A contribution on how to deal with psychological contract breach ensuring a higher level of wellbeing at work. A collaboration between Yannick Griep and MindFwd

1. How to deal with a broken
promise at work?
A contribution on how to deal with psychological contract breach,
ensuring a higher level of wellbeing at work.

2. Yannick Griep (Researcher)
& MindFWD
An evidence-based message distilled
from research findings, brought to you
by joint forces of:

3. Imagine your first day in a new job…

4. Next to your ‘formal’ contract, you are promised...
Flexible working hours
Collegial work environment
Innovation-oriented culture

5. Psychological contract consists of beliefs,
perceptions, and formalized obligations between
you and your employer, which are based on
promises (Rousseau, 1989; Rousseau, 2001).

6. Collegial work environment?
Flexible working hours?
Innovation-oriented culture?
The only imperfection to this situation is that it
rarely exists…

7. Over time, employees and employers beliefs and
perception of what was promised start to drift apart.

8. Psychological contract breach is the perception that
the employer did not deliver upon his promises (Morrison &
Robinson, 1997)

9. 55% of employees
feel that employer
breached the
psychological
contract within first
two years of
employment.
Robinson and Rousseau (1994)
65% of employees
has experienced a
breach at least once.
Tomprou, Rousseau, and Griep (2016)
65%
And this has severe consequences…
Every day, every
hour even, promises
get breached.
Conway & Briner (2002), Griep,
Debusscher, and Hansen (2016).
55%

10. It is bound to happen… so what can YOU do about it?

11. Sit & Wait
You have a 6.2% chance that
eventually (weeks, months, years)
your employer acknowledges the
breach(es) and/or suggests a
solution (Tomprou, Rousseau, & Griep, 2016).

12. This non-action will have the most positive impact on your work-related
wellbeing.
There is only one downside: you waiting for your employer to take
intiative seems almost as useless as Vladimir and Estragon waiting for Godot.

13. So, you can also decide to take action!

14. But before you act,
choose your battle
Think about what your
stakes/needs are and why:
Which of the breaches do you
really care about?

15. Then, involve your Supervisor
Make your needs explicit;
Ask for acknowledgment and/or action.

16. To vent
To discuss the problem
To craft a solution
To speak up collectively
and/or involve your Peers

17. Whenever you experience a breach, reflect on what you want
and need. Based on that:
1. Sit and Wait
2. Choose you battle
3. Involve supervisor or peers

18. Assistant Professor (@ University of
Calgary, Alberta, Canada):
Focus on the employee-employer
exchange relationship
Because I’m passionate about understanding
how employers can:
Establish / maintain positive relationships with their
employees
Prevent / overcome the negative influence of
broken promises on employees’ emotions,
attitudes, behaviours, and health.
Inspirator: Yannick Griep, Prof. Dr.
Ph.D. (@ Vrije Universiteit Brussel):
Focus on the role of time in
psychological contract processes

19. . Professor
. BuzzWorks
. Munich
. Team researcher
O2L = Research Group for Occupational & Organisational Psychology and Professional Learning
. KU Leuven
. Unternehmer
TUM
. Louvain
O2L .
Elisabeth
Raes
Anne
Boon

20. Share this presentation

21. Scientific references
• Slide 5: Rousseau, D. M. (2001). Schema, promise and mutuality: The building blocks of the psychological
contract. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 74(4), 511–541.
DOI:10.1348/096317901167505.
• Slide 5: Rousseau, D. M. (1989). Psychological and implied contracts in organizations. Employee Responsibilities
and Rights Journal, 2(2), 121–139.
• Slide 8:Morrison, E. W., & Robinson, S. L. (1997). When employees feel betrayed: A model of how psychological
contract violation develops. Academy of Management Review, 22(1), 226–256.
• Slide 9: Robinson, S. L., & Rousseau, D. M. (1994). Violating the psychological contract: Not the exception but the
norm. Journal of organizational behavior,15(3), 245-259.
• Slide 9: Tomprou, M., Rousseau, D. M., & Griep, Y. (2016). The aftermath of psychological contract violation and
its implications for resolution. Paper presented at the 76th Annual Meeting of the Academy of Management,
Anaheim, CA, August 5 – August 9.
• Slide 9: Conway, N., & Briner, R. B. (2002). A daily diary study of affective responses to psychological contract
breach and exceeded promises. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 23(3), 287-302.
• Slide 9: Griep, Debusscher, & Hansen (2016). How do you mean my personality influences my psychological
contract evaluation? Evidence from two experience sampling studies. Paper presented at the EAWOP Small
Group Meeting on Unravelling the Role of Time in Psychological Contract Processes, London, United
Kingdom, November 3 – November 4.
• Slide 11: Tomprou, M., Rousseau, D. M., & Griep, Y. (2016). The aftermath of psychological contract violation and
its implications for resolution. Paper presented at the 76th Annual Meeting of the Academy of Management,
Anaheim, CA, August 5 – August 9.

22. Sources Photo’s
• Cover Slide: https://www.wikiart.org/en/wassily-kandinsky/reciprocal-accords-1942
• Slide 3: http://cdn.comdok-namjangni.savviihq.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Fietsen-849x420.jpg
• Slide 4: Flexible working hours: http://www.femalefatlossoverforty.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/clock4.jpg
• Slide 4: Collegial work environment: http://images.humanresourcesonline.net.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-
content/uploads/2014/07/SabrinaZolkifi-Jul2014-friends-colleagues-coffee-shutterstock.jpg
• Slide 4: Innovation-oriented https://robinpowered.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/google-office.jpeg
• Slide 5: Psychological contract: https://s-media-cache-
ak0.pinimg.com/originals/5d/d0/3f/5dd03f2bc5ff798adeba117ee478b95b.jpg
• Slide 6: Flexible working hours:
https://cds.radio1.be/sites/radio1/files/styles/1200x600/public/remote_files/576b96d886702_prikklok.jpg?itok=7lLW-qVW
• Slide 6: Collegial work environment: http://i.huffpost.com/gen/1621267/images/o-TEEN-ALONE-AT-LUNCH-facebook.jpg
• Slide 6: Innovation-oriented: https://si.wsj.net/public/resources/images/RV-AN417_CUBICL_P_20140509201519.jpg
• Slide 7: http://images.basementsystems.ca/517/crack-basement-wall-lg.jpg
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