When Broken Promises Make Employees Lash Out: The Role of Proactivity in Destructive Voice

What is it about?

This article examines how employees’ perceptions that their organization has broken its promises—known as psychological contract breaches—can lead them to express destructive voice, or criticize the organization in harmful ways. Drawing on Conservation of Resources (COR) theory, the study argues that when employees experience such breaches, they feel a loss of valued psychological resources, especially self-esteem and organizational worth, prompting plans to quit and destructive communication. Using survey data from 227 retail employees in Canada, the study shows that plans to quit mediate the link between perceived breaches and destructive voice. Employees who feel their employer has broken commitments are more likely to consider leaving, and as they withdraw, they become more prone to criticize the organization. The study also finds that proactive personality—a tendency to take initiative—intensifies this process: proactive employees are more likely to turn disappointment into action, planning to exit and voicing discontent. The research shows that destructive voice is not random defiance but a coping response to moral and psychological depletion. It highlights the double-edged nature of proactivity—an admirable quality that, when combined with unmet expectations, can accelerate destructive outcomes.

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Photo by Sebastian Herrmann on Unsplash

Photo by Sebastian Herrmann on Unsplash

Why is it important?

This study proposes a novel conceptual model linking psychological contract breach, plans to quit, and destructive voice through the lens of COR theory. It shows how employees’ intentions to leave act as a bridge between perceived betrayal and harmful communication, framing quitting plans as a defense against resource loss. By introducing proactive personality as a catalyst, it deepens understanding of when and why proactive individuals may amplify rather than restrain destructive reactions. The work is timely amid rising concern over employee disengagement, burnout, and toxic workplace dynamics. Organizations now see that silence is not the only risk—destructive expression can emerge when trust and reciprocity erode. The findings show that managing voice means more than inviting feedback; it also requires upholding psychological contracts and helping proactive employees channel energy constructively. The COR-based framework explains how unmet expectations, self-esteem protection, and personality combine to drive turnover and destructive communication.