a yardstick whenever either party to the agreement violates the contract. Whatever our commitment to an organisation and our alignment with its values and direction, both parties to the contract know that the contract can be terminated. Thus, to a large extent, responsibility begins and ends with our roleThe organisation’s or yours?

Modern organisations provide the context through which much of our work is conducted and structures and systems are established to achieve organisational objectives. From the moment the employee enters an organisation, his/her activities are defined and bounded by their job. The job, with all its expectations, limits and assumptions becomes the medium through which the employee experiences that organisation. Their behaviour and expectations are influenced by the explicit and implicit expectations of that role and act as a barometer of how they are doing, both inside and outside of the organisation. A whole structure of authority, reporting lines, sanctions and incentives exist to ensure the organisation collectively achieves its goals and individuals conform towards this collective pursuit. The individual’s relationship with all company stakeholders is bounded by the limits of their role in the organisation. This extends beyond the organisation as society evaluates our worth through ‘what we do’ in terms of economic or material exchange.

Whilst individual differences exist in interpreting an organisational role, the parameters of the role will be used as a yardstick whenever either party to the agreement violates the contract. Whatever our commitment to an organisation and our alignment with its values and direction, both parties to the contract know that the contract can be terminated. Thus, to a large extent, responsibility begins and ends with our role.

unded by their job. The job, with all its expectations, limits and assumptions becomes the medium through which the employee experiences that organisation. Their behaviour and expectations are influenced by the explicit and implicit expectations of that role and act as a barometer of how they are doing, both inside and outside of the organisation. A whole structure of authority, reporting lines, sanctions and incentives exist to ensure the organisation collectively achieves its goals and individuals conform towards this collective pursuit. The individual’s relationship with all company stakeholders is bounded by the limits of their role in the organisation. This extends beyond the organisation as society evaluates our worth through ‘what we do’ in terms of economic or material exchange.

Whilst individual differences exist in interpreting an organisational role, the parameters of the role will be used as a yardstick whenever either party to the agreement violates the contract. Whatever our commitment to an organisation and our alignment with its values and direction, both parties to the contract know that the contract can be terminated. Thus, to a large extent, responsibility begins and ends with our role

h inside and outside of the organisation. A whole structure of authority, reporting lines, sanctions and incentives exist to ensure the organisation collectively achieves its goals and individuals conform towards this collective pursuit. The individual’s relationship with all company stakeholders is bounded by the limits of their role in the organisation. This extends beyond the organisation as society evaluates our worth through ‘what we do’ in terms of economic or material exchange.

Whilst individual differences exist in interpreting an organisational role, the parameters of the role will be used as a yardstick whenever either party to the agreement violates the contract. Whatever our commitment to an organisation and our alignment with its values and direction, both parties to the contract know that the contract can be terminated. Thus, to a large extent, responsibility begins and ends with our role

ed by the limits of their role in the organisation. This extends beyond the organisation as society evaluates our worth through ‘what we do’ in terms of economic or material exchange.

Whilst individual differences exist in interpreting an organisational role, the parameters of the role will be used as a yardstick whenever either party to the agreement violates the contract. Whatever our commitment to an organisation and our alignment with its values and direction, both parties to the contract know that the contract can be terminated. Thus, to a large extent, responsibility begins and ends with our role

a yardstick whenever either party to the agreement violates the contract. Whatever our commitment to an organisation and our alignment with its values and direction, both parties to the contract know that the contract can be terminated. Thus, to a large extent, responsibility begins and ends with our role.

Despite some alignment between individual and organisational objectives, radically different perspectives exist from the outset. From the perspective of the employer, the individual is a human resource – to the individual, the organisation provides a context through which they realise their livelihood, career, income and identity. Negotiations – both contractually and psychologically – continue, to ensure both parties are reasonably happy with the exchange. When expectations are insufficiently aligned, the contract is usually terminated – in real terms or other forms of psychological withdrawal, indifference or sabotage.

More recently, a major aspect of the psychological contract includes the issue of work-life balance and the organisational response has been to introduce a number of work-life balance initiatives e.g. Flexible working, child-care options, job-sharing etc. Do these initiatives provide a means for individuals to create fulfilled lives or is the system itself fundamentally flawed? If the system of exchange is fundamentally flawed, why is this and what is the solution?

The whole system of social and economic exchange at the level of the individual is based on separation and fragme