Post 'psychological contract' violation: the durability and transferability of employee perceptions

This paper is concerned with the role played by the psychological contract in the relationship between an individual and his or her employer. In particular, the research concentrates on a prior perceived violation of an employee’s psychological contract and the subsequent attitudes towards employers. The aims of the paper are to assess the nature, transferability and durability of outcomes arising from the perceived violations. Draws on the perceptions of 20 employees from a range of employment settings who five years earlier shared a common experience with a previous employer. The evidence suggested that a negative experience with one employer led to negative perceptions of employers in terms of trust, loyalty and commitment. Further, the study suggested that outcomes as a result of perceived violation are durable. Finally, the paper supported the findings of that after violation; the transactional contract assumes primacy over the psychological.