Increased use of time‐limited contracts as the mainstay of employer‐employee relations has implications for the psychological character of the exchange relationship. To investigate this, the current study is framed by Rousseau's (1995) psychological contract model (PCM). The psychological contract pertains to beliefs held by individuals about their contractual terms and conditions. The findings yield evidence for Rousseau's distinction between two types of contractual belief (relational and transactional), as well as the explanatory potential of the PCM over and above the concept of organizational commitment. As predicted. temporary workers were more transactional than relational in their contractual orientation. The findings are discussed with reference to a need to develop a theoretical basis for research on organizational involvement.

Inability to unwind about work during leisure time has been associated with a number of negative health outcomes. This study was concerned with a possible behavioural pathway between unwinding and disease and examined the relationship between work related rumination and food choice. Work related rumination is arguably core to understanding the 'unwinding process', and food choice is a well established indicator of nutritional health.Two hundred and ninety-eight full-time workers from a range of white collar occupations completed a self-report measure of ruminative thinking about work and an eating behaviour questionnaire. Three types of ruminative thinking were identified by factor analysis and labelled: affective rumination, problem-solving pondering and detachment respectively. In terms of food choice, high relative to low affective ruminators, reported eating more unhealthy foods, and low detachers reported eating less cooked meals and more processed foods compared to high detachers. Problem-solving pondering was not associated with food choice, and none of the factors were associated with healthy food choice. It was concluded that failure to unwind from work is not necessarily related to unhealthy food choices. What appears to be the crucial factor is the type of perseverative thinking people engage in post work. Limitations and future directions are discussed.

Purpose -The telephone has been widely used to conduct quantitative research in diverse fields of study, generally using survey methodology. However, comparatively very few qualitative studies opt for this means of data collection. The purpose of this paper is to argue in favour of a medium that has generally been second-rated in qualitative research. It aims at establishing telephone interviews as an equally viable option to other established methods of qualitative data collection. Design/methodology/approach -This paper is informed by the authors' experience of using this method, as well as the limited number of previous research articles presented on the topic. It discusses its specific strengths and limitations, drawing on a conducted longitudinal study to illustrate key points. Its application to particular qualitative analysis methods, in view of the acknowledged requirements for each of these approaches, is also presented. Findings -Telephone conversations naturally follow an agenda-driven format that is initiated by the caller, similar to semi-structured interviews. The authors propose that the telephone medium and interview modality are complementary. Also, the interview transcripts provide rich textual data that can subsequently be analysed using a range of qualitative data analysis methods. Originality/value -Focus is placed on the methodological strengths of using telephone interviews in qualitative research, rather than convenience factors which have been the most featured element in previous literature. The paper aims at informing researchers who want to consider using the telephone medium for qualitative data collection and analysis.

No abstract

Most of the extant literature on maternity issues is survey based, primarily concerned with identifying the predictors of return to work. The current study aims instead to understand experiences of maternity leave per se. Of the 10 women interviewed during pregnancy, 8 women were followed through to their return to work. Their interviews were analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis to identify transitional themes. Findings are discussed in terms of two master themes: changes of identity (involving feelings of gradual invisibility as a valued employee, acquisition of a ‘mother’ identity creating return dilemmas and efforts to revalidate oneself upon re‐entry as both a valued employee and a mother); and changed psychological contracts (pertaining to the fulfilment of mutual expectations). Overall, women appeared to struggle subjectively with prevailing their rights, needs and concerns as mothers while simultaneously also maintaining their identity as valued and functional members of the organization. The findings can be conceptualized within existing theoretical frameworks (e.g. Psychological Contract Theory) and to this extent it is possible to draw out implications for a more effective management of the transition process from pregnancy to return to work.