Differences between Private and Public Sector Employees’ Psychological Contracts

A. Willem (), A. Devos and Marc Buelens

Working Papers of Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, Ghent University, Belgium from Ghent University, Faculty of Economics and Business Administration

Abstract: The extent to which private and public sector employees differ in the importance they attach to different types of inducements being part of their employment deal and their evaluations of these inducements is studied. We focus on five content dimensions of the psychological contract: career development opportunities, job content, financial rewards, social atmosphere and respect for private life. Data from a survey of 4956 Belgian employees show that, compared to private sector employees, public sector employees are motivated by other inducements. In particular, they attach less importance to career development opportunities and financial rewards promises in their psychological contracts, and perceive these promises as less fulfilled.

Keywords: Psychological contract; public sector employees; private sector employees; motivation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 41 pages
Date: 2007-01
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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Working Paper: Differences between private and public sector employees’ psychological contracts (2006)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:rug:rugwps:07/440

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