Psychological Contracts and Why They Matter in Global Mobility

Episode Description 
In this episode, Ben explores the concept of psychological contracts and why they are central to understanding success and failure in global mobility assignments. The episode explains what psychological contracts are, how they form, and why they are particularly fragile in expatriate contexts. Drawing on current research and ongoing work in this area, it highlights why managing expectations is just as important as managing policies and processes.

What This Episode Covers
• what psychological contracts are and how they differ from formal contracts

• how unwritten expectations shape employee behavior and commitment

• why expatriate assignments intensify psychological contracts

• key moments where psychological contracts are most vulnerable in global mobility

• why many global mobility challenges are relational rather than technical

Key Insight
Many global mobility problems are not caused by poor policy or weak processes, but by misaligned or unspoken expectations. Psychological contract breaches can undermine trust, commitment, and performance long before issues become visible in formal metrics.

Why This Matters
As global mobility becomes more complex and less linear, organisations that understand and actively manage psychological contracts will be better positioned to retain talent, support expatriates effectively, and create sustainable mobility programs.

Host 
Hosted by Benjamin Bader, Professor of International HRM and co-founder of MasteringGM®.

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