The Causes of Violations

When the Psychological Contract is Broken

Violations can take many forms:

Inadvertent violation occurs when both parties are willing and able to keep their part of the bargain, but conflicting interpretations lead one party to act in a manner at odds with the understanding of the other. An example of such a violation would be two people who misconstrue the time of a meeting and therefore fail their commitment to attend.

Disruption to the contract occurs when circumstances make it impossible for one or both parties to satisfy their part of the contract, despite the fact that they are willing to do so. For example, unexpected heavy traffic could prevent an employee from arriving at work on time.

Breach of contract occurs when one individual, who is capable of implementing the contract, refuses to do so and thereby intentionally creates a violation.

Rousseau proposes that it is the interpretation of the cause or source of these types of violation which influences how the violation is experienced and consequently how the victims behave in response.