Perceptions of Psychological Contract Fairness of Hispanic Professionals

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate Hispanic business professionals’ perception of psychological contract fairness, perception of discrimination, and the influence of autonomous status judgments on these variables. Design/methodology/approach – Participants were drawn from a sample of an association of Hispanic business professionals. The survey instrument was created from existing scales; validity and reliability were established in a pilot study. The survey was administered at two time intervals to 164 Hispanic business professionals. Data were analyzed using a multiple regression analysis. Findings – There were significant relationships between Hispanic business professionals’ psychological contract fairness perceptions, and perceptions of discrimination and autonomous status. As the score for psychological contract fairness increased, the score for perception of discrimination decreased. As the score for psychological contract fairness increased, the score for perception of autonomous status increased. Research limitations/implications – The sample for the study was a convenience sample and therefore may contain a self report bias. Practical implications – By empowering Hispanic employees and giving them the resources to truly believe they are valued by the organization, individual outcomes such as productivity and satisfaction could be positively affected. Originality/value – This study took a new approach to investigating the psychological contract over time and provided useful data on the global fulfillment argument. It created a new model for studying the interaction of mediating variables on the psychological contract and filled a gap in the present research on Hispanic perceptions of psychological contract fairness.