Influences of Psychological Needs on Psychological Contracts

Date of Award

2026

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Organization Development & Change (D.O.D.C.)

Department

Organization Development

First Advisor

Truit Gray (Committee Chair)

Second Advisor

Jeanelle Sears (Committee Member)

Third Advisor

Michael Zickar (Committee Member)

Fourth Advisor

Carles Ferrando Valero (Other)

Abstract

This mixed-methods study examined how employees’ basic psychological needs, autonomy, competence, and relatedness, per Self-Determination Theory (SDT; Ryan & Deci, 2017, 2020), influence the formation and preferred type of psychological contracts in the workplace. Despite theoretical alignment between SDT and psychological contract research, few studies have empirically investigated how need satisfaction shapes the unconscious process of contract formation or the preference for relational versus transactional contracts. A screening survey (N = 124) assessed need importance and contract orientation, followed by semi-structured interviews with 24 participants purposively selected based on high- and low-need profiles. Quantitative data provided descriptive and correlational context, while qualitative data were analyzed using deductive qualitative analysis. Findings revealed that SDT significantly shapes psychological contract formation through seven key workplace expectations (work environment, career development, workplace relationships, leadership support, aligned values, appreciation for efforts, and self-empowerment). Need satisfaction fostered relational contract elements characterized by trust, reciprocity, and long-term commitment, whereas unmet needs contributed to weaker or more bounded expectations for transactional contract orientation. For contract-type preference, participants likely entered employment with a default preference for relational psychological contracts. When needs were fulfilled, this relational preference was reinforced. However, repeated unmet needs were often experienced as injustice or breach of trust, suggesting a defensive shift toward transactional contracts as a self-protective mechanism. The integrated findings advance psychological contract theory by demonstrating that contract orientation is not a fixed individual experience, but a responsive process shaped by lived experiences of need fulfillment or thwarting. Practically, the results suggest that organizations can cultivate stronger relational contracts and improve retention by intentionally supporting employees’ basic psychological needs through autonomy-supportive leadership, competence-building resources, and relatedness-enhancing cultures. This study contributes a motivational lens to understanding psychological contract dynamics and offers actionable implications for creating more fulfilling workplace relationships.

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