Influence of early childhood teachers' psychological contracts on teacher competency: Chain mediating role of job crafting and professional identity

In response to the epochal demand for high-quality development in early childhood education in China, it is imperative and necessary to improve the competency level of early childhood educators. The study aims to investigate the relationship between psychological contracts and teacher competency, and to verify the mediating roles of job crafting and professional identity in the relationship between psychological contracts and teacher competency. This study employed validated measurement scales regarding psychological contracts, teachers' professional identity, job crafting, and teacher competency. Each of these scales has established internal consistency coefficients. Data were collected from 318 early childhood teachers in Sichuan, China. The results highlight the significant impact of psychological contracts on the prediction of teacher competency. It is worth mentioning that the psychological contracts, together with their distinct components such as normative responsibility and development responsibility, have a direct and favorable impact on teacher competency. This implies that developing the psychological contracts might be an effective technique for improving teacher competence. The individual mediation of job crafting and professional identity in the link between psychological contracts and teacher competency has been well-established. However, the combined or chain mediating influence of these factors provides a unique and valuable perspective on the phenomenon of job crafting leading to professional identity, which in turn impacts teacher competency. The study found that psychological contracts have a positive predictive effect on teacher competency, while job crafting and professional identity both have independent and chain mediating roles in the relationship between psychological contracts and teacher competency. Therefore, this study suggests a comprehensive enhancement of the psychological contracts level from aspects such as normative responsibility, interpersonal responsibility, and development responsibility. By stimulating job crafting and professional identity levels in both internal and external environments, we can improve the competency level of early childhood educators.

Impacts of psychological contract fulfillment on work attitudes and behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic: mediating role of perceived organizational support

The paradigm shifts in HRM during the outbreak of COVID-19 involve new challenges for organizations, whereas it remains unclear how psychological contract fulfillment works on employees' attitudes and behaviors in the new working settings from organizations. This paper explores the impacts of psychological contract fulfillment on employees' work attitudes and behaviors (work engagement, intrinsic motivation, and affective commitment) during the COVID-19 outbreak, and examines the mediating mechanism of perceived organizational support between psychological contract fulfillment and these work-related variables. For the research, a cross-sectional research design and quantitative analysis were adopted. Data were collected via survey questionnaires and from 405 respondents working remotely during the COVID-19 outbreak. The findings revealed that psychological contract fulfillment positively impacted employees' work engagement, intrinsic motivation, and affective commitment during the COVID-19 outbreak, and indicated that perceived organizational support significantly but partially mediates the positive associations between PCF and these work-related variables.

From dreams to reality: a phenomenological study of the psychological contracts of ex-military personnel in the Australian Defence Force

Current recruitment and retention issues within the armed forces draw links with breach of the psychological contract – the dynamics of the employee–employer relationship. Compared with civilian contexts, a military position is unique, however, there is a dearth of conceptual investigation regarding the lived experiences of military personnel, particularly with respect to how such contracts form. This paper combined a phenomenological approach with the critical decision method to investigate the lived experiences informing contract formation and contract trajectory of ex-military personnel. Lived experiences pointed to the formulation of ‘fuzzy’ contracts, impressions from defence force recruitment, specific tipping points around organisational commitment, and large differences between the fidelity of the idealised and actualised self/job. Seven superordinate themes are elicited that trace the formation and trajectory of the contract. A schematised account of findings is developed to provide avenues to investigate how beliefs form in a military contract context and their outcomes.

Psychological contract and work outcomes during COVID-19 pandemic

Purpose

The purpose of the current research is to examine the impact of psychological contract fulfillment on work outcomes i.e. organizational commitment and job satisfaction during the COVID-19 pandemic. It also aims to check the mediating role of co-worker support and work engagement on organizational outcomes.

Design/methodology/approach

The current study has adopted a quantitative approach and a cross-sectional research design has been used with a snowball sampling technique. Data were collected via a structured questionnaire through Google Docs from 926 respondents working at different capacities in the service sector. The study includes those respondents who are working from home during the COVID-19 pandemic situation. The hypotheses were tested using structural equation modeling (SEM).

Findings

Results indicated that psychological contract fulfillment was positively impacting work outcomes i.e. organizational commitment and job satisfaction. Co-worker support and work engagement positively mediated the relationship between psychological contract fulfillment and work outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic situation. Multi-group analysis proved that there was a difference in opinion regarding the impact of psychological contract fulfillment on organizational commitment and job satisfaction amongst males and females.

Originality/value

The novel contribution of the study is integrating social exchange theory, organization support theory and social information processing theory during the pandemic situation. The results highlighted meticulous empirical evidence, which answers the question as to how the met expectations cause an advantageous effect on the employees as well as the organizations in this COVID-19 pandemic situation.

Making the transition: How finding a good job is a risky business for military Veterans in Northern Ireland

Veterans transitioning from the military to civilian life may encounter difficulties in different domains of functioning. Most research in this area comes from the US and Israel, with Veterans in Northern Ireland (NI) in the United Kingdom, remaining an understudied population. This qualitative study aimed to examine the nature of transition experiences of NI Veterans by analyzing responses (N = 252) to an open-ended question related to the transition process, in a self-report survey. Thematic analysis highlighted both positive and negative experiences across high-level themes. These were related to (1a) how good the military life had been, (1b) the transition had been easy for some Veterans, and (1c) the skills gained in the military have been valuable; (2) it was hard to adjust to civilian life/still adjusting; (3) negative employment experiences; (4) lack of trust; (5) transitioning is hard in NI; and (6) inadequate support, post-service. The findings highlight that NI Veterans share some of the same challenges as other Veterans; however, the challenges in NI are compounded by ongoing security concerns and political tensions, which means living under the radar is a reality for many, making finding meaningful work and community integration difficult. The findings indicate that preparation for civilian life and the acculturation process needs to start many months before discharge. Perhaps more crucially, regiments should work closely with and support civilian employers to equip them to recognize and value the skills ex-Services Veterans can offer, and find a good fit for their skills within their organizations.