The influence of idiosyncratic deals, adaptive performance and psychological contract breach on career sustainability and intention to quit

With an ever-growing number of organizations struggling with skilled staff retention and sustainable workforce, to understand the role of personalized employment arrangements, especially in the ever-changing information and technology (IT) industry is a growing concern. The present study examines how task and work responsibilities idiosyncratic deals (T&WRID) affect career sustainability (CS) and intention to quit (ITQ) based on the conservation of resources (COR) theory. Furthermore, it looks at the mediating effect of adaptive performance (AP) and the moderating effect of psychological contract breach (PCB). The data was gathered from 560 respondents, who are employed in the Indian IT industry, using a structured survey. The model was analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM 4.0). The results indicate that the T&WRID positively influence CS and significantly lowers the ITQ. In addition, AP performed as mediating mechanism between T&WRID and CS, which helped to reduce ITQ. Results demonstrated that the impact of T&WRID on AP is moderated by PCB and, as a consequence, affects the impact of T&WRID on employees’ CS and ITQ. The findings highlighted the significance of having adaptive skills and the need to create flexible job arrangements to enhance the sustainability of careers and job retention. The study adds to the literature on idiosyncratic deal by elucidating the mechanisms and boundary conditions that mediate T&WRID impact on employee outcomes. The practical implications suggest organizations and HR practitioners to use customized working arrangements and AP development strategies to improve sustainable working careers and reduce employee turnover intentions.