Employee perceptions of the psychological contract are not symmetrical : cautions derived from analysis of the dimensionality of the psychological contract inventory

This paper explores the Psychological Contract Inventory (PCI) (Rousseau, 2000) as a measure of an employee’s perception of their psychological contract with their employer. All 80 items in the PCI from both the employer and employee scales were included. Structural equation modelling was used to analyse the responses from 436 currently working, non-student respondents. The results demonstrated a non-symmetrical perspective on the employer and employee promises and obligations. The dimensionality of the PCI needs further investigation and possible expansion to ensure it best represents the employees’ perceptions of the psychological contract construct.