Exploring the psychological contract breach of nurses in healthcare: an exploratory study

IF 3.3 Q2 BUSINESS

Asia-Pacific Journal of Business Administration Pub Date : 2022-09-30 DOI:10.1108/apjba-03-2021-0102

Saba Gulzar, Kanwal Hussain, A. Akhlaq, Zuhair Abbas, Shagufta Ghauri

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Abstract

PurposeRecent advancements in the field of organizational psychology have transformed the employees’ perceptions related to the reactions of the employment relationship. The main aim of the study is to explore the consequences of psychological contracts among the nursing staff and how to provide better patient care and quality service in the health-care system as nurses play a pivotal role in the context of Pakistan. Significantly, this study attempts to bridge the research gap by exploring consequences of psychological contracts. Drawing on the social exchange theory, this study examined the psychological contracts of nurses and their reactions to the perceived violation.Design/methodology/approachThis research adopted a qualitative method and was based on an exploratory approach. Data were collected through in-depth semi-structured interviews from 21 nurses working in public, private and charity hospitals in Karachi, Pakistan. The thematic content analysis is employed for the analysis of data by using NVivo software.FindingsThe study identified the relational and transactional elements related to the psychological contract of nurses who predominantly consisted of supervisor support, autonomy, tangible/intangible rewards and trust. The intrinsic motivation which relates to their devotion to work was found as an additional element to balance their psychological contract. This research also establishes that the psychological contract of nurses is being violated in their work settings.Practical implicationsBy highlighting the importance of psychological contract breach, the findings demonstrate that health-care institutions should take measures to cope with psychological contract breach issues at the workplace.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the body of knowledge by exploring psychological contract breach. Substantially, there are rare studies conducted on psychological contract breach among nurses in developing country context (Pakistan). However, this study adds to the previous studies related to the psychological contract of nurses in the context of Pakistan by using social exchange theories. Finally, this study enables the management of healthcare to balance the psychological contract issues effectively.

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护理人员违反心理契约的探索性研究

目的组织心理学领域的最新进展改变了员工对雇佣关系反应的看法。这项研究的主要目的是探讨护理人员之间心理契约的后果，以及如何在医疗保健系统中提供更好的患者护理和优质服务，因为护士在巴基斯坦发挥着关键作用。值得注意的是，本研究试图通过探索心理契约的后果来弥合研究空白。运用社会交换理论，本研究考察了护士的心理契约及其对感知到的侵犯行为的反应。设计/方法论/方法本研究采用了定性方法，并以探索性方法为基础。数据是通过对巴基斯坦卡拉奇公立、私立和慈善医院的21名护士进行深入的半结构化访谈收集的。采用NVivo软件对数据进行主题内容分析。发现该研究确定了与护士心理契约相关的关系和交易因素，这些因素主要包括主管支持、自主性、有形/无形奖励和信任。与他们对工作的投入有关的内在动机被发现是平衡他们心理契约的一个额外因素。这项研究还证实，护士的心理契约在工作环境中受到了侵犯。实践启示通过强调心理契约破裂的重要性，研究结果表明，医疗保健机构应采取措施应对工作场所的心理契约破裂问题。独创性/价值本研究通过探索心理契约的违背，为知识体系做出贡献。事实上，在发展中国家背景下，很少有关于护士违反心理契约的研究（巴基斯坦）。然而，本研究通过使用社会交换理论，补充了先前关于巴基斯坦背景下护士心理契约的研究。最后，本研究使医疗保健管理能够有效地平衡心理契约问题。

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来源期刊

Asia-Pacific Journal of Business Administration BUSINESS-

CiteScore

7.20

自引率

13.20%

发文量

期刊介绍： The Asia Pacific Journal of Business Administration (APJBA) publishes original research on: Business Strategy and Policy, Accounting and Board Governance, Marketing and People Management, and Operations and Supply Chain Management. The journal welcomes practical and skill-based submissions in these areas. There is particular interest in submissions regarding: Sustainable Business Practices, Quality Management Practices, Innovation and Creativity in Management, as well as Managing a Learning Organisation. The Asia Pacific region is full of collaborations between government, NGOs and private enterprise. Submissions are welcome which contribute to our understanding of partnerships and the cross-cultural issues. Research methods vary, and the journal is interested in the full diverse of qualitative (case and action research, etc) as well as quantitative survey studies and their recommendations. The APJBA seeks to become a forum for both established scholars and early career researchers in all aspects of management and business in the Asia-Pacific region. Emphasis is on rigour and relevance, on theory and practice, in a globalised scholarly environment.