Abstract
In the rapidly evolving landscape of the South African utility sector, particularly within state-owned entities, the dynamics of cohesion in work teams and its interplay with psychological contracts emerge as a pivotal area of study. This research aims to explore the moderating effect of social cohesion in work teams on the relationship between psychological contract breach (and violation) and team altruism. Social cohesion in work teams will be conditional for the maintenance of the psychological contract, and the breach (and violation) of this contract will undermine the social cohesion of teams. Furthermore, social cohesion in work teams is a precondition for team altruism.
The study also investigates the importance of team collaboration and team performance, which depends on team altruism. Adopting a quantitative research approach, the study utilised both online and paper-based surveys with Likert scale questions to gather data from 689 participants over a three-month period in the utility sector. A convenience sampling method and cross-sectional design were used to collect the data. Using linear regression analysis, it was possible to quantify whether or not the presence of cohesiveness mitigated the connection between the breaking of a psychological contract and the altruistic behaviour of the team. It was determined via the application of linear regression how much of an effect an independent variable had on a dependent variable. The collected data underwent processing using SPSS, using the statistical technique of moderation analysis.
The findings suggest that breaches and violations of the psychological contract can negatively impact team altruism. Moreover, while cohesion in work teams does moderate the relationship between psychological contract breach and team altruism, it doesn't significantly influence the relationship between psychological contract violation and team altruism. This research fills a
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notable gap in the literature, offering a nuanced understanding of how psychological contracts and cohesion in work team dynamics play out in the South African utility sector.
From a practical standpoint, organisations, especially those in the utility sector, can benefit from these insights. By ensuring the maintenance of psychological contracts, they can foster stronger cohesion in work teams, leading to enhanced team altruism, which can, in turn, drive organisational success.
The findings can offer tangible insights for managerial practices within such entities, emphasising the importance of maintaining psychological contracts to foster a cohesive and altruistic team environment. This information would be valuable for investing in a healthy organisational culture that encourages, promotes and rewards employee contributions. The study’s findings should increase awareness about how social cohesion moderates the psychological contract breach (and not violation) on team altruism.
Keywords: Psychological contract breach, violation, team altruism and social cohesion in work teams.