The current study explored the role of psychological contract fulfilment on innovative work behaviours of employees in sport-based small business enterprises (SBEs). Building on literature from sport and non-sport organisational contexts, a model positing a direct linear relationship between psychological contract fulfilment and innovative work behaviours was proposed. Affective commitment and organisational citizenship behaviours were included in the model as partial mediators. The model was tested using a sample of 216 employees from affiliated minor league baseball franchises. Results supported a model where organisational citizenship fully mediated the relationship between psychological contract fulfilments and innovate work behaviours. Affective commitment was predicted by psychological contract fulfilment but was not significantly related to the other variables in the model.

This study aims to further understand the mechanisms through which work interference with family (WIF) influences important attitudinal, behavioral, and well-being outcomes. First, the study expands the content of employees' psychological contract through creating a measure of Work-Family Psychological Contract Breach (WFPCB). The study also examines the mediating role of WFPCB in the relations between WIF and work-related outcomes. Finally, the study explores potential cultural influences by looking at the moderating role of individualism-collectivism on the relations between WIF and WFPCB as well as between WFPCB and the outcomes. Research was carried out in three stages: 1) telephone interviews were conducted to understand the content of work-family psychological contract; 2) the WFPCB measure was piloted; and 3) a final survey study was carried out to test the main hypotheses. Data were collected in both the U.S. and China, resulting in 20 participants each for the interview study, over 60 participants each for the pilot study and over 200 respondents each for the final stage. Support was found in both samples for the link between WIF and WFPCB, and some of the direct paths with the outcomes, especially the attitudinal variables. Full mediation effect of WFPCB was found for organizational commitment in the U.S. and for job satisfaction in China. Evidence for partial mediation was also found for the other attitudinal variables. The moderating role of individualism-collectivism at the individual level was only found in the Chinese sample for organizational commitment, such that the negative relationship between WIF and commitment was stronger when individualism was high. A country comparison of the hypothesized direct effect was posed as research questions. The present study contributes to the psychological contract and work-family literature by introducing the psychological contract theory and shedding some light on the potential mechanism through which work interference with family affects important outcomes such as employee job attitudes and well-being.

Relational aggression (RA) is a social phenomenon that can severely impact organizational profitability and employee productivity. A gap in the literature exists concerning appropriate interventions to manage RA. The purpose of this study was to explore successful interventions that have been used to manage RA. The theoretical framework was informed by psychological contract theory. Data were collected via semistructured face-to-face interviews with 12 victims, and then analyzed using data management, reading and memorization, description, classification, interpretation, and representation. NVivo software was used to organize the data in this study. The research consisted of 3 subquestions addressing the role of written policies in interventions, common practices and reactions of management, and victims' requests for attention to grievance reports. Five key themes emerged. The first and second pertain to the proactive and reactive role of written policies. The third and fourth focus on management's negative and positive reactions in response to grievance reports. The fifth identifies victims' expectations for their grievance reports. Commonly found interventions include impartially listening to both sides, investigation, restoration of damages, social justice, and identifying root causes for RA in the workplace. Implications for positive social change include enhanced employee well-being and performance and increased organizational effectiveness. Results may lead to positive changes by providing useful information that can be implemented by organizations to prevent and address RA, which can improve employee well-being.

For the past decade it has been pointed out that employee perspectives on and reactions to HRM should be reinstated within the relationship between HRM practices and performance, since employees are deemed critical to organizational outcomes. Furthermore, research has shown the limited effect of financial compensation practices on employee commitment and retention. The scarce theoretically grounded studies which have examined expatriate compensation have been guided by the view that financial compensation is a pivotal control and incentive mechanism, a flexible means to achieve corporate outcomes. This dissertation considers expatriate compensation from an individual perspective. It comprises four articles, of which three are based on empirical data. The first theoretical article brings to the fore the necessity of considering expatriate compensation as embedded into the employment relationship, which is itself entwined with the international environment of the expatriation. In the second article the relationship between expatriates' state of psychological contract related to their compensation package and affective commitment is investigated using quantitative empirical data. The third article examines more closely this previous relationship by considering the mediating role of perceived employer obligations. The fourth articles uses qualitative interview data to investigate, from a total reward perspective, what factors influence career decisions of global careerists. The dissertation shows that organizations would do well to encompass rewards most valued by expatriates into their compensation packages. Secondly, it shows that expatriates systematically assess their total reward package, interpret and give meaning to compensation signals in terms of fulfillment of perceived employer obligations. Simultaneously they re-adapt or adjust their attitudes at any moment through their employment relationship. Thus to retain expatriates organizations might do well to pay more attention to what expatriates value most in their employment relationship rather than simply paying them more.

Thesis (M.A. (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2008.

During the last decade, dramatic changes have been experienced in workplaces because of technological growth, globalisation, ever increasing competitive markets, changing industrial relation laws and better management skills (Cappelli, 1999). Amidst this change, the biggest issue is for organisations to gain dedication from their employees. Maslach et al (2001) explains that the impact of the changing world of work is perhaps most evident in changes in the psychological contract. Employees are expected to give more in terms of time, effort, skills and flexibility, whereas they receive less in terms of lifetime employment and job security. In security companies, the employer obligations and employee obligations also went through a process of change. Crime has become a very serious concern in South Africa. In Gauteng, crime has increased with 69,2% (SAP Statistics, 2005) from 1994 to 2004. Because of crime, many independent security companies were formed to help prevent crime, working together with the South African Police Force. A lack of research exists regarding employees' work outcomes like job insecurity, organisational commitment and intention to quit associated with the psychological contract within a service company. The objectives of this study are to investigate the relationship between employer obligations, employee obligations, job insecurity, organisational commitment and intention to quit of employees (N=217) in a service (security) company. A cross - sectional design was used. Constructs were measured by means of an employer obligations questionnaire, employee obligations questionnaire, job insecurity questionnaire, organisational commitment questionnaire and intention to quit questionnaire. The research method for each of the two articles consists of a brief literature review and an empirical study. Exploratory factor analysis, as well as Cronbach alpha coefficients are computed to access the reliability and validity of the different measurement instruments. Descriptive statistics are used to analyse data and Pearson product moment correlation coefficients, as well as regression analysis were used to examine the relationship between the constructs employed in this research. Significant differences are found between various biographical groups and the scores of the psychological contract (employer obligations scale and employee obligations scale), the job insecurity scale, the organisational commitment scale and the intention to quit scale. Conclusions are made, limitations of the current research are discussed and recommendations for future research are put forward. / Thesis (M.Com. (Industrial Sociology))--North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2009.

This bachelor thesis in business administration investigates the employee branding process of Company X in order to gain an understanding of how the company works with and can utilize this as an efficient tool. Recent research shows that Swedish companies that focus on building their brands are more profitable than companies that do not. Furthermore, re- search show that relationship building is an increasingly important area of marketing, which means that employees have a key role in creating a brand through the relationships they build. As Company X to some extent relies on relationship building in a multi- stakeholder environment, where pharmaceutical companies traditionally have competed through innovation, employee branding could be used as a competitive advantage for Company X. The process of employee branding is used to align employee’s internal view of the com- pany brand with the desired brand image in order to make the employees project it consis- tently. According to the theories used, the key drivers to successful employee branding are, through consistent communication, (1) ascertaining employee knowledge of the desired brand image and (2) making sure employees want to project this image through an upheld psychological contract. This investigation therefore covers how Company X works with the process of employee branding, how employees perceive what the management wants to communicate and any potential discrepancies between management and employee views. From a qualitative and interpretative approach, four interviews have been conducted with the top management at Company X and a survey has then been distributed to employees with customer contact at the company. The findings show that Company X has successfully implemented its values in the minds of employees, but lacks a clear focus on building its brand. Therefore, while the psycho- logical contract in general is found to be upheld, to a high extent, the knowledge of the de- sired brand image does not seem to be at a satisfactory level.

To work and live in the same place where ones employer also is the landlord, can create a situation with many special requirements for the individual. Constrains regarding time, space and impact on social life is likely to appear. Based on theory and empirical research about the Boundaryless work and the Psychological contract the purpose of this report is to examine employees who live and work at the same place. This is done by studying the regulation regarding time and space factors and the psychological contracts in expectations and in violation of the psychological contract and the risks associated with this like Locked-in factors. The study includes interviews with managers and employees (n=9). The result shows the difficulties to set standards for the constrains of the factors concerning time and space. The expectations from both employees and the organization goes beyond what can be considered as formal work boundaries. The results are discussed in relation to the risks of stress, health and Lock-in.

Syftet med föreliggande studie var att fördjupa sig i begreppet psykologiska kontrakt. Vilka är de outtalade och underförstådda förväntningarna och löftena som finns mellan arbetstagare och arbetsgivare på en arbetsplats? Hur ser arbetet ut för att åskådliggöra skyldigheter och förväntningar och vad sker när dessa inte uppfylls? Sex deltagare från sex olika organisationer intervjuades. För att få olika perspektiv på det psykologiska kontraktet intervjuades både arbetsgivare och arbtestagare. Resultaten visade att arbetsgivare och -tagare hade en samstämmig uppfattning av vad som förväntas av dem och vad de förväntar sig att få i utbyte. Dessa förväntningar och skyldigheter diskuteras framförallt på utvecklings- eller medarbetarsamtal. Resultaten visade även att reaktionerna på kontraktsbrott beror på situationen vilket styrker Conway och Briner (2002) som menar att kontraktsbrott och även handlingar som går utöver det psykologiska kontraktet sker på en daglig basis och är en del av organisationens liv. / The purpose of this study was to get a deeper understanding of the concept of psychological contracts. Which are the unspoken and implicit expectations and promises that exists between employees and employers in the workplace? How do organisations illustrate these obligations and expectations and what happens when they are not met? Six participants from different organizations were interviewed. To get different perspectives on the psychological contract both employers and employees were interviewed. The results showed that employers and employees have congruent perceptions of what is expected of them and what they expect to get in return. These expectations and obligations are discussed mainly on individual development or performance meetings. Results also showed that the reactions to contract breach depends on the situation, which proves Conway and Briner (2002) who argue that the breach of contract and also acts that go beyond the psychological contract is done on a daily basis and is a part of an organization's life.

This research explores the management problem of how individuals can influence the development of a strategic orientation within a firm. A market orientation strategy builds upon three dimensions: the organisation-wide acquisition, dissemination, and co-ordination of market intelligence (Jaworski & Kohli, 1993). Such management of market-based information requires a set of distinct dynamic capabilities or routines. Empirical research about the association between market orientation and performance shows that firms that develop these capabilities improve both their organisational and financial performance (Gray, Buchanan, & Mallon, 2003). This research attempts to understand the circumstances that prompt employees in all areas of an organisation to become accountable for the implementation of a market-oriented strategy. To date, studies have inadequately measured individual contribution to the market orientation of a firm and do not understand each employee's personal responsibility and willingness to act in a market-oriented way. In response, this thesis developed a dynamic, multi-dimensional scale of individual market-oriented behaviour. First-stage research used focus groups and extant literature to construct a measure of individual market orientation. Then, a cross-section of financial services employees completed a web-based survey measuring individual market-oriented behaviour and individual and interpersonal antecedents. Confirmatory factor analysis confirmed the presence of a single latent construct with three dimensions. Study results identified a strong and significant relationship between the performance of market-oriented behaviours and the perception of a high-quality fulfilled psychological contract with the employer. Employees who were agile learners and frequently in contact with customers were also more likely to practice market-oriented behaviours.