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From promise to betrayal: A systematic review of the link between psychological contract and employee well-being

Geethani Mahalekamge et al.

Journal of Management & Organization2026https://doi.org/10.1017/jmo.2026.10093article
AJG 2ABDC A
Weight
0.50

Abstract

This systematic review examines the relationship between psychological contract breach (PCB)/fulfilment (PCF) and employee well-being, with a specific focus on mediating and moderating mechanisms. A systematic search in four databases yielded 59 empirical studies published between 1990 and 2024. The findings indicate that PCB hinders employee well-being, whereas PCF supports a range of well-being outcomes, and there is no consensus on whether PCB or PCF has a greater impact on employee well-being. Evidence also suggests that PCB and PCF are related but distinct constructs. Synthesising mediators and moderators, the review advances a contingent and process-based understanding of how psychological contract evaluations shape employee well-being. The evidence further indicates that the relative impact of PCB or PCF on employee well-being is conditional rather than universal. These findings extend conservation of resources and social exchange theories, and highlight the need for more theoretically rigorous and causally robust future research.

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https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1017/jmo.2026.10093

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@article{geethani2026,
  title        = {{From promise to betrayal: A systematic review of the link between psychological contract and employee well-being}},
  author       = {Geethani Mahalekamge et al.},
  journal      = {Journal of Management & Organization},
  year         = {2026},
  doi          = {https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1017/jmo.2026.10093},
}

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Evidence weight

0.50

Balanced mode · F 0.40 / M 0.15 / V 0.05 / R 0.40

F · citation impact0.50 × 0.4 = 0.20
M · momentum0.50 × 0.15 = 0.07
V · venue signal0.50 × 0.05 = 0.03
R · text relevance †0.50 × 0.4 = 0.20

† Text relevance is estimated at 0.50 on the detail page — for your query’s actual relevance score, open this paper from a search result.