The Employment Relationship

More about the book

In recent years, there has been a growing interest in the exchange relationship between employees and employers. Previous literature has often focused on either the employer or employee perspective, typically from a single disciplinary lens such as psychology, sociology, or economics, leading to a fragmented understanding of the employment relationship. This volume integrates perspectives from social exchange, economics, industrial relations, legal theory, and justice theory. Contributions come from a diverse array of international authors, reflecting global research on employment relationships and addressing variations in legislation, governance, and culture. By examining the employment relationship through these varied theoretical lenses, the book establishes the convergent and discriminant validity of constructs like the psychological contract and investments-contributions models, alongside related concepts such as perceived organizational support and leader-member exchange. The interdisciplinary and international scope of the literature provides a richness that is often lacking in workplace studies, introducing many innovative ideas. This comprehensive approach aims to enhance scholarly understanding and offers valuable insights for practitioners, emphasizing the implications of a holistic, multi-disciplinary view of the employment relationship for theory, research, measurement, and policy development.