The affective underpinnings of psychological contract fulfilment

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present an empirical study of the link between psychological contract fulfilment and affective states at work. The paper argues that perceived organizational support is the key attitudinal intervening variable that arises from the cognitive assessment of the exchange relationship between employer and employee and is in turn related to the generation of affective states at work.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper tests this assumption using a manager sample of 249 participants and a longitudinal design.

Findings

Perceived organizational support mediates the relationship between psychological contract fulfilment and workplace affect.

Research limitations/implications

Affect was not measured in real time, but through self‐reports. Future research could study how and under what conditions psychological contract fulfilment generates perceived organizational support.

Originality/value

One of the few studies that have sought to research the affective dimension of the psychological contract.

Citation

Guerrero, S. and Herrbach, O. (2008), "The affective underpinnings of psychological contract fulfilment", Journal of Managerial Psychology, Vol. 23 No. 1, pp. 4-17. https://doi.org/10.1108/02683940810849639