Perceptions of Psychological Contract Breach and Perceptions of Co-Worker Exclusion: The Moderating Effects of Collectivism and Individualism

Social exclusion has negative outcomes in the workplace, yet we know little about its antecedents. We argue that employees’ perceptions of psychological contract breach (by their organizations) lead them to perceive that they are being excluded by co-workers. We further argue that the individual-level cultural values of collectivism and individualism play important roles in determining the degree to which employees perceive co-worker exclusion. Using a sample of 265 employees across two points in time, we find a positive association between perceptions of psychological contract breach and perceptions of co-worker exclusion. We also find that employees’ collectivistic orientations weaken this positive relationship, while employees’ individualistic orientations strengthen this positive relationship. Our findings add to the growing body of research exploring the interconnectedness of social exchange relationships in the workplace, as well as how cultural values affect these social exchange relationships.