A key example of drastic change in today's global working environment with important consequences for employees since the diversification of all aspects of work is the transformation of the "psychological contract" among employees and their organizations. As such "psychological contract" is defined by Rousseau (1995) as "the belief that a person for the terms and conditions of a mutual agreement transaction between him/her and another participant, in this case between the employee and the organization". More specifically, the term "psychological contract" refers to mutual obligations, values, expectations and desires of employees from their employers, beyond any formal employment contract.
In other words, it is a transaction relationship, where employees and employers have certain expectations about their mutual obligations, which are, of course, different for each employee and significantly affect what each side believes is its obligation. The psychological contract has been characterized in a various ways, for example, as "unstable, subjective, unconscious, indirect, alive, something that employees know it exists, only when it is changed" (Appelbaum et al.).
Table of Contents
1. Introduction – Psychological Contract
2. Nursing Profession - Characteristics
3. Greek reality – Researches on public health care employees
4. Nursing – Psychological Contract – International Research
Research Objectives and Themes
This document examines the transformation of the "psychological contract" within the healthcare sector, specifically focusing on the nursing profession. It explores how shifting working conditions, economic instability, and management practices influence employee motivation, job satisfaction, and the long-term professional commitment of nursing staff, with a particular emphasis on the situation in Greece.
- The evolution and definition of the psychological contract in modern organizations.
- Key characteristics and stressors of the nursing profession, including burnout and emotional labor.
- Comparative analysis of job satisfaction and professional expectations in the Greek public healthcare system.
- International research perspectives on the relationship between management practices and nurse turnover.
- The impact of extrinsic versus intrinsic rewards on employee retention and performance.
Excerpt from the Book
Nursing Profession - Characteristics
Public healthcare workers used to work in a safe environment i.e. they knew that they would stay at their positions up to the end of the working career and they knew exactly the amount of money they would get in their working lives.
Working at public hospitals is different than working at other working environments. It is a job that is highly characterized by burnout. The burnout is particularly relevant when people work with people in stressed emotional situations. According to Maslach (1986), it is, as mentioned, a complex construct of emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduced personal achievements, which can occur to people who work extensively with many others under stressful time conditions.
In this perspective, the nursing staff seems to be among the priority candidates for burnout. More specifically, Firth-Cozens (1997) mentions that 1/3 of nurses worldwide show symptoms of burnout even at the initially stage of their careers, while the risk of developing mental disorders in this professional team is very high.
The profession of nursing is a difficult piece of paramedical professions because due to the emotional energy it consumes. The constant social effort that is required by the nurse requires extensive amount of emotional work. There is a high degree of emotional and psychological work involved in caring for every person and every situation and deal with its treatment as a special and important event. When a paramedic reaches the point of exhaustion and burnout because of this great emotional stress, emotionally s/he is no longer at work. The quality starts to fall.
Summary of Chapters
Introduction – Psychological Contract: This chapter defines the psychological contract as an unwritten set of expectations between employees and employers, highlighting its shift from stability to uncertainty in modern global working environments.
Nursing Profession - Characteristics: This section details the unique emotional and psychological demands of nursing, focusing on the high prevalence of burnout, stress, and the role conflict inherent in healthcare settings.
Greek reality – Researches on public health care employees: This chapter presents empirical findings from Greece, examining why individuals choose nursing and how factors like poor infrastructure, inadequate staffing, and management style contribute to job dissatisfaction.
Nursing – Psychological Contract – International Research: This chapter provides a global overview of how management failures to "deliver on the deal" impact nurse retention, emphasizing the importance of intrinsic motivation and job characteristics in maintaining organizational commitment.
Keywords
Psychological contract, Nursing, Burnout, Job satisfaction, Healthcare management, Emotional labor, Role conflict, Staffing, Intrinsic motivation, Employee retention, Workplace stress, Professional commitment, Organizational behavior, Public health, Economic crisis.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this work?
The work investigates the dynamics of the "psychological contract" within the healthcare sector and how organizational changes affect the professional well-being and retention of nursing staff.
What are the central themes discussed in the text?
Key themes include the evolution of employment relationships, the impact of emotional labor in nursing, job satisfaction, burnout, and the influence of organizational management on professional commitment.
What is the main research objective?
The objective is to understand how the violation of mutual expectations (the psychological contract) leads to negative behavioral outcomes like burnout and dissatisfaction among healthcare employees.
Which scientific approach is utilized?
The study uses a literature review approach, synthesizing existing academic research and models regarding psychological contracts to analyze the situation of nurses globally and specifically within the Greek healthcare system.
What topics are covered in the main body?
The main body covers definitions of psychological contracts, the specific characteristics and stressors of the nursing profession, empirical research on Greek hospitals, and international models of employment relationships in healthcare.
Which keywords best characterize this research?
Key terms include psychological contract, nursing, burnout, job satisfaction, healthcare management, and emotional labor.
How does the Greek healthcare context differ in the findings?
The research notes that many nurses in Greece entered the profession as a forced choice due to the educational system, which significantly influences their professional behavior and lower satisfaction levels.
What is the significance of the "ideological contract" mentioned?
The ideological contract refers to an employee's commitment to a valued cause or communal mission, which can increase loyalty and job satisfaction even when working conditions are suboptimal.
Why do nurses often feel dissatisfied according to the study?
Dissatisfaction is frequently linked to "poor working conditions," inadequate staffing, and management failing to deliver on implied promises of support and career progression.
How do intrinsic rewards impact the nursing profession?
Intrinsic rewards, such as the inherent challenge and value of the work, often offset extrinsic difficulties; however, when these are eroded by excessive workload, the overall balance shifts toward dissatisfaction.
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- Fotini Mastroianni (Autor:in), 2012, Psychological contract and the financial crisis, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/353378
