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Knowledge Workers: Deregulated Work, Psychological Contracts and How These Affect Them

Schröder, Johannes LU (2018) PSYP01 20181
Department of Psychology
Abstract
Background: Knowledge work has been described in a boundaryless context with increasingly deregulated working conditions. How common deregulated work is and how the psychological contract (PC) of knowledge workers is affected remains unclear. Objective: An empirical investigation of deregulated work, PCs, and their effects on outcomes, namely work-to-life balance, affective organizational commitment, and work satisfaction. Method: n = 111 knowledge workers in the UK were surveyed online. Mean age was 37.25 (SD = 10.10) years; only 28.8 % identified as male. Results: Deregulation was common, but while time and space deregulation overall did not predict outcomes and PCs, performance and collaboration deregulation did. Moreover, the latter... (More)
Background: Knowledge work has been described in a boundaryless context with increasingly deregulated working conditions. How common deregulated work is and how the psychological contract (PC) of knowledge workers is affected remains unclear. Objective: An empirical investigation of deregulated work, PCs, and their effects on outcomes, namely work-to-life balance, affective organizational commitment, and work satisfaction. Method: n = 111 knowledge workers in the UK were surveyed online. Mean age was 37.25 (SD = 10.10) years; only 28.8 % identified as male. Results: Deregulation was common, but while time and space deregulation overall did not predict outcomes and PCs, performance and collaboration deregulation did. Moreover, the latter kinds of deregulation were associated with more beneficial PCs and outcomes, except work-to-life balance. Relational and balanced PCs were generally positively, while transactional and, more importantly, transitional PCs were negatively associated with outcomes. Discussion: Results are discussed, e.g. unexpected results for time and space deregulation as well as work-to-life balance. After reflecting on limitations, implications for theory and practice are considered. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Schröder, Johannes LU
supervisor
organization
course
PSYP01 20181
year
type
H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
subject
keywords
knowledge work, flexibility, autonomy, deregulated work, boundaryless work, relational, transactional, psychological contract, social exchange, worker-organization relationship, work-to-life balance, affective organizational commitment, work satisfaction
language
English
id
8955878
date added to LUP
2018-08-13 13:46:56
date last changed
2018-08-13 13:46:56
@misc{8955878,
  abstract     = {{Background: Knowledge work has been described in a boundaryless context with increasingly deregulated working conditions. How common deregulated work is and how the psychological contract (PC) of knowledge workers is affected remains unclear. Objective: An empirical investigation of deregulated work, PCs, and their effects on outcomes, namely work-to-life balance, affective organizational commitment, and work satisfaction. Method: n = 111 knowledge workers in the UK were surveyed online. Mean age was 37.25 (SD = 10.10) years; only 28.8 % identified as male. Results: Deregulation was common, but while time and space deregulation overall did not predict outcomes and PCs, performance and collaboration deregulation did. Moreover, the latter kinds of deregulation were associated with more beneficial PCs and outcomes, except work-to-life balance. Relational and balanced PCs were generally positively, while transactional and, more importantly, transitional PCs were negatively associated with outcomes. Discussion: Results are discussed, e.g. unexpected results for time and space deregulation as well as work-to-life balance. After reflecting on limitations, implications for theory and practice are considered.}},
  author       = {{Schröder, Johannes}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Knowledge Workers: Deregulated Work, Psychological Contracts and How These Affect Them}},
  year         = {{2018}},
}