Modelling the Anticipatory Psychological Contract: An SEM Approach

Abstract

It is suggested that the “schema theory” approach might promote scholars’ understanding of the psychological contract development process. This approach views occupational newcomers’ anticipatory psychological contract in the pre-socialisation phase of employment. This knowledge could empower employers in general to effectively manage these employees. However, research regarding the anticipatory psychological contract is quite rare with no existing theoretical model to understand first-time employees’ anticipatory expectations and obligations. The focus was therefore to develop and assess the theoretical model of the mental schema of prospective employees through a structural equation model (SEM). A questionnaire was used to gather data from 316 final-year management sciences students. The results supported an excellent fit in the proposed model of the anticipatory psychological contract. This model indicated that entitlement is central to the anticipatory psychological contract, and that the norm of reciprocity was already present in the anticipatory psychological contract.