The mitigating role of leader‒member exchange when perceiving psychological contract violation: a diary survey study among volunteers

Abstract

Several scholars in the field of volunteering emphasized the pivotal role of psychological contract (PC) violation in explaining maladaptive behavioural reactions—such as counterproductive work behaviour (CWB)—of volunteers. Reactions to violation feelings are, however, interrelated and may intensify over time. Extending this dynamic perspective, we introduce momentary leader–member exchange (LMX) as a buffering social resource in the relationship between violation feelings and (1) CWB and (2) the likelihood to perceive a PC breach. Using weekly diary survey data from 247 volunteers (827 observations), we conducted a moderated multilevel zero-inflated Poisson regression analysis. As hypothesized, experiencing feelings of violation during one week related positively to CWB towards the organization (CWB-O), but not to CWB towards individuals (CWB-I) during the next week. Moreover, experiencing violation feelings during one week increased the likelihood to perceive a PC breach during the subsequent week. Finally, experiencing a high-quality LMX relationship effectively mitigated the positive relationship between violation feelings during one week and (1) CWB-O, and (2) the likelihood to perceive a PC breach during the next week. Our study highlights momentary LMX as an effective redressing mechanism in the relationship between violation feelings and undesirable employee outcomes.

Keywords:

• violation feelings
• counterproductive work behaviour
• leader–member exchange
• volunteer
• diary study
• likelihood

Notes

1. We do not formulate a hypothesis concerning the mitigating role of momentary LMX in the relationship between violation (time T-1) and CWB-I (time T) as—based on the cognitive and behavioural contingency arguments (Heider, 1958; Morrison & Robinson, 1997)—no direct relationship between violation (time T-1) and CWB-I (time T) can be expected.

2. When violation feelings are 0, PC breach is also 0 meaning that no PC breach was reported. If violation feelings are not 0, PC breach is 1, meaning that at least one PC breach was reported.

Additional information

Funding

This research has been carried out in the framework of an Interuniversity Attraction Pole funded by the Belgian Science Policy Office under the title “If not for Profit, for What and How?”