Survivor Responses to the Impact of Downsizing Experience in Nigeria

The purpose of this research is to investigate the effect of breaches psychological contract on survivor first-line managers during organisational downsizing in Nigeria. Secondly, the influence of national culture on their responses to such perceived breaches. Psychological contract PC is an important concept in understanding work relationships, and the obvious impact the construt has on organisational outcomes (Zhao et al., 2007). It is described as a mental model or schema which helps individuals to understand and interprete employment relationships (Rousseau, 1989). The study of PC has increased in recent times because of increasing emphasis on lean management or cost cutting which usually result in perception of breach (Datta et al., 2010). In the past, researches on psychological contract have focused on the understanding of the conditions under which perception of breach arise; the conditions under which perceptions of breach are stronger or weaker; and the conditions that mediate the effects and feeling of breach (Zhao et al., 2007).