Activating factors of psychological contract disruption

Purpose:The article examines the idiosyncratic processes that lead to violations of the psychological contract in work relationships.The purpose of the study was to understand how the various activating factors, the recurrence of their occurrence, and their interrelationships affect perceptions of psychological contract violation.Design/methodology/approach: The qualitative study was based on the critical incident technique and the narrative event mapping technique, in which 62 female graduates of the "Mommypreneurs" project shared their memories of significant experiences of returning to work after maternity leave. Findings:The results of the study show that the process of violating the psychological contract is idiosyncratic and non-linear, involving, among many unnoticed stimuli, activating factors that lead employees to consciously analyze their psychological contract.Activating factors, through an iterative process of interference, stop automatic processing and arouse conscious attention to the terms of the contract, activating sense-making and affecting the psychological contract.Originality/value: A key finding indicates that it is only the accumulation and recurrence of activating factors over time that can lead to crossing a certain threshold, after which employees perceive a contract violation.The results obtained suggest that managers should implement personnel practices that reduce the accumulation of activating factors, thereby helping to prevent psychological contract violations.