ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the definitions and measurement practices related to the psychological contract. The content of the psychological contract refers to the 'concrete terms being part of the perceived exchange relationship'. The subjective and implicit nature of the psychological contract includes the impossibility of making an exhaustive list of content items. The development of content measures and typologies has recently increased in complexity, with authors stressing the shift from an old to a new deal. Violation/fulfilment studies dominate research on the state of the psychological contract. Violation theoretically refers to the emotional reactions following a simple breach of the psychological contract. However, this refinement is not frequently made in research. Finally, the process of psychological contracting focuses on change over time. Until now, research in this area has primarily focused on organizational newcomers' perceptions during the socialization period. Research illustrates that the development of the psychological contract starts with the recruitment process.
