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Employment Contracts, Psychological Contracts, and Employee Well-Being

Employment Contracts, Psychological Contracts, and Employee Well-Being An International Study

Author: David E. Guest; Kerstin Isaksson; Hans De Witte
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 9780199542697
Published In: July 2010
Format: Hardback , 342 pages
Jurisdiction: U.K. ? Disclaimer:
Countri(es) stated herein are used as reference only

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Advances our knowledge of 'psychological contract' theory using a large set of empirical data
Covers Belgium, Germany, The Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, the UK, and Israel
Provides clear theoretical framework
Provides the basis for evidence-based policy through its clear but controversial findings

Temporary employment has become a focus of policy debate, theory, and research. The book addresses as its core concern the relationship between temporary employment contracts and employee well-being. It does so within the analytic framework of the psychological contract, and advances theory and knowledge about the psychological contract by exploring it from a variety of perspectives. It also sets the psychological contract within the context of a range of other potential influences on work-related well-being including workload, job insecurity, employability, and organizational support. A key aim of the book is to identify the relative importance of these various potential influences on well-being.

The book covers seven countries; Belgium, Germany, The Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and the UK, as well as Israel as a comparator outside Europe. Data were collected from over 5,000 workers in over 200 organizations; and from both permanent and temporary workers as well as from employers.

The book's conclusions are interesting and controversial. The central finding is that contrary to expectations, temporary workers report higher well-being than permanent workers. As expected, a range of factors help to explain variations in work-related well-being and the research highlights the important role of the psychological contract. However, even after taking into account alternative explanations, the significant influence of type of employment contract remains, with temporary workers reporting higher well-being. In addition to this core finding, by exploring several aspects of the psychological contract, and taking into account both employer and employee perspectives, the book sheds new light on the nature and role of the psychological contract. It also raises some challenging policy questions and while acknowledging the potentially precarious nature of temporary jobs, highlights the need to consider the increasingly demanding nature of permanent jobs and their effects on the well-being of employees.

Readership: Academics, researchers, and advanced students of employment studies, HRM, industrial relations, and occupational psychology; HRM practitioners, consultants, and occupational psychologists.

1: David Guest, Kerstin Isaksson, and Hans De Witte: Introduction
2: Thomas Rigotti, Michael Clinton, David Guest, and Gisela Mohr: Investigating the Experience of Temporary Workers
3: Jose Maria Peiro, Claudia Bernhard-Oettel, Amparo Caballer, Kerstin Isaksson, Francisco Gracia, and Jose Ramos: Flexible Employment Contracts and Temporary Contracts: The Employer's Perspective
4: Nele Cuyper, Hans De Witte, Moshe Krausz, Gisela Mohr, and Thomas Rigotti: Individual and Organizational Outcomes of Employment Contracts
5: Rene Schalk, Jeroen de Jong, Thomas Rigotti, Gisela Mohr, Jose Maria Peiro, and Amparo Cabeller: The Psychological Contracts of Temporary and Permanent Workers
6: David Guest and Michael Clinton: Causes and Consequences of the Psychological Contract
7: Kerstin Isaksson, Francisco Gracia, Jose Ramos, and Jose Maria Peiro: Mutuality and Reciprocity: Causes and Consequences
8: David Guest and Michael Clinton: Establishing the Main Determinants of Worker Well-Being
9: Rita Claes, Rene Schalk, and Jeroen de Jong: Similarities and Differences in Psychological Contracts Across Countries
10: Kerstin Isaksson, David Guest, and Hans De Witte: Conclusions

Edited by David E. Guest, Professor of Organizational Psychology and Human Resource Management, King's College, London, Kerstin Isaksson, Professor of Psychology, Mälardalen University, Västerås, Sweden, andHans De Witte, Professor, Department of Psychology of the K.U.Leuven, Leuven, Belgium

Contributors:
Professor Kerstin Isaksson, School of Sustainable Development of Society and Technology, Malardalen University, Sweden,
Dr Claudia Bernhard-Oettel, Department of Psychology, Stockholm University,
Professor Hans De Witte, Department of Psychology, Catholic University of Leuven,
Dr Nele De Cuyper, Department of Psychology, Catholic University of Leuven,
Professor Rita Claes, Department of Personnel Management, Work and Organizational Psychology, University of Gent
Professor Gisela Mohr, Department of Psychology, University of Leipzig,
Dr Thomas Rigotti, Department of Psychology, University of Leipzig,
Professor Moshe Krausz, Department of Psychology, Bar Ilan University,
Noga Chipman-Stainwartz, ROM Knowledgeware, Israel,
Professor Rene Schalk, Department of Human Resource Studies, University of Tilburg,
Dr Jeroen de Jong, Department of Human Resource Studies, University of Tilburg,
Professor Jose Maria Peiro, Department of Psychology, University of Valencia,
Associate Professor Amparo Caballer, Department of Psychology, University of Valencia,
Associate Professor Francisco Gracia, Department of Psychology, University of Valencia,
Associate Professor Jose Ramos, Department of Psychology, University of Valencia,
Dr Inmaculada Silla, CIEMAT-UVEG Research Group, Sociotechnical Research Center, Barcelona,
Professor David Guest, Department of Management, King's College, London,
Dr Michael Clinton, Department of Management, King's College, London,
Alexandra Budjanovcanin, Department of Management, King's College, London.