The tremors of interconnected triggers over time: How psychological contract breach can erupt

Adopting an intra-individual process, we explore the dynamics that underlie emergence of a psychological contract breach. Thirty-seven unique storylines expose how selected stimuli shake employees' contracts to attention and give rise perceptions breach as result iterative process disrupting (introducing triggers prompt shift from automatic processing conscious terms), appraisal (revealing elements—goals, attribution, fairness, resources—playing role in appraising making sense triggers), (problem-focused emotion-focused) coping. We discuss implications accounting for absence discrete event draw on selective theory differentiate when become with capacity activate contract. extend existing research by revealing triggers, their interconnectedness play cognition breach, building up pressure until threshold has been surpassed is perceived. Our study highlights need managers use strategies deescalate accumulation triggers.