Background and Objectives: The recent recession impacted the U.S. workforce in many ways. One of the significant changes that occurred was an increase in part-time employment. Research has shown that part-time employees who are satisfied with their organizations display similar positive organizational behaviors as their full-time peers, such as increased productivity, organizational citizenship behaviors, and intent to stay with the organization. Because of this, understanding how to fulfill the needs of part-time employees can impact organizational success. In this study, a psychological contract framework was used to examine the reciprocal relationship between part-time employees and their organizations. This study explored (1) what components are prioritized when forming a psychological contract, and (2) whether part-time employees prioritize different components than full-time employees.
Methodological Approach: A multi-level methodology was used. First, a policy-capturing approach was applied to examine the relative importance of psychological contract components in relation to perceptions of fulfillment and commitment. Second, a between-subjects analysis examined pattern differences based on employment status. An additional between-persons analysis explored the interactive relationship between employment status and job involvement.
Findings: The proposed psychological contract components all receive a significant weight by respondents when rating fulfillment and commitment. Additionally, differences were evident by employment status. Of note, part-time respondents gave much greater weight to the ability to control their own schedule and work-life balance. Results for the interaction between employment status and job involvement were less conclusive.
Conclusions: This study suggests that part-time employees do have distinct psychological contracts from full-time employees. Researchers and practitioners can use this information to create more fulfilling work experiences for this growing segment of the workforce
