View in EDS

Academics' Psychological Contract: Applying Discretionary Effort

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Title: Academics' Psychological Contract: Applying Discretionary Effort
Language: English
Authors: Alan Johnston (ORCID 0000-0003-4796-466X), Eleanor Davies (ORCID 0000-0002-6959-536X)
Source: Journal of Further and Higher Education. 2025 49(4):524-538.
Availability: Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 15
Publication Date: 2025
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Tests/Questionnaires
Education Level: Higher Education
Postsecondary Education
Descriptors: Psychological Patterns, Contracts, Performance Contracts, Higher Education, College Faculty, Teacher Attitudes, Business Schools, Teacher Administrator Relationship, Expectation, Compliance (Psychology)
DOI: 10.1080/0309877X.2025.2467396
ISSN: 0309-877X
1469-9486
Abstract: Limited research has been conducted on the academic psychological contract and the role it plays in influencing academic behaviour. This qualitative study investigated the impact that the psychological contract has on 18 academics working across 9 university business schools, by understanding how they perceive the employment relationship, and how this perception influences their work activities with a particular focus on the application of discretionary effort. The research conducted followed an interpretivist design using semi-structured questions to seek out the lived experience of the academics. Findings suggest that discretionary effort is focused on what individuals perceive as being or not being academic work, but is not readily recognised as such; instead, it is considered part of the job, suggesting that perhaps it may be considered induced and is an outcome of increased managerialism in the sector. The outcomes of this research provide an interesting insight into the workings of academics and as such should enable improvements in the employment relationship between academics and their host university. The research investigates the construct of the psychological contract from a different perspective.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2026
Accession Number: EJ1498151
Database: ERIC
FullText Text:
  Availability: 0
Header DbId: eric
DbLabel: ERIC
An: EJ1498151
AccessLevel: 3
PubType: Academic Journal
PubTypeId: academicJournal
PreciseRelevancyScore: 0
IllustrationInfo
Items – Name: Title
  Label: Title
  Group: Ti
  Data: Academics' Psychological Contract: Applying Discretionary Effort
– Name: Language
  Label: Language
  Group: Lang
  Data: English
– Name: Author
  Label: Authors
  Group: Au
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Alan+Johnston%22">Alan Johnston</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4796-466X">0000-0003-4796-466X</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Eleanor+Davies%22">Eleanor Davies</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6959-536X">0000-0002-6959-536X</externalLink>)
– Name: TitleSource
  Label: Source
  Group: Src
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22Journal+of+Further+and+Higher+Education%22"><i>Journal of Further and Higher Education</i></searchLink>. 2025 49(4):524-538.
– Name: Avail
  Label: Availability
  Group: Avail
  Data: Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
– Name: PeerReviewed
  Label: Peer Reviewed
  Group: SrcInfo
  Data: Y
– Name: Pages
  Label: Page Count
  Group: Src
  Data: 15
– Name: DatePubCY
  Label: Publication Date
  Group: Date
  Data: 2025
– Name: TypeDocument
  Label: Document Type
  Group: TypDoc
  Data: Journal Articles<br />Reports - Research<br />Tests/Questionnaires
– Name: Audience
  Label: Education Level
  Group: Audnce
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Higher+Education%22">Higher Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Postsecondary+Education%22">Postsecondary Education</searchLink>
– Name: Subject
  Label: Descriptors
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Psychological+Patterns%22">Psychological Patterns</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Contracts%22">Contracts</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Performance+Contracts%22">Performance Contracts</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Higher+Education%22">Higher Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22College+Faculty%22">College Faculty</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Teacher+Attitudes%22">Teacher Attitudes</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Business+Schools%22">Business Schools</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Teacher+Administrator+Relationship%22">Teacher Administrator Relationship</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Expectation%22">Expectation</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Compliance+%28Psychology%29%22">Compliance (Psychology)</searchLink>
– Name: DOI
  Label: DOI
  Group: ID
  Data: 10.1080/0309877X.2025.2467396
– Name: ISSN
  Label: ISSN
  Group: ISSN
  Data: 0309-877X<br />1469-9486
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: Limited research has been conducted on the academic psychological contract and the role it plays in influencing academic behaviour. This qualitative study investigated the impact that the psychological contract has on 18 academics working across 9 university business schools, by understanding how they perceive the employment relationship, and how this perception influences their work activities with a particular focus on the application of discretionary effort. The research conducted followed an interpretivist design using semi-structured questions to seek out the lived experience of the academics. Findings suggest that discretionary effort is focused on what individuals perceive as being or not being academic work, but is not readily recognised as such; instead, it is considered part of the job, suggesting that perhaps it may be considered induced and is an outcome of increased managerialism in the sector. The outcomes of this research provide an interesting insight into the workings of academics and as such should enable improvements in the employment relationship between academics and their host university. The research investigates the construct of the psychological contract from a different perspective.
– Name: AbstractInfo
  Label: Abstractor
  Group: Ab
  Data: As Provided
– Name: DateEntry
  Label: Entry Date
  Group: Date
  Data: 2026
– Name: AN
  Label: Accession Number
  Group: ID
  Data: EJ1498151
PLink https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=eric&AN=EJ1498151
RecordInfo BibRecord:
  BibEntity:
    Identifiers:
      – Type: doi
        Value: 10.1080/0309877X.2025.2467396
    Languages:
      – Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 15
        StartPage: 524
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Psychological Patterns
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Contracts
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Performance Contracts
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Higher Education
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: College Faculty
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Teacher Attitudes
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Business Schools
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Teacher Administrator Relationship
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Expectation
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Compliance (Psychology)
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: Academics' Psychological Contract: Applying Discretionary Effort
        Type: main
  BibRelationships:
    HasContributorRelationships:
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Alan Johnston
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Eleanor Davies
    IsPartOfRelationships:
      – BibEntity:
          Dates:
            – D: 01
              M: 01
              Type: published
              Y: 2025
          Identifiers:
            – Type: issn-print
              Value: 0309-877X
            – Type: issn-electronic
              Value: 1469-9486
          Numbering:
            – Type: volume
              Value: 49
            – Type: issue
              Value: 4
          Titles:
            – TitleFull: Journal of Further and Higher Education
              Type: main
ResultId 1