Examining team performance: the role of psychological contracts and engagement among co-workers

Purpose
The aim of this study was to investigate the role of shared psychological contract beliefs between colleagues in a work team, in team in-role performance and extra-role behaviours.

Design/methodology/approach
Employees and team managers of 113 work teams answered questions about their working environment and relationships with experiences and perceptions. The data were used in CFA and structural modelling.

Findings
The results indicated that evaluations of co-worker psychological contracts in work teams are significantly associated with team in-role performance and extra-role behaviours through work engagement.

Practical implications
Employees with perceived contract fulfilment not only contribute more to their team but also change their expectations of what a team should offer. Managers should be informed that these new and enhanced expectations have repercussions for existing HRM practices.

Originality/value
Laulie and Tekleab (2016) have suggested that perceptions of psychological contract fulfilment shared by team members may act as a motivational driver for team performance, team attitudes and behaviours. This study is one of the first applications of this proposition in a mediation model and empirically tested for non-hierarchical co-worker relationships.