TY  - JOUR
AB  - The relationship between employees and their employers has been conceptualized as involving a “psychological contract” (PC). The PC construct is assumed by many to have a key role to play in understanding organizational behavior, and there has been a proliferation of writing regarding PCs in recent years. The history of the construct, however, has remained under‐reported, and largely undiscussed. This articles seeks to contribute to the evolution of the PC construct by providing a richer, more thorough historical perspective than can be presently found in the PC literature. The origins and early development of the PC construct are traced through a review of books, articles, and unpublished dissertations. Observations regarding historical developments are linked to the current state of the literature, and the implication of these observations for the future direction of the PC literature is briefly discussed.
VL  - 3
IS  - 2
SN  - 1355-252X
DO  - 10.1108/13552529710171993
UR  - https://doi.org/10.1108/13552529710171993
AU  - Roehling Mark V.
PY  - 1997
Y1  - 1997/01/01
TI  - The origins and early development of the psychological contract construct
T2  - Journal of Management History
PB  - MCB UP Ltd
SP  - 204
EP  - 217
Y2  - 2024/09/19
ER  -