SS75 - Psychological Contract Breach in Higher Education: A Broader Perspective on Institutional Trust
SCURS Disciplines
Psychology
Document Type
General Poster
Invited Presentation Choice
Not Applicable
Abstract
Psychological Contract (PC) theory, originally developed in business contexts, has increasingly been applied to higher education to understand the expectations and obligations that students perceive in their relationships with institutions. In this context, the PC refers to the unwritten set of mutual expectations and perceived obligations that shape the student-university relationship (Rousseau, 1998). Psychological contract breaches (PCB), or perceived failures to fulfill promised obligations, can undermine student trust, engagement, and institutional commitment. Despite growing interest, research on PCBs in higher education remains sporadic, often limited to cross-sectional designs, single relational targets, and inconsistent measurement approaches. Moreover, most studies focus on specific dyadic relationships, such as student-advisor interactions, leaving broader dynamics between students, academic staff, and the institution largely unexplored. This presentation provides a review examining how PC theory has been applied in higher education and evaluates the extent to which existing research accounts for the triadic structure of student relationships. Using a structured synthesis of empirical and conceptual studies, this presentation integrates existing work on student PCs, emphasizing transactional, relational, and ideological dimensions, while also highlighting crucial gaps in the literature. The analysis identifies consistent relationships between perceived breach and lower satisfaction, reduced institutional commitment, weakened trust, and elevated withdrawal intentions. Additionally, it reveals conceptual and methodological inconsistency, including overreliance on cross-sectional designs and single-target measures. By extending Koskina’s triadic framework and situating breaches across institutional, instructional, and advisory contexts, this presentation argues for a more comprehensive understanding of PCB in academic settings. Collectively, the reviewed evidence clarifies how PC dynamics operate across multiple exchange partners and underscores the central role of institutional trust in shaping student engagement and persistence.
Keywords
psychological contract, psychological contract breach, higher education, institutional trust
Start Date
10-4-2026 9:30 AM
Location
University Readiness Center Greatroom
End Date
10-4-2026 11:30 AM
SS75 - Psychological Contract Breach in Higher Education: A Broader Perspective on Institutional Trust
University Readiness Center Greatroom
Psychological Contract (PC) theory, originally developed in business contexts, has increasingly been applied to higher education to understand the expectations and obligations that students perceive in their relationships with institutions. In this context, the PC refers to the unwritten set of mutual expectations and perceived obligations that shape the student-university relationship (Rousseau, 1998). Psychological contract breaches (PCB), or perceived failures to fulfill promised obligations, can undermine student trust, engagement, and institutional commitment. Despite growing interest, research on PCBs in higher education remains sporadic, often limited to cross-sectional designs, single relational targets, and inconsistent measurement approaches. Moreover, most studies focus on specific dyadic relationships, such as student-advisor interactions, leaving broader dynamics between students, academic staff, and the institution largely unexplored. This presentation provides a review examining how PC theory has been applied in higher education and evaluates the extent to which existing research accounts for the triadic structure of student relationships. Using a structured synthesis of empirical and conceptual studies, this presentation integrates existing work on student PCs, emphasizing transactional, relational, and ideological dimensions, while also highlighting crucial gaps in the literature. The analysis identifies consistent relationships between perceived breach and lower satisfaction, reduced institutional commitment, weakened trust, and elevated withdrawal intentions. Additionally, it reveals conceptual and methodological inconsistency, including overreliance on cross-sectional designs and single-target measures. By extending Koskina’s triadic framework and situating breaches across institutional, instructional, and advisory contexts, this presentation argues for a more comprehensive understanding of PCB in academic settings. Collectively, the reviewed evidence clarifies how PC dynamics operate across multiple exchange partners and underscores the central role of institutional trust in shaping student engagement and persistence.