Abstract:
A question both simple and difficult: what happens to commitment when the promises
made at the margins of employment are either honored or quietly withdrawn? Set within the
subcontracting industry of Metro Manila’s logistics and construction sectors, this study explores
how psychological contract fulfillment (PCF) by contractors relates to the affective commitment
(AC) of probationary employees. Drawing from Psychological Contract Theory and the
Affective Commitment component of Meyer and Allen’s Organizational Commitment Theory,
the study employed a quantitative comparative case design involving 200 probationary
employees evenly distributed across the logistics and construction sectors. Results revealed a
moderately high level of affective commitment, with a strong, positive, and statistically
significant correlation between PCF and AC (Spearman’s ρ = 0.771, p < 0.001). Although
participants in the logistics sector reported slightly higher perceptions of PCF, no significant
difference was found in the strength of the PCF–AC relationship between the two industries.
These results affirm the enduring role of perceived reciprocity in relation to affective
commitment even in contexts marked by impermanence and employment precarity. Beyond the
empirical outcomes, the study invites deeper consideration of the embedded relational continuity
between reciprocity and commitment in precarious work, particularly for those whose presence
within the organization remains provisional.
