Psychological contract breach and destructive voice: The mediating effect of relative deprivation and the moderating effect of leader emotional support

Xiaoshuang Lin; Chia Huei Wu; Yuntao Dong; George Zhen Xiong Chen; Wu Wei; Jinyun Duan

doi:10.1016/j.jvb.2022.103720

Psychological contract breach and destructive voice: The mediating effect of relative deprivation and the moderating effect of leader emotional support

Xiaoshuang Lin, Chia Huei Wu, Yuntao Dong, George Zhen Xiong Chen, Wu Wei^*, Jinyun Duan

^*Corresponding author for this work

Human Resource Management

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

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Abstract

Psychological contract breach (PCB) and its consequences have mainly been studied from a social exchange perspective or an affective events perspective. In this study, we use a relative deprivation perspective to capture the experience of loss following PCB and its implications on employees' reactions. Drawing from relative deprivation theory, we propose that perceived PCB can elicit the feeling of relative deprivation, which, in turn, induces employee destructive voice. We also suggest that higher levels of supervisor emotional support can help mitigate the positive association of PCB with the feeling of relative deprivation, and thus destructive voice. We conducted three studies to test our theory. In Study 1, we obtained data from 168 subordinate–supervisor pairs in China. Using a three-wave time-lagged design, we tested and found the mediating effect of relative deprivation on the relationship between PCB and destructive voice. In Study 2, we obtained data from 293 subordinate–supervisor pairs in China. Using the same design, we replicated the findings in Study 1 and found support for the moderating effect of supervisor emotional support. In Study 3, we used self-report data of 170 participants from the United States over three waves. We controlled for alternative mediating variables and prior measures of the focal variables to gauge the effect of time. The results supported our proposed moderated mediation model. Altogether, our findings supported the applicability of relative deprivation theory to understand PCB and its consequences, offering a new lens to study PCB.

Original language	English
Article number	103720
Journal	Journal Of Vocational Behavior
Volume	135
Early online date	21 Apr 2022
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvb.2022.103720
Publication status	E-pub ahead of print - 21 Apr 2022

Keywords

Destructive voice
Psychological contract breach
Relative deprivation theory
Supervisor emotional support

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10.1016/j.jvb.2022.103720

Psychological contract breach and_Lin_published21April2022_Green_AAMAccepted author manuscript, 371 KBLicence: CC BY-NC-ND

https://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/185459/Licence: CC BY-NC-ND

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title = "Psychological contract breach and destructive voice: The mediating effect of relative deprivation and the moderating effect of leader emotional support",

abstract = "Psychological contract breach (PCB) and its consequences have mainly been studied from a social exchange perspective or an affective events perspective. In this study, we use a relative deprivation perspective to capture the experience of loss following PCB and its implications on employees' reactions. Drawing from relative deprivation theory, we propose that perceived PCB can elicit the feeling of relative deprivation, which, in turn, induces employee destructive voice. We also suggest that higher levels of supervisor emotional support can help mitigate the positive association of PCB with the feeling of relative deprivation, and thus destructive voice. We conducted three studies to test our theory. In Study 1, we obtained data from 168 subordinate–supervisor pairs in China. Using a three-wave time-lagged design, we tested and found the mediating effect of relative deprivation on the relationship between PCB and destructive voice. In Study 2, we obtained data from 293 subordinate–supervisor pairs in China. Using the same design, we replicated the findings in Study 1 and found support for the moderating effect of supervisor emotional support. In Study 3, we used self-report data of 170 participants from the United States over three waves. We controlled for alternative mediating variables and prior measures of the focal variables to gauge the effect of time. The results supported our proposed moderated mediation model. Altogether, our findings supported the applicability of relative deprivation theory to understand PCB and its consequences, offering a new lens to study PCB.",

keywords = "Destructive voice, Psychological contract breach, Relative deprivation theory, Supervisor emotional support",

author = "Xiaoshuang Lin and Wu, {Chia Huei} and Yuntao Dong and Chen, {George Zhen Xiong} and Wu Wei and Jinyun Duan",

note = "Funding Information: This research was funded by the National Social Science Key Fund of China under Grant 18AGL006 (to Wu Wei), National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant 72172006 (to Yuntao Dong), and National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant 72072058 (to Jinyun Duan). Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2021",

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AU - Wu, Chia Huei

AU - Dong, Yuntao

AU - Chen, George Zhen Xiong

AU - Wei, Wu

AU - Duan, Jinyun

N1 - Funding Information: This research was funded by the National Social Science Key Fund of China under Grant 18AGL006 (to Wu Wei), National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant 72172006 (to Yuntao Dong), and National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant 72072058 (to Jinyun Duan). Publisher Copyright: © 2021

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N2 - Psychological contract breach (PCB) and its consequences have mainly been studied from a social exchange perspective or an affective events perspective. In this study, we use a relative deprivation perspective to capture the experience of loss following PCB and its implications on employees' reactions. Drawing from relative deprivation theory, we propose that perceived PCB can elicit the feeling of relative deprivation, which, in turn, induces employee destructive voice. We also suggest that higher levels of supervisor emotional support can help mitigate the positive association of PCB with the feeling of relative deprivation, and thus destructive voice. We conducted three studies to test our theory. In Study 1, we obtained data from 168 subordinate–supervisor pairs in China. Using a three-wave time-lagged design, we tested and found the mediating effect of relative deprivation on the relationship between PCB and destructive voice. In Study 2, we obtained data from 293 subordinate–supervisor pairs in China. Using the same design, we replicated the findings in Study 1 and found support for the moderating effect of supervisor emotional support. In Study 3, we used self-report data of 170 participants from the United States over three waves. We controlled for alternative mediating variables and prior measures of the focal variables to gauge the effect of time. The results supported our proposed moderated mediation model. Altogether, our findings supported the applicability of relative deprivation theory to understand PCB and its consequences, offering a new lens to study PCB.

AB - Psychological contract breach (PCB) and its consequences have mainly been studied from a social exchange perspective or an affective events perspective. In this study, we use a relative deprivation perspective to capture the experience of loss following PCB and its implications on employees' reactions. Drawing from relative deprivation theory, we propose that perceived PCB can elicit the feeling of relative deprivation, which, in turn, induces employee destructive voice. We also suggest that higher levels of supervisor emotional support can help mitigate the positive association of PCB with the feeling of relative deprivation, and thus destructive voice. We conducted three studies to test our theory. In Study 1, we obtained data from 168 subordinate–supervisor pairs in China. Using a three-wave time-lagged design, we tested and found the mediating effect of relative deprivation on the relationship between PCB and destructive voice. In Study 2, we obtained data from 293 subordinate–supervisor pairs in China. Using the same design, we replicated the findings in Study 1 and found support for the moderating effect of supervisor emotional support. In Study 3, we used self-report data of 170 participants from the United States over three waves. We controlled for alternative mediating variables and prior measures of the focal variables to gauge the effect of time. The results supported our proposed moderated mediation model. Altogether, our findings supported the applicability of relative deprivation theory to understand PCB and its consequences, offering a new lens to study PCB.

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Psychological contract breach and destructive voice: The mediating effect of relative deprivation and the moderating effect of leader emotional support

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Keywords

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