Leading towards voice and innovation: the role of psychological contract

Abstract

Background: Empirical evidence generally suggests that psychological contract breach (PCB) leads to negative outcomes – such as withholding of discretionary activities, including employee voice (EV) and innovative work behaviour (IWB). However, some literature argues that, occasionally, PCB leads to positive outcomes. Aim: This research aims to empirically determine under which conditions these positive outcomes occur, focusing on the type of psychological contract (PC), PCB, and how leadership styles influence EV and IWB. To structure the research, a complex, theory-based model was developed and tested for validity. Setting: The study was conducted in South Africa, targeting employees in medium-to-large organisations. Method: A cross-sectional survey design was adopted, whereby respondents completed reputable questionnaires on PC, PCB, EV, IWB, and leadership styles. Correlation analyses were used to test direct links within the model, while regression analyses were used to test for the moderation effects. Leadership styles were the main moderators. Results: Data were collected from 11 organisations (N=620). All instruments showed acceptable psychometric properties. The results revealed that PCB does not lead to substantial changes in IWB. PCB correlated positively with prohibitive EV, but did not influence promotive EV, which was a significant driver of IWB. Leadership styles were weak predictors of EV and IWB, and the PCB-EV relationship was, only in one case, partially moderated by leadership styles. Conclusion: PCB is not a significant predictor of IWB, but was found to elicit prohibitive EV. The assumption of leadership styles influencing the relationships between PCB and EV or IWB was not supported. Contrary to expectation, leadership styles partially influenced the relationships between variables, and not in a manner that would positively influence IWB. Recommendations: This research revealed negative effects of PCB on discretionary behaviours, hence, managers are advised to focus on fulfilment of PC. As promotive EV predicts IWB, it should be encouraged. Lastly, with the impact of leadership styles on model variables having been found to be minimal, it is clear that other explanations for positive PCB-IWB relations need to be explored. Contributions: This thesis sheds light on the relative importance of leadership as an enabler of IWB under conditions of PCB, which was not significant. The study also contributes to the body of knowledge on the effects of multidimensional PCB and EV, and particularly the relative importance of promotive EV driving IWB. The thesis also fills gaps in existing theory explaining the PCB-IWB link.

Agtergrond: Empiriese bewyse dui oor die algemeen daarop dat sielkundige kontrakbreuk (SKb) tot negatiewe uitkomste lei, wat diskresionêre aktiwiteite soos werknemerstem (Ws) en innoverende werkgedrag (IW) insluit. Sommige literatuur gee egter te kenne dat SKb wel soms positiewe uitkomste tot gevolg het. Oogmerk: Hierdie navorsing het ten doel gehad om empiries te bepaal onder watter omstandighede hierdie positiewe uitkomste voorkom, met die fokus op die tipe sielkundige kontrak (SK), SKb en hoe leierskapstyle Ws en IW beïnvloed. Om die navorsing te struktureer is ’n komplekse, teoriegebaseerde model ontwikkel en stapsgewys vir geldigheid getoets. Milieu: Die studie is in Suid-Afrika uitgevoer en daar is op werknemers in medium-tot-groot organisasies as teikengroep gekonsentreer. Metode: ’n Deursnee-opname-ontwerp is gebruik, en respondente het vraelyste oor SK, SKb, Ws, IW en leierskapstyle voltooi. Korrelasie-ontledings is gebruik om direkte skakels binne die model te toets, terwyl regressieontledings aangewend is om te toets vir die modererrings effek van die onderskeie leierskapstyle. Resultate: Data van 11 organisasies is ingesamel (N = 620). Alle instrumente het aanvaarbare psigometriese eienskappe getoon. Die resultate het aangedui dat SKb nie tot wesenlike veranderinge in IW lei nie. SKb korreleer positief met afbrekende Ws, maar beïnvloed nie bevorderende Ws (wat ’n wesenlike aandrywer van IW is) nie. Leierskapstyle is swak voorspellers van Ws en IW, en die SKb Ws-verhouding was, in net een geval, gedeeltelik deur leierskapstyle gemodireer. Gevolgtrekking: SKb is nie ’n wesenlike aandrywer van IW nie, maar daar is bevind dat dit wel afbrekende Ws teweegbring. Die veronderstelling oor leierskapstyle wat die verhoudings tussen SKb en Ws of IW beïnvloed, word nie gestaaf nie. Teen die verwagting in, word die verhoudings tussen veranderlikes gedeeltelik deur leierskapstyle beïnvloed – en nie op ’n manier wat IW positief sal beïnvloed nie. Aanbevelings: Hierdie navorsing onthul negatiewe uitwerkings van SKb op diskresionêre gedrag en bestuurders word dus aangeraai om op die vervulling van SK te fokus. Aangesien bevorderende Ws IW voorspel, behoort dit aangemoedig te word. Laastens, in die lig van die bevinding dat die impak van leierskapstyle op modelveranderlikes minimaal is, is dit duidelik dat ander verduidelikings vir positiewe PKb-IW-verbande ondersoek moet word. Bydraes: Hierdie studie werp lig op die relatiewe belangrikheid van leierskap as ’n instaatsteller van IW onder omstandighede van SKb, wat nie beduidend is nie. Die studie dra ook by tot die kenniskorpus oor die uitwerkings van multidimensionele SKb en Ws, en in die besonder die relatiewe belangrikheid van bevorderende Ws wat IW aandryf. Die studie oorbrug ook die leemtes in bestaande teorie wat die SKb-IW-skakel verduidelik.

Isendlalela: Ulwazi olutholwa ngokuhlolwa ngokuvamile luphakamisa ukuthi ukwephulwa kwenkontileka yengqondo (PCB) kuholela emiphumeleni engemihle - njengokugodla imisebenzi yokuzikhethela, okuhlanganisa izwi lesisebenzi (EV) kanye nokuziphatha komsebenzi okusha (IWB). Nokho, eminye imibhalo ithi, ngezikhathi ezithile, i-PCB iholela emiphumeleni emihle. Inhloso: Lolu cwaningo luhlose ukucacisa ngokuqina ukuthi le miphumela emihle iba ngaphansi kwaziphi izimo, lugxile ohlotsheni lwenkontileka yengqondo (PC), i-PCB nokuthi ubuholi buyithonya kanjani i-EV ne-IWB. Ukuhlela ucwaningo, isifanekiso eyinkimbinkimbi, esisekwe umbono sasungulwa futhi sahlolelwa ukuba semthethweni. Isizinda: Lolu cwaningo lwenziwe eNingizimu Afrika, luqondiswe kubasebenzi abasezinhlanganweni eziphakathi nendawo kuya kwezinkulu. Indlela: ucwaningo lokuqoqa imininingwane ebantwini abaningi abahlukene lwemukelwa, futhi abaphendulayo bagcwalise uhlu lwemibuzo oluthembekile ku-PC, PCB, EV, IWB kanye nezitayela zobuholi. Ukuhlaziya kokuhlobana kusetshenzisiwe ukuhlola izixhumanisi eziqondile ngaphakathi kwesifanekiso, kuyilapho ukuhlaziya kokuhlehla kwasetshenziselwa ukuhlola imiphumela yokulinganisela. Izitayela zobuholi bekungabomengameli abakhulu. Imiphumela: Imininingwane iqoqwe ezinhlanganweni eziyi-11 (N = 620). Wonke amathuluzi abonise izakhiwo ezamukelekayo zesilinganiso sezici zengqondo, amakhono, nezinqubo. Imiphumela yembula ukuthi i-PCB ayiholeli ezinguqukweni ezinkulu ku-IWB. I-PCB ihlobana kahle ne-EV evimbelayo, kodwa ayithinti i-EV yokuthuthukisa, ewumqhubi obalulekile we-IWB. Izitayela zobuholi ziyizibikezelo ezibuthakathaka ze-EV ne-IWB, futhi ubudlelwano be-PCB-EV, esimweni esisodwa, bebunganyelwe ngokwengxenye izitayela zobuholi. Isiphetho: I-PCB ayisona isibikezelo esibalulekile se-IWB, kodwa kutholwe ukuthi yenze i-EV evimbelayo. Ukucatshangwa kwezitayela zobuholi ezithonya ubudlelwano phakathi kwe-PCB ne-EV noma i-IWB akusekelwe. Ngokuphambene nalokho okulindelekile, izitayela zobuholi zithonya kancane ubudlelwano phakathi kwezinto eziguquguqukayo, hhayi ngendlela engaba nomthelela omuhle ku-IWB. Iziphakamiso: Lolu cwaningo luveza imiphumela engemihle ye-PCB ekuziphatheni kokuzikhethela; ngakho-ke abaphathi bayelulekwa ukuthi bagxile ekugcwalisekeni kwe-PC. Njengoba i-EV ekhuthazayo ibikezela i-IWB, kufanele ikhuthazwe. Okokugcina, ngomthelela wezitayela zobuholi ekuguquguqukeni kwesilinganiso okutholwe kukuncane, kuyacaca ukuthi ezinye izincazelo zobudlelwano obuhle be-PCB-IWB zidinga ukucutshungulwa. Iminikelo: Lolu cwaningo lunikeza ukukhanya ngokubaluleka okuhlobene kobuholi njengokwenza i-IWB isebenze ngaphansi kwezimo ze-PCB, ezingabalulekile. Lolu cwaningo luphinde lufake isandla emzimbeni wolwazi emiphumeleni ye-PCB ne-EV ehlukahlukene, futhi ikakhulukazi ukubaluleka okuhlobene kokuthuthukisa i-EV ukuqhuba i-IWB. Ucwaningo luphinde lugcwalise izikhala kumbono okhona ochaza isixhumanisi se-PCB-IWB.