What Was Promised, What Was Felt: Psychological Contract Fulfillment and Affective Commitment among Probationary Employees in the Philippines Service Contracting Industry

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difficult: what happens to commitment when the promises made at the margins of employment are either honored or quietly withdrawn?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.