Your questions answered, Inside Track, August 2010

This article is filed under: engagement, people, workforce management

I've heard people in my organisation talk about psychological contracts, what exactly are they and are they important?

A psychological contract is an informal agreement: the perceived (but mostly unarticulated) ‘expectations’ an employee and the organisation have of each other. A great example of this is the so called military covenant, but psychological contracts are everywhere.

It is important to get them out in the open, because they:

  • Set the healthy dynamics for the relationship
  • Clarify the understanding between employees and the organisation
  • Create the practical mechanisms for alignment, integration and commitment of people to the organisation and its success
  • Are usually more influential than the formal contract in affecting how employees behave from day to day (in a good way).

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