Sense of deservingness: what are the entitlement beliefs of students in their anticipatory psychological contract?

Abstract

Without taking the entitlement beliefs and reasons therefore into account when examining the psychological contract of an individual, a full view on the psychological contract and its expected consequences cannot be achieved. Therefore the purpose of the paper was to explore and substantiate themes associated with perceived entitlements and utilise this information to develop a structural model of the anticipatory psychological contract. The findings suggest that there are certain factors that determine an individual’s entitlement beliefs, and in turn that individual’s entitlement beliefs will influence the level of expectation of that individual regarding future employment. By fully comprehending the effects of the entitlement beliefs on the anticipatory psychological contract of prospective employees the organisation may minimise the occurrence of psychological breach or violation, which may decrease new employee turnover.