Changing Contours of Psychological Contract Research: Can the Developing World Offer New Perspectives?

<p>The psychological contract has been a feature in organizational studies for few decades. While key authorities in the field have extensively addressed the ramifications of psychological contract breach, much of their evidence is drawn from the West. This article posits that there is a missing link because perspectives from the Global South are not represented proportionately. The paper’s argument for specific psychological contract research in developing countries derives from the conceptualization of a new world deemed global. The emergence of China and India, etc. to global players signals the criticality of examining the exemplification of the psychological contract in socio-cultural spheres outside the West. The contribution of the article centres on the clarification of culture as a critical importance in theorizing the psychological contract. We found that culture is a key determinant of the form and functioning of the psychological contract in contexts where allegiance, kinship, social networks impact on employment relations, working conditions, etc. The research provides a systematic framework outlining various strands in the evolution of psychological contract research.</p>