Breaches of past promises, current job alternatives, and promises of future idiosyncratic deals: Three-way interaction effects on organizational commitment

Abstract

This article examines the three-way interaction effect of breaches of past promises, current job alternatives, and promises of future idiosyncratic deals on affective organizational commitment. Specifically, we posit that the negative relationship between breaches of past promises and affective organizational commitment is strongest when employees are promised idiosyncratic deals in the future and when they perceive that few job alternatives are currently available elsewhere. Data collected from 196 managers at two points in time over a one-year period support the proposed three-way interaction effect. This article highlights the importance of differentiating fulfillment of past contract obligations from promises of future idiosyncratic deals in further research on psychological contract breaches. © The Author(s) 2012.link_to_subscribed_fulltex