Cultivating organizational attraction: a resource view on psychological contracts of career development among interns

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between psychological contracts and subsequent internship outcomes, with a specific focus on employer obligations with regard to career development. The study also examines the potential moderating role of person–organization (P–O) fit.

Design/methodology/approach

Online surveys were administered to 196 college students both prior to and upon completing their summer internships. Moderated mediation analyses were performed following Hayes (2018).

Findings

The results show that employer fulfillment of career development is positively associated with organizational attractiveness, as mediated by intern skill acquisition. In addition, high levels of P-O fit ameliorated low developmental situations, with high P-O fit resulting in stronger attraction to the organization than low P-O fit.

Practical implications

The study underlines the importance of career development and the associated attainment of instrumental resources in the psychological contract process between organizations and interns. For the former, the provision of career development may increase interns' attraction to the organization. For interns, such opportunities can enhance skill acquisition, with differential effects for those with high and low P-O fit.

Originality/value

This study is the first to provide an empirical assessment of the instrumental outcomes of psychological contract fulfillment with regard to career development prior to formal organizational entry. It further sheds light on the interactive effect of skill acquisition and P-O fit in predicting individual perceptions of the organization.

Citation

Cao, Y., Lee, J. and Waung, M. (2023), "Cultivating organizational attraction: a resource view on psychological contracts of career development among interns", Personnel Review, Vol. 52 No. 1, pp. 58-73. https://doi.org/10.1108/PR-04-2021-0301