Providing insight into Human Resource Management solutions by understanding the psychological contract and employee engagement

This exploratory research drew upon an extensive review of the literature to review the relationship between the psychological contract and employee engagement. Semi-structured interviews of employees in a regional government entity, all participants had been with the organisation less than two years. Conversational style interviews were conducted using a set of developed interview questions.There are two primary limitations of this research, firstly, the research was conducted in one organisation and all participants indicated they enjoyed working for the organisation and generally enjoyed their job.The study identified some differences for leaders in relation to the psychological contract experience. The study found that unmet expectations or perceived psychological contract breaches for leaders were associated with greater opportunities for development. Furthermore, unmet expectations or perceived psychological contract breaches for non-leaders and to lesser degree leaders related to the provision of more information about the job itself prior to commencement. The provision of a realistic job preview enables potential employees to make the best career decisions. The study considers employee engagement and the psychological contract to understand the relationship between the two topics and their contribution to achieving human resource management solutions