The hidden link: perceived organizational support as a moderator of employee participation and psychological contract breach in the public sector

Abstract

Purpose – The article aims to investigate the relationship between the three types of employee participation in (individual, HR and strategic) decision-making and psychological contract breach, where perceived organizational support conditions the established relationship (weakening negative relationships). Moreover, we investigated the impact of perceived organizational support as a potential moderator in the negative association between employee participation and psychological contract breach. The research focused on the specific context of a public organization’s functioning. Design/methodology/approach – We surveyed a total of 6,751 employees from a prominent public organization in Poland to gather data. We collected the data collection via the CAWI technique. We analyzed the data using partial least squares SEM. Findings – The findings contribute to the understanding of the complex relationship between employee participation and psychological contract breach. Specifically, they have highlighted the role of perceived organizational support in moderating this relationship. Our research shows that employees have a significant role in making decisions that impact their professional responsibilities. They are also actively involved in a wide range of organizational decisions, including those that directly affect employees as well as those that indirectly relate to the organization’s overall functioning in the strategic domain. Originality/value – The study uses the concept of perceived organizational support as a moderator conditioning the negative relationship between employee participation and psychological contract breach in the specific context of public organization functioning.