Psychological contract breaches, plans to quit, and destructive voice behavior: Catalytic effects of proactive personality

Abstract

How and when might employees’ perceptions of psychological contract breaches escalate into destructive voice behavior? This study predicts a mediating role of plans to quit and a moderating role of a proactive personality in this connection. Cross-sectional survey data, collected among 227 employees who work in the Canadian retail sector, inform the tests of these predictions; the statistical analyses rely on the Process macro, which supports comprehensive assessments of the proposed moderated mediation framework. The results show that a critical reason that beliefs about broken organizational promises stimulate employees to criticize their organization is that they search for alternative employment. This mediating influence of quitting is particularly salient among employees who have a disposition toward action. The study accordingly points to a notable risk for employees who are upset with an organization that does not keep its side of the bargain: They consider quitting their jobs, which spurs them to undertake destructive activities that likely render it more challenging to convince their employer to fix the problem. This harmful dynamic is especially potent among proactive employees who like to take initiative.