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Abstract: Flexible employment contracts,the psychological contract and employee
outcomes: an analysis and review of the evidence.
There has
been growing interest in the impact of flexible employment contracts
on workers affected by them.In the light of assumptions that such workers
are significantly dis-advantaged,European-wide legislation has been
introduced to ensure that they are treated similarly to permanent employees.The
evidence on the impact of flexible employment contracts on employees
’ attitudes and behaviour is reviewed within the framework of
the psychological contract.The body of research is limited but is sufficient
to challenge the assumption that workers on flexible contracts are invariably
disadvantaged.Those on contract of choice,particularly knowledge workers
who may be pursuing boundaryless careers,are especially likely to report
positive outcomes.The evidence also indicates that a framework that
incorporates the psychological contract provides additional value in
explaining variations in outcomes.