The broken psychological contract: The effects of procedural fairness and organizational restitution on affect and behavioral intentions toward the organization.
Item
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Title
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The broken psychological contract: The effects of procedural fairness and organizational restitution on affect and behavioral intentions toward the organization.
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Identifier
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AAI9605657
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identifier
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9605657
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Creator
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Ruden, Diane C. Peters.
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Contributor
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Adviser: Roger Millsap
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Date
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1995
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Language
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English
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Publisher
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City University of New York.
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Subject
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Psychology, Industrial
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Abstract
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The concept of psychological contract may be a useful framework for studying the employee-employer relationship and issues related to job security and layoffs. Psychological contracts are individual beliefs in reciprocal obligations between employees and employers.;Psychological contracts are revealed not so much in their being upheld as in their perceived abrogation, usually by the more powerful party. Research has shown that the relational psychological contract is characterized by mutual obligations: employees are obliged to show loyalty and organizations are obliged to provide job security. Employee reactions to layoffs are proposed to be related to perceived abrogation of the psychological contract because the employee views the involuntary termination as a betrayal of trust and employer obligation. While inequity or unmet expedancies may result in dissatisfaction, contract abrogation causes feelings of betrayal, anger, and moral outrage because trust has been violated and the relationship damaged. Employees evaluate contract fulfillment or violation by making attributions about the organization's intent and by assessing the fairness of their outcomes and their treatment by the organization.;It was hypothesized that when an employee is given notice of an involuntary termination in a downsizing environment, the stronger the relational psychological contract, the greater the negative affect and the more harmful the behavioral intentions toward the organization. Organizational actions such as procedurally fair treatment and voluntary supportive efforts are hypothesized to mitigate negative responses.;A student sample received vignettes describing a hypothetical layoff situation which varied by Psychological Contract (Strong/Weak) and by Organizational Action (No action, Procedurally Unfair, Procedurally Fair, Caring actions, combined Fair and Caring actions) resulting in a 2 x 5 factorial design. Dependent variables included measures of affect and behavioral intentions toward the organization. The data were analyzed using planned comparison ANOVAs.;Main effects were found. A stronger psychological contract resulted in greater anger, passive-aggressive and retaliatory behaviors, and fewer prosocial intentions. When compared to no action or unfair actions, fair actions produced less anger and aggressive intentions, and more organizational commitment; caring actions also resulted in less anger,and fewer passive-aggressive and retaliatory intentions.
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Type
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dissertation
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Source
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PQT Legacy CUNY.xlsx
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degree
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Ph.D.
