Studying the factors behind breaching a psychological contract between employee and employer: A cross-country analysis

Alyona E. Fyodorova, Zuzana Dvorakova, Ilze Kacane, Himayatullah Khan and Mariya S. Menshikova
Additional contact information
Alyona E. Fyodorova: Ural Federal University
Zuzana Dvorakova: Czech Technical University in Prague
Ilze Kacane: Daugavpils University Institute of Humanities and Social Sciences
Himayatullah Khan: The University of Agriculture
Mariya S. Menshikova: The Sapienza University of Rome

Upravlenets, 2019, vol. 10, issue 1, 52-61

Abstract: The growing instability in labour markets, restructuring and downsizing workforce, precariatization and staff flexibilization underlie the increasing importance of a psychological contract and employees’ confidence in their employer in modern labour relations. The study aims to explore the role of trust and psychological contract in HR management at an enterprise. The methodological basis includes psychological contract theory and the concept of transition contract. Using the results of an annual sociological survey performed in five countries with different models of economic development (Russia, Ñzech, Latvia, Pakistan and Italy), the authors try to identify the similarities and differences of these countries regarding the way in which the existing conditions of employee-employer relationships influence the fulfilment of explicit and latent aspects of a psychological contract. We identify the major reasons behind mismatches between employees’ and employers’ expectations that cause mistrust, uncertainty and erosion of labour relations. Empirical data obtained in 2015–2017 during the survey of employees in various economic sectors allow us to draw a conclusion about the multiplicity of forms of a psychological contract breach, to conduct a comparative analysis of the trends prevailing in the countries under consideration, as well as to identify their similar and distinctive features. The authors are certain that managers should understand the significance of trust and a psychological contract in HR management and take it into consideration when developing a human resource management strategy.

Keywords: TRUST; PSYCHOLOGICAL CONTRACT; TRANSITION CONTRACT; LABOUR RELATIONS (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: J28 M12 M54 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
http://upravlenets.usue.ru/images/77/5.pdf (application/pdf)
http://upravlenets.usue.ru/en/issues-2019/538 (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:url:upravl:v:10:y:2019:i:1:p:52-61

DOI: 10.29141/2218-5003-2019-10-1-5

Access Statistics for this article

Upravlenets is currently edited by Yulia S. Bausova

More articles in Upravlenets from Ural State University of Economics Contact information at EDIRC.
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Victor Blaginin ().