Connectivity expectations as psychological contract terms in the digital workplace

Abstract

Introduction – The digitalisation of work has normalised expectations of continuous employee availability, yet the relational and contractual implications of these expectations remain insufficiently theorised. This conceptual article contends that connectivity expectations constitute an implicit domain of psychological contract obligation. The perceived violation of this obligation, termed digital breach, differs phenomenologically from traditional breach. Its distinctness arises from technological mediation, which transforms personal availability from a private relational gesture into a monitored, metric-visible professional signal. Methods – Drawing on psychological contract theory, digital communication research, boundary management research, and technostress literature, the study develops the Digital Psychological Contract Model (DPCM). Results – The DPCM specifies a propositional architecture that links connectivity expectations and enacted availability behaviours, through discrepancy assessment, to digital breach, affective violation, and the erosion of organisational trust. Perceived autonomy and leadership norm-modelling enter as moderating conditions; organisational communication culture and leadership signalling enter as antecedents. Discussion – The model provides a conceptual scaffold and structured vocabulary for an emerging research programme on psychological contracts in digitally mediated work. It also differentiates digital breach from technostress, organisational injustice, and traditional contract breach, and identifies measurable indicator domains for future scale development.