Resilience: How Academics Stay After Multiple Psychological Contract Breaches

Authors

  • Yayan Firmansah Department of Business Administration, Kulliyyah of Economics and Management Sciences, International Islamic University Malaysia
  • Zabeda Abdul Hamid Department of Business Administration, Kulliyyah of Economics and Management Sciences, International Islamic University Malaysia
  • Suhaimi Mhd Sarif Department of Business Administration, Kulliyyah of Economics and Management Sciences, International Islamic University Malaysia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.21111/ibmj.v6i2.11249

Keywords:

Resilience, Psychological Contract Breach, Multiple Breach, Academics

Abstract

This qualitative phenomenological study explores the lived experiences of academics who have encountered multiple breaches in their psychological contracts within academic institutions. Through in-depth interviews with participants from diverse disciplines and career stages, the study investigates the coping mechanisms and adaptations in daily work activities employed by academics to navigate the emotional aftermath of psychological contract breaches. The findings reveal a multifaceted landscape of resilience, encompassing strategies such as seeking social support, engaging in professional development, utilizing creative outlets, and intentionally cultivating autonomy. Furthermore, adaptations in daily work activities include reorienting research focus, innovating teaching methodologies, embracing interdisciplinary collaborations, and committing to continuous learning. Comparisons with existing literature underscore both consistent themes and novel dimensions, contributing to a nuanced understanding of academic resilience. The study concludes with actionable recommendations for institutions to support the well-being and resilience of academics, emphasizing the importance of autonomy, interdisciplinary collaboration, and reflective practices. Future research directions are also proposed to deepen our understanding of academic resilience in the face of evolving challenges within the contemporary academic landscape.

References

Alcover, C. M., Rico, R., Turnley, W. H., & Bolino, M. C. (2017). Multi-dependence in the formation and development of the distributed psychological contract. European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 26(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/1359432X.2016.1197205

Aydin, H., Mak, V., & Andrews, K. (2021). Academic Freedom and Living in Exile: Experiences of Academics in Turkey. In Philosophy and Politics - Critical Explorations (pp. 339–363). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-57476-5_15

Bankins, S. (2015). A process perspective on psychological contract change: Making sense of, and repairing, psychological contract breach and violation through employee coping actions. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 36, 1071–1095. https://doi.org/10.1002/job

Barnes, N., du Plessis, M., & Frantz, J. (2022). Career Competencies for Academic Career Progression: Experiences of Academics at a South African University. Frontiers in Education, 7, 814842. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2022.814842

Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2021). One size fits all? What counts as quality practice in (reflexive) thematic analysis? Qualitative Research in Psychology, 18(3), 328–352. https://doi.org/10.1080/14780887.2020.1769238

Ching, G. S. (2021). Academic identity and communities of practice: Narratives of social science academics career decisions in taiwan. Education Sciences, 11(8), 388. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci11080388

Coyle-Shapiro, J. A.-M., & Conway, N. (2005). Exchange relationships : Examining psychological contracts and perceived organizational support. Journal of Applied Psychology, 90(4), 774–781. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.90.4.774

Coyle-Shapiro, J., & Kessler, I. (2000). Consequences of the psychological contract for the employment relationship: A large scale survey. Journal of Management Studies, 37(7), 903–930. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-6486.00210

Creely, E., Laletas, S., Fernandes, V., Subban, P., & Southcott, J. (2022). University teachers’ well-being during a pandemic: The experiences of five academics. Research Papers in Education, 37(6), 1241–1262. https://doi.org/10.1080/02671522.2021.1941214

Creswell, J. W. (2007). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five approaches (2nd editio). Sage Publications.

Deas, A., & Coetzee, M. (2020). Psychological contract, career concerns, and retention practices satisfaction of employees: Exploring interaction effects. Current Psychology, 1–9.

Firmansah, Y., Abdul Hamid, Z., & Mhd Sarif, S. (2023). Exceeding Workplace-Related Issues: Psychological Contract Breach and its Effects as Experienced by Indonesian Academics. REVENUE: Jurnal Manajemen Bisnis Islam, 4(1), 83–110.

Griep, Y., Vantilborgh, T., Baillien, E., & Pepermans, R. (2016). The mitigating role of leader-member exchange when perceiving psychological contract violation: A diary survey study among volunteers. European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 25(2), 254–271. https://doi.org/10.1080/1359432X.2015.1046048

Hobfoll, S. E., Johnson, R. J., Ennis, N., & Jackson, A. P. (2003). Resource Loss, Resource Gain, and Emotional Outcomes Among Inner City Women. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 84(3), 632–643. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.84.3.632

Hussein, N., Omar, S., Noordin, F., & Ishak, N. A. (2016). Learning Organization Culture, Organizational Performance and Organizational Innovativeness in a Public Institution of Higher Education in Malaysia: A Preliminary Study. Procedia Economics and Finance, 37(16), 512–519. https://doi.org/10.1016/s2212-5671(16)30159-9

Krivokapic-skoko, B., & O’Neill, G. (2008). University Academics ’ Psychological Contracts in Australia : A Mixed Method Research Approach. The Electronic Journal of Business Research Methods, 6(1), 61–72.

Meneghel, I., Martínez, I. M., Salanova, M., & De Witte, H. (2019). Promoting academic satisfaction and performance: Building academic resilience through coping strategies. Psychology in the Schools, 56(6), 875–890.

Morrison, E. W., & Robinson, S. L. (1997). When employees feel betrayed: A model of how psychological contract violations develops. Academy of Management Journal, 22(1), 226–256. https://doi.org/10.2307/259230

Moser, K. J., Tumasjan, A., & Welpe, I. M. (2017). Small but attractive: Dimensions of new venture employer attractiveness and the moderating role of applicants’ entrepreneurial behaviors. Journal of Business Venturing, 32(5), 588–610. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusvent.2017.05.001

Mousa, M. (2020). Organizational inclusion and academics’ psychological contract: Can responsible leadership mediate the relationship? Equality, Diversity and Inclusion: An International Journal, 39(2), 126–144. https://doi.org/10.1108/EDI-01-2019-0014

Moustakas, C. (1994). Phenomenological research methods. Sage.

O’Driscoll, F. (2013). The employee-organisation relationship of university academics: Social exchange, psychological contract, and organisational support perspectives. University of Limerick.

Ooms, W., Werker, C., & Hopp, C. (2019). Moving up the ladder: heterogeneity influencing academic careers through research orientation, gender, and mentors. Studies in Higher Education, 44(7), 1268–1289. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2018.1434617

Ross, P. M., Scanes, E., Poronnik, P., Coates, H., & Locke, W. (2022). Understanding STEM academics’ responses and resilience to educational reform of academic roles in higher education. International Journal of STEM Education, 9(1), 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40594-022-00327-1

Rousseau, D. M. (1989). Psychological and implicit contracts in organizations. Employee Responsibilities and Rights Journal, 2(2), 121–139. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01384942

Sewpersad, R., Ruggunan, S., Adam, J. K., & Krishna, S. B. N. (2019). The Impact of the Psychological Contract on Academics. SAGE Open, 9(2), 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1177/2158244019840122

Shen, J. (2010). University academics’ psychological contracts and their fulfilment. Journal of Management Development, 29(6), 575–591. https://doi.org/10.1108/02621711011046549

VanLeeuwen, C. A., Veletsianos, G., Johnson, N., & Belikov, O. (2021). Never-ending repetitiveness, sadness, loss, and “juggling with a blindfold on:” Lived experiences of Canadian college and university faculty members during the COVID-19 pandemic. British Journal of Educational Technology, 52(4), 1306–1322. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjet.13065

Vantilborgh, T., Bidee, J., Pepermans, R., Willems, J., Huybrechts, G., & Jegers, M. (2014). Effects of ideological and relational psychological contract breach and fulfilment on volunteers’ work effort. European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 23(2), 217–230. https://doi.org/10.1080/1359432X.2012.740170

Yang, S., Shu, D., & Yin, H. (2022). “Teaching, my passion; publishing, my pain”: unpacking academics’ professional identity tensions through the lens of emotional resilience. Higher Education, 84(2), 235–254. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-021-00765-w

Yesufu, L. O. (2016). The Effect of Human Resource Practices on the Psychological Contract of Academics. University of Bath.

Yu, L., Guo, H., Bégin-Caouette, O., Koga, S. M. N., & Stephenson, G. K. (2023). Academic Entrepreneurial Engagement among Academics in Canada and China: The Impact of Research Orientation and University Expectations. Sustainability, 15(1), 336. https://doi.org/10.3390/su15010336

Zou, T. X. P. (2019). Community-based professional development for academics: a phenomenographic study. Studies in Higher Education, 44(11), 1975–1989. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2018.1477129

Downloads

Published

2023-12-12

How to Cite

Firmansah, Y., Abdul Hamid, Z., & Mhd Sarif, S. (2023). Resilience: How Academics Stay After Multiple Psychological Contract Breaches. Islamic Business and Management Journal, 6(2), 94–103. https://doi.org/10.21111/ibmj.v6i2.11249

Issue

Vol. 6 No. 2 (2023): IBMJ | December

Section

Articles

License

Copyright (c) 2023 2023-12-10

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.