Softening the Blow: The Mitigating Effect of Compassion on the Negative Consequences of Psychological Contract Breach and Violation Feelings

Abstract Broken promises from organizations (psychological contract breach; PCB) are often construed by employees as moral injustices that result in feelings of violation and, subsequently, negative outcomes. Yet, existing work that examines how employees best cope with breach and violation tends to focus more on relational (e.g., leadership style, support, justice) or organizational (e.g., apology) factors than on which individual traits may to help to mitigate the negative effects of violation feelings on outcomes, even though sources of social support are not as available in today’s workplaces. We draw on social exchange theory (SET) and conservation of resources theory (COR) to replicate the mediating effect of violation feelings on the relationship between breach and negatives outcomes and identify self- and other-compassion as individual traits that lessen the negative effects of violation feelings. Results from a 3-wave study of employees in various professions reveal that violation feelings mediate the relationship between PCB and emotional exhaustion, turnover intentions, and in-role performance, respectively. Our results also suggest that, in the aftermath of violation feelings, employees with higher levels of self-compassion are less emotionally exhausted, and employees with higher levels of other-compassion have lower levels of turnover intentions and higher levels of in-role performance. These findings suggest that self- and other-compassion play distinctive and reparative roles in helping to alleviate the negative effects of PCB, illustrating how these traits help soften the blow that follows this moral transgression.