Psychological contracts: are they still relevant?

Abstract

In dynamic business environments the concept of the psychological contract has altered radically. Empirical evidence from a case study conducted in one of Australia’s largest banking organisations is used to illustrate how change can impact upon the psychological contract. Traditional loyalty to an organisation and continuance commitment are becoming less important as organisations pursue more transactional relationships with their employees and as employees are encouraged to pursue more self‐interested “protean” careers. The question could be asked whether, with such increased emphasis on self‐serving personal and organisational strategies, the “psychological contract” continues to provide a means of establishing effective relationships between organisations and their employees. The main conclusion is that the maintenance of such contracts still makes an important contribution to organisational relationships but that organisations need to seek ways of adjusting the terms of the psychological contract to meet the needs of an increasingly mobile and protean workforce.

Protean Career Development: Exploring the Individuals, Organizational and Job-related Factors

“…As such, loyalty and commitment to an organization is less important. Since organizations pursue more transactional relationships with their employees, employees are expected to pursue more self-interest careers (Maguire, 2002).…”

Contemporary Career from the Perspective of Anindividual : Career Models, their Interrelationships and Implications

“…Nepastovios / kintančios karjeros atveju tradicinis loja lumas organizacijai yra mažiau svarbus, nes organizacijos siekia tik sutartinių santykių su darbuotojais, o darbuotojai skatinami siekti dominančios karjeros (Maguire 2002). Kita vertus, sėkmingai nepastoviai / kintančiai karjerai reikia tokių savybių, kaip gebėjimo nuolat mokytis, pasitikėti savimi, asmeninės atsakomybės ir savarankiškumo (Hall 1996(Hall , 2004.…”

“…Maguire (2002) analizavo ban kininkystės sektorių ir nustatė, kad tam tikri psichologi nės sutarties aspektai akivaizdžiai prarado savo reikšmę. Pažymima, kad tokie komponentai, kaip atsidavimas, lo jalumas organizacijai ir pasitikėjimas vadovybe, kurių rei kėjo norint užsitikrinti saugumo jausmą, kompetentingą valdymą ir galimybę dalyvauti organizacijos veikloje, yra stipriai pasikeitę.…”

The Effect of a Nation-Specific Stressor on Well-Being: Guanxi in Chinese Workplace

“…Interestingly, task resources were relatively important for nurses, suggesting that among nurses guanxi exchange with supervisors is more focused on task resources than among police officers. On the one hand, guanxi encourages perceptions of a relational psychological contract; that is, employees agree to contribute loyalty, trust, and continued membership while the organization provides competent management, participation, and a sense of belonging (Maguire 2002). On the other hand, the police subculture subjects its members to a strict operating code laden with discretion, secrecy, and solidarity in an attempt to insulate the officer from an uncaring and generally unsupported management structure, as well as a hostile public (Van Maanen 1978).…”