Incongruent influences: joint effects on the job attitudes of employees with psychological contract breach in the MENA region

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Naveen Jain ◽  
Danilo Le Sante ◽  
Chockalingam Viswesvaran ◽  
Rakesh Belwal

Purpose The psychological contract breach (PCB) literature has documented the negative effects of PCB on employee job attitudes and the variables that moderate (accentuate or mitigate) this relationship. Given that multiple variables together influence a subordinate’s PCB – job attitudes relationship, this paper aims to investigate a three-way interaction between corporate reputation, supervisor’s and subordinate’s PCBs on the job attitudes of the latter. Design/methodology/approach The authors collected a dyadic sample of 227 employees and their 79 supervisors from some of the well-known companies in Oman. The authors used SPSS (version 25) to examine the three-way interaction of focal employee PCB, supervisor PCB and corporate reputation on employee job attitudes. Findings The results indicated that depending on the perception of corporate reputation, the extent of the supervisor’s PCB perception has a differential influence on the employee PCB – job attitudes relationship. Originality/value By investigating the joint (sometimes conflicting) influences of multiple moderators which enhances the ecological validity, this paper makes an original and important contribution to the PCB literature.

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Thushel Jayaweera ◽  
Matthijs Bal ◽  
Katharina Chudzikowski ◽  
Simon de Jong

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore the macroeconomic factors that may moderate the psychological contract breach (PCB) and work outcome relationship.Design/methodology/approachThis study conducted a meta-analysis based on data from 134 studies.FindingsThe study revealed that the inflation rate and the unemployment rate of a country moderated the association among employee PCB, job performance and turnover.Research limitations/implicationsThe availability of more detailed macroeconomic data against the PCB and outcome relationship for other countries and studies examining the impact of micro-economic data for PCB and outcome relationship would provide a better understanding of the context.Practical implicationsThe authors believe that the results highlight the importance of the national economy since it impacts individual outcomes following a breach.Social implicationsEmployment policies to capture the impact of macroeconomic circumstances as discussed.Originality/valueOne of the valuable contributions made by this paper is that the authors capture the current accumulative knowledge regarding the breach and performance and breach and turnover relationship. Second, the study examines how the inflation rate and unemployment rate could moderate the association between PCB and job performance and turnover.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Veronica Serwaa Amoah ◽  
Francis Annor ◽  
Maxwell Asumeng

PurposeThe study examined the relationship between psychological contract breach and organizational commitment and whether leader-member exchange and job embeddedness mediate this relationship.Design/methodology/approachThe study adopted a quantitative approach and is based on a sample of 298 teachers in basic schools in Accra, Ghana. Participants completed surveys with standardized measures on psychological contract breach, job embeddedness, leader-member exchange and organizational commitment. Hypothesized relationships were tested using structural equation modeling in AMOS 21.0.FindingsPsychological contract breach had a direct negative relationship with affective and normative commitment but had no significant direct relationship with continuance commitment. Psychological contract breach was indirectly related to affective and normative commitment through both job embeddedness and leader-member exchange, and indirectly related to continuance commitment through only job embeddedness.Practical implicationsFindings from the study suggest that employers' failure to fulfill their obligations to employees has significant potential cost to the organization, and underscore the need for managers, particularly in educational institutions, to institute measures to eliminate or minimize the occurrence of psychological contract breach.Originality/valueThe study contributes to research examining antecedents of organizational commitment as well as the mechanisms linking psychological contract breach to organizational commitment in the educational context.


2018 ◽  
Vol 47 (5) ◽  
pp. 986-1002 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yi-chun Lin ◽  
Angela Shin-yih Chen ◽  
Yu-ting Lai

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to identify the impact of career plateau (hierarchical and job-content plateau) on internal employability, and to investigate psychological contract breach as a moderator on the relationship between career plateau (hierarchical and job-content plateau) and internal employability. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected by distributing paper-based questionnaires to 521 workers in private banking sectors in Taiwan. Hierarchical regression analysis was used to examine the results of the relationships. Findings The results supported the idea that career plateau (hierarchical and job-content plateaus) could be a significant antecedent of internal employability. Psychological contract breach significantly moderated the negative relationship between career plateau (hierarchical and job-content plateau) and internal employability. Specifically, the negative relationship between career plateau and internal employability will be stronger for employees who perceive a higher level of psychological contract breach. Practical implications These findings can help human resource practitioners gain a better understanding of the value of applicable approaches as an influence on a plateaued employee’s perception of internal employability, and to facilitate a positive employer–employee relationship, which could foster both a successful career for an individual and a prosperous performance for the organization that employs them. Originality/value Career plateau have been aroused variety issues in HR practice, but employability and psychological contract breach have barely been discussed with career plateau. This study empirically establishes the correlation between career plateau and internal employability as well as shown that psychological contract breach would decrease the plateaued individual’s willingness to stay in the current organization. Thus, the career plateau may provide organizations with a helpful perspective on one’s career development. Building substantial relationships between employees and employers lead to better human capital for organizations as it deals with rapidly changes in the real world.


Author(s):  
Melanie De Ruiter ◽  
Robert J. Blomme ◽  
René Schalk

Employees' experiences of psychological contract breach (PCB) contribute substantially to the failure of change initiatives. Consequently, if organizational leaders want to successfully implement change efforts, it is imperative that they attend to these negative perceptions. Managers can provide different types of support to employees who have experienced PCB. However, during management-imposed change, direct managers at the mid-level of the organization face a number of challenges that may impede their ability or willingness to provide this support. Existing approaches to managing top-down change initiatives offer recommendations regarding leadership, communication and interpersonal and informational justice. Yet, by failing to consider the negative effect middle managers' competing roles have on their inclination or ability to address employee experiences of PCB, these suggestions are limited in scope. Drawing upon the literature on trickle-down effects, it is suggested that senior managers play an important, albeit indirect role in reducing the negative effects of PCB.


2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (3) ◽  
pp. 789-809 ◽  
Author(s):  
Upasnaa A. Agarwal ◽  
James B. Avey

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to examine the effects of abusive supervision on cyberloafing behavior, to test the mediating role of PsyCap in this relationship and the extent to which these relationships are moderated by psychological contract breach.Design/methodology/approachA total of 394 full-time managers across different Indian organizations served as the sample for this study.FindingsThe results revealed that the abusive supervision and PsyCap are significantly correlated with cyberloafing, the relationship between abusive supervision and cyberloafing is partially mediated by PsyCap and the impact of abusive supervision and PsyCap on cyberloafing is moderated by psychological contract breach such that the effects of abusive supervision and PsyCap on cyberloafing are stronger when employees perceive high psychological contract breach.Research limitations/implicationsA cross-sectional design and use of self-reported questionnaires are a few limitations of this study.Originality/valueThis is one of the first studies examining cyberloafing in response to abusive supervision and one of the few attempts to examine the effects of abusive supervision on individual resources (PsyCap) in response to workplace mistreatment. This study is also the first to examine these phenomena in the Indian context.


2016 ◽  
Vol 31 (8) ◽  
pp. 1312-1326 ◽  
Author(s):  
J.C. Peng ◽  
Jia-Jing Jien ◽  
Julian Lin

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate store-level servant leadership and the procedural justice climate (PJC) as key antecedents for employee-perceived psychological contract breach (PCB) and explores the mediating roles of PCB in the relationships among servant leadership, the PJC and deviant employee behavior. Design/methodology/approach Survey data were collected from 301 employees at 94 stores of a restaurant chain in Taiwan. The model and hypotheses were tested using hierarchical linear modeling. Findings The results support the moderated mediation model, showing that the indirect effects of servant leadership and PJC on deviant employee behavior through PCB were stronger for employees with an external locus of causality attribution than for those with an internal locus. Research limitations/implications The study relied on cross-sectional survey design, therefore the authors cannot infer causality. Practical implications The results will help organizations and managers understand that supervisor servant leadership has suppressive effects on deviant employee behavior through the intermediary mechanism of negative psychological perception (i.e. the perception of a PCB). Originality/value The primary purpose of this study is to examine the influences of store-level servant leadership and the PJC on employee deviance and to examine the mediating role played by PCB. The findings suggest a significantly negative relationship.


2019 ◽  
Vol 49 (6) ◽  
pp. 1269-1286
Author(s):  
Sajeet Pradhan ◽  
Aman Srivastava ◽  
Lalatendu Kesari Jena

Purpose Based on the unfolding theory of voluntary turnover, the purpose of this paper is to investigate the linkage between abusive supervision (a shock) and subordinate’s intention to quit (withdrawal cognition). The study also explores the multi-mediation routes by testing the abusive supervision-intention to quit relationship via psychological contract breach and via burnout. Design/methodology/approach To test the proposed hypotheses, the study draws cross-sectional data from Indian employees working in various MNCs in the country. Data were collected using an electronic data collection method. The online form link was send to 600 employees, out of which 246 valid and complete responses were received (n=246). Partial least square (PLS–SEM) was used for the analysis. Findings Results showed that abusive supervision is positively related to intention to quit. Similarly, psychological contract breach and burnout partially mediates the abusive supervision-intention to quit linkage. Originality/value First, the current study has conceptualized and tested abusive supervision as a shock that triggers various adverse cognitions including withdrawal cognition (intention to quit). Second, the study also empirically investigated multi-mediational routes via psychological contract breach and burnout that explained the indirect effect between abusive supervision and intention to quit.


2018 ◽  
Vol 41 (1) ◽  
pp. 29-45 ◽  
Author(s):  
Phuong Tran Huy ◽  
Kiyoshi Takahashi

Purpose This study aims to verify the entire process of psychological contract breach (PCB). It investigates organizational variables such as organizational performance, previous employee performance, participative performance appraisal systems and leader power as the antecedents of perceived unfulfilled promises. It then examines whether perceived failure to fulfill contracts leads to the perception of PCB, and the possible moderating impacts of perceived self-fulfillment and individual differences on the relationship. Design/methodology/approach The current study uses cross-sectional design. Data have been collected from 364 full-time employees who enrolled in evening MBA courses in Vietnamese universities. Multiple regression and moderation analyses were used. Findings Participative performance appraisal, past performance, perception of leader’s power and overall organizational performance influenced perceived failure to fulfill promises, which contributed to contract breach. Furthermore, perceived self-fulfillment, equity sensitivity and self-esteem moderated the relationship between perceived failure to fulfill promises and PCB. Research limitations/implications The limitations of the study include a sampling technique which only focuses on MBA students, and cross-sectional research design. Practical implications The study confirms the role of individual traits in the PCB development. Vietnamese companies should collect information concerning employees’ personalities to focus on fulfilling promises that matter most to each type of employees. Originality/value The study distinguishes between perception of unmet promises and PCB. Furthermore, the moderating impacts of perceived self-fulfillment on the relationship between unmet promises and breach were examined.


2016 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 316-333 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hakan Erkutlu ◽  
Jamel Chafra

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between value congruence and affective commitment to change as well as to test the moderating roles of psychological contract breach and workplace ostracism on that very relationship. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected from 13 university hospitals in Turkey. The sample included 1,113 randomly chosen certified nurses and head nurses of their units. The moderating roles of psychological contract breach and workplace ostracism on the value congruence and affective commitment to change relationship were tested using the moderated hierarchical regression analysis. Findings The moderated hierarchical regression analysis results revealed a significant positive relationship between value congruence and employees’ commitment to change. In addition, this very relation was weaker when both psychological contract breach and workplace ostracism were higher than when they were lower. Practical implications This study showed that employee perception of value congruence increased employee’s affective commitment to change. Organizations can enhance employees’ affective commit by recruiting individuals who fit well within their organizations’ characteristics and by encouraging supervisors to develop close, supportive relationships with subordinates. Moreover, recognizing that employees are likely to experience concern and discomfort about a change initiative along with the fact that such psychological states (psychological contract breach or workplace ostracism) can dramatically impact the effectiveness of change efforts can help organizations to better plan change-related strategies geared towards managing properly such potentially harmful reactions. Originality/value The study provides new insights into the influence that value congruence may have on affective commitment to change and the moderating roles of psychological contract breach and workplace ostracism in the link between value congruence and change commitment. The paper also offers a practical assistance to employees in healthcare management and their leaders interested in building trust, increasing person-organization fit and change commitment, and lowering workplace ostracism.


2017 ◽  
Vol 32 (7) ◽  
pp. 470-483 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandra Costa ◽  
Pedro Neves

Purpose Using insights from attributions, planned behavior, and fairness theories, this study examines the effect of blame attributions of psychological contract breach on employees’ attitudes (affective organizational commitment) and behaviors (organizational citizenship behavior (OCB)). The purpose of this paper is to understand whether employees’ reactions depend on the attributions they make concerning who is responsible for the breach. Design/methodology/approach Cross-lagged design in which data were collected from 220 employees and their supervisors in a public company at two times. Moderated mediation was tested using the bootstrapping analysis outlined by Hayes (2012). Findings The results supported the authors’ predictions: employees’ blame attributions to the organization have a negative impact on OCBs (as rated by supervisors in time 2) through decreased affective organizational commitment, but blame attributions to the economic context act as a buffer to the relationship between blame attributions to organization and affective organizational commitment, with consequences for OCBs. Research limitations/implications Attributions can also be made to concrete persons (i.e. supervisor, coworker, self) rather than to just the organization or context. Practical implications When hiring, recruiters should provide accurate and realistic promises to the candidates. When facing hard times, managers should provide additional information to employees and adjust their expectations to the current situation of the firm. Originality/value This study makes a unique contribution to the literature by questioning the “single story” perspective about reactions to psychological contract breach, in which it is assumed that employees always respond negatively to such event.


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