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The Psychological Contract: Who's Contracting with Whom? Towards a Conceptual Model

Author

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  • Sally Sambrook

    (Bangor University)

  • Delia Wainwright

Abstract

This paper provides a review of literature regarding the concept of the psychological contract, a complex concept within organisation behaviour. Having explored the key dimensions of the psychological contract within the extant literature, we identify a gap in knowledge associated with the parties involved. That is, little research explores exactly who is contracting with whom. The paper highlights key issues such as the anthropomorphising of organisations and individual characteristics, such as profession and personality. Most research analyses the contract at either organisational (macro) or individual (micro) levels. This paper makes a small contribution to advancing our understanding of this complex concept by providing a middle, integrated or meso-level conceptual model of the various potential contract-makers and how they might interact. This identifies the various parties involved: organisation principals and agents (such as managers and human resource practitioners), individuals and co-workers, and how these might vary over the life-cycle of employment, from both organisation and individual perspectives. It also notes the role of human resource practices.

Suggested Citation

  • Sally Sambrook & Delia Wainwright, 2010. "The Psychological Contract: Who's Contracting with Whom? Towards a Conceptual Model," Working Papers 10013, Bangor Business School, Prifysgol Bangor University (Cymru / Wales).
    • Handle: RePEc:bng:wpaper:10013
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    File URL: http://www.bangor.ac.uk/business/docs/BBSWP10013.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. A. De Vos & D. Buyens & R. Schalk, 2003. "Psychological Contract Development during Organizational Socialization: Adaptation to Reality and the Role of Reciprocity," Working Papers of Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, Ghent University, Belgium 03/194, Ghent University, Faculty of Economics and Business Administration.
    2. Jackie Coyle‐Shapiro & Ian Kessler, 2000. "Consequences Of The Psychological Contract For The Employment Relationship: A Large Scale Survey," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 37(7), pages 903-930, November.
    3. George P. Huber, 1991. "Organizational Learning: The Contributing Processes and the Literatures," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 2(1), pages 88-115, February.
    4. Jerry Hallier & Philip James, 1997. "Middle Managers and the Employee Psychological Contract: Agency, Protection and Advancement," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 34(5), pages 703-728, September.
    5. Julian Gould-Williams & Fiona Davies, 2005. "Using social exchange theory to predict the effects of hrm practice on employee outcomes," Public Management Review, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 7(1), pages 1-24, March.
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