The relationship between the psychological contract and emotional labour at work and the implications for psychological well-being and organizational functioning

There are many considerations which cross our minds when we look ahead to the day at work; these can range from high levels of satisfaction and fulfilment right through to misery and desperation, depending on our situation both inside and outside of work. Ideally work should give rise to positive thoughts and emotions and the occupational psychology literature has made a huge contribution in highlighting the potential sources of both personal gratification and strain in the work environment. Indeed aspects of the workplace have become well documented as predictors for psychological and physical well-being, including levels of control (Sparks et al., 2001) and workload (Michie & Cockcroft, 1996). This is of great benefit where organizations are in a position to design or modify such features of the work environment or job characteristics; however, in a world of work where conditions rarely remain static as the demands of policies and economies shift, the impact of change often represents an extraneous variable which cannot be readily foretold or assessed and alters the reality experienced by employees. The resulting work situation may be most immediately registered in the perceived psychological contract (Conway & Briner, 2002) which reflects the unwritten set of mutual expectations held by workers and their organizations which can in turn play a major role in determining attitudes and behaviour in the workplace (Argyris, 1960)