Mentors, supervisors and role models: do they reduce the effects of psychological contract breach?

Abstract

Psychological contract breach has become a significant problem for many organisations in today's business environment because it fosters a belief within employees that the organisation does not support them. Accordingly, we examine whether organisations can diminish the negative impact of psychological contract breach on perceived organisational support (POS) by providing employees with mentors, supportive supervisors and role models. In Study 1, we found that mentor relationships moderated the relationship between psychological contract breach and POS six months later. In Study 2, we showed that mentor relationships and supervisor support reduced the negative impact of contract breach on POS. Contrary to expectations, employees who maintained relationships with role models reported lower levels of POS in response to psychological contract breach than those employees who reported that they did not have role models in their organisations. Implications for research and practice are discussed.

‘Content to be sad’ or ‘runaway apprentice’? The psychological contract and career agency of young scientists in the entrepreneurial university

“…The psychological contract literature stresses the influence of supervisory support on organizational commitment, which mediates the effects of psychological contract breach on individuals' responses (Sturges et al, 2010;Zagenczyk et al, 2009). The agentic perspective argues that individuals' career goals and professional self-identity can also powerfully influence their career behaviours.…”

Psychological contract breach and turnover intention: the moderating effects of social status and local ties

“…Research has shown that a positive relationship between PCB and turnover intentions was weakened when employees perceived that their supervisors were loyal to them and protective of them (Stonel et al, 2011). Zagenczyk et al (2009) found that mentors and supervisory support moderated the relationship between breach and perceived organisational support. In this instance, high Junior Officer-to-Senior Officer Connectedness did not weaken the PCB-turnover intention relationship but rather strengthened it.…”

“…A supervisor's own psychological contract can significantly affect the message sent to employees (Roussean, 2001). Drawing on social learning theory, Zagenczyk et al (2009) suggest that individuals learn from observing the behaviours of others. In their study, they suggest that if an employee's mentor or role model perceived breach as a signal that they were not valued by the organisation, it is quite possible that those who emulate them do so also.…”

“…Rousseau (2001) meanwhile argues that employees' co-workers provide information that facilitates understanding of signals from the organisation. Drawing on the attribution theory (Fiske and Taylor, 1991), we argue that this allows employees to objectively understand the causes of PCB and make attributions that might be less damaging (Zagenczyk et al, 2009) Although the workgroup, and co-worker in particular, are important in shaping the psychological contract (Sherman and Morley, 2015), supervisors are often the main sources of contract-related information for employees (Conway and Briner, 2005). Similar to co-workers, a strong network with a supervisor or more senior officers may offer explanations to an employee that may change their attributions for breach and thus reduce their negative reactions.…”

Unlocking the mindsets of Government Affairs Managers

“…Indeed, the tension between individual freedom versus welfare of the group is a continuous conundrum in our society. Cultures that emphasize individualism (e.g., Australia or USA; Penhaligon, Louis, and Restubog, 2009;Zagenczyk, Gibney, Kiewitz, and Restubog, 2009) tend to value democracy, merit and competition. Employees from such cultures are expected to defend their own interests and to promote themselves whenever possible.…”