When Promises Break: How Confidence and Emotional Control Protect Job Satisfaction

What is it about?

This study explores how employees’ sense of psychological contract violation—the feeling that their organization has broken promises or betrayed them—affects their job satisfaction, and how this effect can be buffered by two key personal resources: emotion regulation skills and work-related self-efficacy. The authors argue that when employees feel their employer has failed to meet expectations, they lose emotional energy and motivation, but that those who can manage their emotions and feel confident in their work abilities are less likely to become dissatisfied. Drawing on two-wave survey data from employees in Pakistani organizations, the study shows that perceived contract violation indeed lowers job satisfaction. Employees who feel betrayed report less happiness and enthusiasm for their jobs. However, those with strong emotion regulation skills or high work-related self-efficacy are less affected. Emotionally skilled employees can manage anger and disappointment, while confident employees focus on problem-solving rather than frustration. Together, these personal strengths protect workers’ emotional well-being even when organizational trust is shaken. For organizations, these findings suggest that perceived betrayal can harm morale and satisfaction, but helping employees strengthen their emotional and confidence-based resources can reduce the damage. Training that develops emotional intelligence, workshops that build self-efficacy, and fair communication about workplace changes can all help employees remain resilient. Managers should also be alert to early signs of dissatisfaction when promises cannot be kept and support their teams in maintaining confidence and composure during times of uncertainty or change.

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Photo by Vitaly Gariev on Unsplash

Photo by Vitaly Gariev on Unsplash

Why is it important?

This research is unique in clarifying how emotion regulation and self-efficacy jointly buffer the emotional impact of broken psychological contracts. By integrating two distinct but complementary personal resources—emotional control and confidence—it shows how employees can preserve satisfaction despite organizational shortcomings. It extends conservation of resources theory by identifying the mechanisms through which individuals conserve emotional energy under perceived betrayal. The study is timely, offering insights for organizations in Pakistan and beyond where economic and competitive pressures often make it difficult to honor all commitments. As changing workplaces heighten risks of unmet expectations, this research underscores the importance of developing employees’ emotional and psychological resources. In doing so, it highlights a hopeful message: even when promises break, composure and confidence can help keep satisfaction intact.