The role of psychological contract in explaining the link between job insecurity and organizational citizenship and innovative behaviour

Previous research has shown that breach of psychological contract is closely related to job insecurity. However, the model of this relationship and its effects on employees’ behaviour, such as innovative behaviour and organizational citizenship behaviour, is not yet entirely clear. The goal of this study is to answer the question: what role does psychological contract breach play in explaining the link between qualitative and quantitative job insecurity and organizational citizenship and innovative behaviour? The study was carried out in 2017 – 2018 over two phases with half a year in between them. Four measures were used to collect the data: Robinson and Morrison (2000) scale for measuring perceived psychological contract breach, Vander Elst et al. (2013) scale for measuring qualitative and quantitative job insecurity, De Jong and Den Hartog (1985) scale for measuring innovative work behaviour, and Bakker et al. (2014) subscale from JD-R questionnaire for measuring organizational citizenship behaviour. 227 respondents participated in this study. Findings of the present study show that job insecurity partly predicts psychological contract breach. They also confirm that breach of psychological contract is a mediator between qualitative and quantitative job insecurity and organizational citizenship behaviour, although it was not a mediator of the link between job insecurity and innovative behaviour