finally, more attention should be paid to planning expatriate career prospects.

Nursing team management and construction from the perspective of psychological contract

Nursing team management and construction from the perspective of psychological contract

Research on the Influence of Enterprise Incentive Mechanism on the New Generation of Knowledge Workers: From the Perspective of Psychological Contract

This research will focus on the knowledge worker’s psychological contract’s main characters and connect with the incentive mechanism to make discussion. The incentive mechanism will be divided into six different aspect which is the hygiene and motivation factors can affect the employee’s job attitudes. The author took questionnaire method to collect different attitude then use SPSS to do the linear-regression analysis to discover the relationship between those affecting factors and the knowledge worker’s satisfaction, working performance and sense of responsibility, and put forward relevant suggestions.

A Study on the Psychological Attributes of Survivors Who Experienced Downsizing in China

This study aims to examine how perceived justice affects downsizing survivors' attitudes, from the psychological contract perspective. By using data collected through surveys from employees of the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) who have recently survived layoffs, we examine the relationships between perceived justice, the survivors' psychological status, and their attitudes after downsizing. The hypothesis was verified through path analysis using SPSS 26.0 and Amos 23.0. Our findings are as follows. Perceived justice has a negative effect on psychological contract violation and a positive effect on trust. Psychological contract violation influences affective commitment negatively and influences turnover intention positively. Trust is positively related to affective commitment and negatively related to turnover intention. We hope that this study will be a useful piece of data that can provide guidelines for inducing positive behavior of members in downsized organizations.

주재원의 심리적 계약위반 인지가 직무소진에 미치는 영향

With the recent attention to expatriate management increasing in high uncertainty, this study focused on the job burnout of expatriates as a topic organizations should be interested in. Building on psychological contract perspective, this study casts career growth opportunity and feeling of violation as an explanatory mechanism to explain why expatriates’ psychological contract breach results in harm to expatriates’ job burnout - emotional exhaustion and cynicism. The study, using survey data from 210 expatriates in 34 countries working at large Korean companies found that the psychological contract breach perceived by the expatriates had a positive effect on emotional exhaustion, but did not significantly affect cynicism. However, it was found that psychological contract breach had a positive effect on cynicism through career growth opportunities of expatriates and had a positive effect on emotional exhaustion and cynicism through feeling of violation. This study expands and complements the social exchange theory-oriented discussion on the psychological contract theory and provides practical implications for the management of expatriates by showing the relationship between psychological contract breach and job burnout.

Turnover intentions and safety compliance in the military: A psychological contract perspective

NATO members have been coping with low motivation and morale. Such environments typically have high turnover intentions and neglect behavior. However, safety behavior is paramount for military organizations and neglect behavior can have serious consequences. Social exchanges are often cited as the main reason for these phenomena. We therefore examine turnover intentions and safety compliance behavior of 1,593 airmen from a European NATO Air Force by focusing on different psychological contract (PC) dimensions. We use polynomial regression and response surface analysis. Results show that higher levels of PC fulfillment are related to lower levels of turnover intentions and higher levels of safety compliance behavior. Furthermore, perceptions of PC overfulfillment are negatively associated with turnover intentions, whereas safety compliance is unaffected by positive (overfulfillment) and negative (underfulfillment) PC discrepancies along all PC dimensions. We discuss implications for the PC literature, make suggestions for future research, and provide practical implications. JEL CLASSIFICATIONS: M0 - general; M1 - business administration; C3 - Multiple or Simultaneous Equation Models; Multiple VariablesKeyword

When employees feel betrayed: The mediating role of psychological contract violation on nepotism and workplace commitment in the hotel industry

Nepotism is prevalent in the workplace. Though the impact of nepotism on workplace commitment has been studied in its general form, the reason why nepotism produces such an impact remains understudied, especially in collectivist cultures (where family and friends are highly important) and service settings (where nepotism manifest publicly among frontline employees). To address this gap, this study adopts a psychological contract perspective and investigates the role of psychological contract violation as a mediator or the “why” behind the relationship between nepotism and workplace commitment, with psychological attachment and turnover intention serving as affective and behavioral representations of workplace commitment. Using partial least squares structural equation modeling on a two-wave (time lag) survey of a sample of 488 frontline employees in the Indian hotel industry as a case, this study proactive mitigates common method bias while revealing that psychological contract violation acts as a complementary mediator between nepotism and workplace commitment in the form of psychological attachment and turnover intention. The study concludes with implications to mitigate nepotism and strengthen workplace commitment.

Quid pro quo? The future for graduate development programmes through the lens of talent management

The value of graduate development programmes (GDPs) from a talent management (TM) perspective is unknown. The contemporary TM literature focuses primarily on talent programmes for existing employees whereas less attention has been placed on externally recruited talent pools, in particular graduates. Attracting graduate talent is a priority for many organisations, as evidenced by the amount of investment contributed to this activity, but research on the employer’s intended outcomes and expectations of participants in GDPs seems to lack coherence. To bridge this gap, this paper aims to develop a conceptual model to explicate the nature and process of GDP, using TM and the wider career literature. The model helps in our understanding of what contextual factors are important and how these factors influence policy and practice to GDPs. We also explore the value of GDPs based on the psychological contract perspective in a contemporary career system. To achieve these aims, the paper investigates how the design and agenda of GDPs may be reframed by analysing several literatures including talent pool segmentation, identity, psychological contract theory and career management. We also expand the existing TM literature by exploring the factors that directly impact the outcomes of GDPs and set future research agenda.

How Does the Labor Protection Law Affect Sustainable Economic Growth: An Empirical Analysis Based on Psychological Contract Perspective.

This article studied the influence of Labor Contract Law and employee psychological contract on enterprise investment and sustainable economic growth. The results indicate that the Labor Protection Law has no significant influence on the investment of state-owned enterprises. In the early stage of the implementation of Labor Protection Law, the Labor protection Law will observably reduce the investment level of private enterprises, and this effect is more obvious in labor-intensive industries and small and medium-sized enterprises. However, in the later stage of the implementation of Labor Protection Law, the impact of Labor protection Law on the investment of private listed companies is weak. The results indicate that the Labor protection Law increases the illegal costs of private enterprises, reduces the flexibility of employment, and ultimately reduces the investment level of enterprises. Moreover, our article examines the impact of the Labor protection Law on regional economic growth, and finds that the Labor protection Law will significantly reduce the regional GDP growth rate in China, and this effect is mainly reflected in the regions where private enterprises provide more jobs and the proportion of private economy is high. This article takes China’s emerging markets as the background, on the one hand, expands the relevant research on labor market friction from the viewpoint of enterprise investment and economic growth, on the other hand, provides new evidence for state-owned enterprises to fulfill social goals.

A Psychological Contract Perspective of Employee Promotive Voice and Promotability

While promotive voice is conventionally considered a favorable work behavior to the organization, whether engaging in promotive voice will help employees move up the career ladder is inconclusive across a handful of studies. Drawing on a psychological contract perspective, this study aims to understand why and when employees’ promotive voice can contribute to supervisor-rated employee promotability. We propose that employees’ engagement in promotive voice will strengthen supervisors’ balanced psychological contract with the employees and increase their rating of employees’ promotability, and these effects will be stronger when the employees and supervisors have higher versus lower quality of leader-member exchange (LMX) relationship. Results of a three-wave field study with 281 employees and their 59 supervisors supported our hypotheses. In brief, we found that promotive voice was positively related to supervisors’ balanced psychological contract, especially when the quality of LMX was higher, which in turn, positively impacted supervisor-rated employee promotability. We conclude by discussing the important implications of these findings for theory and practice.

Analysis Model Design of the Intermediary Role of Psychological Expectation in Customer Value Proposition Driven Business Model Innovation against the Background of Big Data

As the most important strategic resource of enterprises, big data has become the basic background of business model innovation. From the perspective of psychological contract, this paper discusses the mechanism of psychological contract in customer value proposition driven business model innovation and puts forward four research hypotheses. This paper adopts the confirmatory factor analysis method of structural equation to verify these four hypotheses. It is concluded that there is a significant positive relationship between customer value proposition and psychological contract; there is a significant positive correlation between psychological contract and business model innovation; and psychological contract has intermediary effect between value proposition and business model innovation. Furthermore, value proposition has a significant positive correlation with business model innovation, which has not been verified.