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The tremors of interconnected triggers over time: how psychological contract breach can erupt

Author

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  • Wiechers, Hermien E.
  • Coyle-Shapiro, Jacqueline A.M.
  • Lub, Xander D.
  • ten Have, Steven

Abstract

Adopting an intra-individual process, we explore the dynamics that underlie the emergence of a psychological contract breach. Thirty-seven unique storylines expose how selected stimuli shake employees' psychological contracts to attention and give rise to perceptions of breach as a result of an iterative process of disrupting (introducing triggers that prompt a shift from automatic processing to conscious attention of psychological contract terms), appraisal (revealing elements—goals, attribution, fairness, and resources—playing a role in appraising and making sense of triggers), and (problem-focused and emotion-focused) coping. We discuss the implications of accounting for breach in the absence of a discrete event and draw on selective attention theory to differentiate when stimuli become triggers with the capacity to activate the psychological contract. We extend existing research by revealing the unique role that triggers, and their interconnectedness play in the cognition of contract breach, building up pressure until a threshold has been surpassed and breach is perceived. Our study highlights the need for managers to use strategies to deescalate the accumulation of triggers.

Suggested Citation

  • Wiechers, Hermien E. & Coyle-Shapiro, Jacqueline A.M. & Lub, Xander D. & ten Have, Steven, 2022. "The tremors of interconnected triggers over time: how psychological contract breach can erupt," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 115315, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
  • Handle: RePEc:ehl:lserod:115315
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    File URL: http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/115315/
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Seeck, Hannele & Parzefall, Marjo-Riitta, 2008. "Employee agency: challenges and opportunities for psychological contract theory," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 49809, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    2. Karl E. Weick & Kathleen M. Sutcliffe & David Obstfeld, 2005. "Organizing and the Process of Sensemaking," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 16(4), pages 409-421, August.
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    Cited by:

    1. Zhao, Jingyou & Hu, Enhua & Han, Mingyan & Jiang, Keshen & Shan, Hongmei, 2023. "That honey, my arsenic: The influence of advanced technologies on service employees’ organizational deviance," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 75(C).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    dynamics; process research; psychological contract breach; triggers; within-person;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J50 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor-Management Relations, Trade Unions, and Collective Bargaining - - - General

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