This document discusses the psychological contract between employers and employees and how it can be negatively impacted. It provides examples of employees being dismissed through disrespectful means such as text messages. This damages trust in the employer-employee relationship. The document advocates treating others with courtesy, fairness and respect as outlined in principles of reciprocity from ancient philosophers. How dismissals are handled says a lot about an employer's culture and impacts engagement.

1. Managing the psychologicalManaging the psychological
contract in turbulent timescontract in turbulent times
(or, It ain’t what you do it’s the way(or, It ain’t what you do it’s the way
that you do it)that you do it)
Dr Alf Crossman
University of Surrey
School of Management

2. The Psychological Contract
Source: Guest, D., & Conway, N. (1997).
Causes Content Consequences
Involvement
climate
Bureaucratic
climate
HR Practice
Experience
Expectations
Alternatives
Fairness
Trust
Delivery of
the Deal
Behavioural consequences
Motivation
Effort
Attendance/absence
Organizational citizenship
Intention to stay/quit
Attitudinal consequences
Organizational Commitment
Employment Relations
Job Satisfaction
Security

3. The Psychological ContractThe Psychological Contract
Exchange
relationship
(reciprocity)
Commitment
Trust
Psychological
contract:
Construction
(reconstruction)
Perceived
psychological
contract variation:
• Breach
• Enhancement
The organizational context:
Observed or experienced internal
factors
Environmental context: Observed
or experienced external factors and
social cues
Periodic
review
Periodic
review
Self-awareness of
the psychological
contract
-misalignment:
emotional response
to event or trigger

4. Parallel psychological contractsParallel psychological contracts
Organization
Department
Manager ‘A’
Manager ‘B’
Manager ‘C’
Psychological
contract
Reference to, and
impact on
Employee ‘B’
Employee ‘C’
Psychological
contract
Organization
Department
Manager ‘A’
Psychological
contract
Organization
Department
Manager ‘A’
Reference to, and
impact on
Employee ‘A’
Manager ‘B’
Manager ‘C’

5. “When I left school I worked in a shoe shop, but
my dream….
….was to work in the big building on the top of the
hill, because they were known as a good employer”
The dreamThe dream

6. The Automobile AssociationThe Automobile Association
• The motto:
Courtesy and Care

7. The realityThe reality
“….I don’t trust managers any
more”.
“….he broke that trust in the first
year when he offered my job to
someone else”.
(Automobile Association employees)

8. How to get itHow to get it
wrongwrong

9. Wales: Katy TannerWales: Katy Tanner
Katy Tanner, a 21-year-old sales assistant, received the
message while she was off work with a migraine, said
the South Wales Echo newspaper.
The text message said: "We will not require your services
anymore...Thank you for your time with us."
Tanner said: "I don't think it's right to just text someone.
At least they should have talked to me face to face.
You're not allowed to SMS in sick, you have to phone.
The fact that they sent me an SMS is a bit of double
standards."

10. New Zealand: Laurel ShaleNew Zealand: Laurel Shale
Laurel Shale worked from April 9 to November
30, 2007, at a telephone marketing call centre
operated by Enduring Sales Ltd (ESL) in
Auckland.
On November 30, she was sent home from work
because she was upset about a workmate
leaving the job. Later that day she received a
text message from her supervisor saying she was
not needed "on Monday or in future until
further notice".

11. Australia: John EidAustralia: John Eid
When John Eid got his marching orders, they were short, sharp and
arrived via SMS: "Its official, you no longer work for JNI Traffic
Control & u have forfeited any arrangements made."
Two months after receiving the text message on his mobile phone,
Mr Eid, 37, is taking his former employer to court - not for
offences against the language, but over the procedural fairness and
validity of his dismissal.
In an unprecedented case that highlights the use of technology in the
workplace, he is launching an unfair dismissal claim against JNI
Traffic Control, where he had worked for eight months before his
SMS sacking.

12. England: Chelsea TaylorEngland: Chelsea Taylor
Shocked Chelsea Taylor (16) burst into tears after reading the
message - signed with two kisses by her manager at a cafe. Chelsea
was fired from her Saturday job after being sent out to buy biscuits
and losing a £10 note from the till. She owned up straight away
and offered to repay the money but manager Elaine Sutton used
Facebook to track her down and give her the boot.
The message, riddled with spelling errors and bad punctuation, read:
"hiya Chelsea its Elaine from work. Sorry to send u a message like
this but bin tryin to ring u but gettin no joy. "I had to tell the owner
bout u losin that tenner coz obviously the till was down at the end
of day. she wasn't very pleased at all and despite me trying to
persuade her otherwise she said I have to let u go. I'm really
sorry.”

13. Employee engagementEmployee engagement
• Sheffield City Council is trying to build
employee commitment
• Friday 24 September 2010, 17.15. e-Mail sent
to employees advising them their contracts will
be terminated and re-employment will be on
less advantageous terms.

14. How to get itHow to get it
rightright

15. The ‘ethic of reciprocity’, or theThe ‘ethic of reciprocity’, or the
‘Golden Rule’‘Golden Rule’
"Do not do to others what would anger
you if done to you by others."
Isocrates (436–338 BC)
"What thou avoidest suffering thyself
seek not to impose on others.“
Epictetus 55-135 AD

16. A salutary lesson for us all!A salutary lesson for us all!
When I was a kid about half past three
My ma said "Daughter, come here to me"
Said things may come, and things may go
But this is one thing you ought to know...
Oh 't ain't what you do it's the way that
you do it
'T ain't what you do it's the way that you
do it
'T ain't what you do it's the way that you
do it
That's what gets results