This chapter presents the findings regarding the hypotheses of this study. Firstly, the descriptive statistics analysis was presented. Secondly, it presented the results of correlation analysis among psychological contract breach, career plateau, and intention to leave. Thirdly, it showed the results of the validity of this study. Fourthly, it included the findings of hypotheses testing by using hierarchical regression analysis.
Descriptive Statistics
The data was collected from 444 banking employees working in 15 different domestic banks in north, central and south Taiwan. To collect the information of the respondents, there were several questions written into demographic information. They were gender, marriage, age, education, position and total tenure in the banking industry. Owing to the characteristics of the banking industry, above half of the 444 participants were female (58.1%). Most of them were single (62.4%) and aged from 26 to 30 years old (37.8%). When it came to the education background, over 65.3%
participants had bachelor degree. Regarding their working position, most of them were first-line employees (85.6%). The participants’ total tenure in banking industry was principally for 1 to 5 years (37.3%). The frequency and percentage of the demographic information are summarized in Table 4.1.
Table 4.1.
Descriptive statistics (n=444)
Frequency Percentage --- Item Frequency Percentage
1. Gender 4. Education plateau, psychological contract breach and intention to leave. The means, standard deviations, reliabilities, and correlations among all of the variables were presented in Table 4.2. Psychological contract breach was positively and significantly related to
intention to leave (r=.47, p<.01). Furthermore, psychological contract breach was positively and significantly related to career plateau (r=.36, p<.0.1) and the two sub-dimensions of career plateau (r=.36, r=.15, p<.01). In addition, career plateau was positively and significantly related to intention to leave (r=.20, p<.01). Also, the two sub-dimensions of career plateau were positively and significantly related to intention to leave (r=.17, r=.12, p<.01).
As for the correlations of control variables, it revealed that age was positively and significantly related to career plateau (r=.15, p<.01) and was negatively and significantly related to intention to leave (r= -.34, p<.01). Education was negatively and significantly related to career plateau (r= -.19, p<.01). Besides, total tenure in the banking industry was positively and significantly related to career plateau (r= .19, p<.01) and was negatively and significantly related to intention to leave (r= -.33, p<.01).
Table 4.2. Mean, standard deviations, correlations, and reliability (n=444)
Notes. Numbers in parentheses represent Cronbach’s alpha value. **p < .01 *p < .05
Mean S.D. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
1. Age (year) 32.25 8.18
2. Education 2.89 0.72 -.40**
3. Total tenure (year) 7.27 7.45 .90** -.36**
4. Psychological contract breach 3.72 1.04 .07 .02 .04 (.86) 5. Career plateau 2.62 0.42 .15** -.19** .19** .36** (.71)
6. Hierarchical career plateau 2.85 0.63 .24** -.19** .27** .36** .81** (.76)
7. Job content career plateau 2.41 0.50 -.04 -.08 -.02 .15** .67** .10* (.71)
8. Intention to leave 4.14 1.51 -.34** .06 -.33** .47** .20** .17** .12** (.88)
Confirmatory Factor Analysis
Before testing the all hypotheses in this study, the confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used to evaluate the measures in this study by using AMOS 18.0. In addition to the chi-square test, the model fit in this study was also examined by different kinds of fit indices, which were root-mean-square error of approximation (RMSEA), Tucker–Lewis non-normed index (TLI), incremental fit index (IFI), and the comparative fit index (CFI). A good model fit was presented when RMSEA was below .08 (Browne & Cudeck, 1993) and TLI, IFI and CFI scores were above .90 (Byrne, 1998).
Psychological contract breach was tested by 5 items and the fit indexes were presented as follows: Chi-square (χ2)=6.35, RMSEA=.04, CFI=.92, NFI=.93, IFI=.96, TLI=.94, GFI=.96. The original 12 items of career plateau was divided into two parcels. The chi-square (χ2) of career plateau was 134.18, while the other fit indexes were: RMSEA=.06, CFI=.96, NFI=.94, IFI=.96, TLI=.95, GFI=.95. The variables in this study all presented good fit indexes and it confirmed the validity of the measure.
Table 4.3.
Results of confirmatory factor analysis (n=444)
χ² df χ²/df RMSEA CFI NFI IFI TLI GFI
Psychological contract breach 6.35 4 1.59 .04 .92 .93 .96 .94 .96
Career plateau 134.18 51 2.63 .06 .96 .94 .96 .95 .95
Notes. RMSEA = Root Mean Square Error of Approximation; CFI = Comparative Fit Index; NFI = Normed Fit Index; IFI = Incremental Fit Index; TLI = Taker–Lewis Index, GFI = Goodness of Fit Index
Hierarchical Regression Analysis Psychological contract breach and intention to leave
The hypothesis was tested via hierarchical linear regression analysis and the result was summarized in Table 4.4. In the first step, the control variables such as age, education and total tenure, were added, In the second step, the independent variable was entered in order to test the hypothesis. Hypothesis 1 proposed that psychological contract breach had a positive effect on intention to leave. In Model 2, psychological contract breach was added to examine its relationship with intention to leave. The result showed that psychological contract breach was significantly and positively related to intention to leave (β=.50, p<.001). Therefore, psychological contract breach had a positive effect on intention to leave. It implied that employees with higher psychological contract breach at workplace, they have higher intention to leave their present workplace. Thus, Hypothesis 1 was supported.
Table 4.4.
Results of regression analysis for career plateau (n=444)
Note. ***p < .001 **p < .01 *p < .05
Moderating effect of career plateau on the relationship between psychological contract breach and intention to leave
Hypothesis 2 predicted that career plateau positively moderates the relationship between psychological contract breach and intention to leave. In order to test the moderating effect of career plateau, the three steps were conducted. In step 1, the control variables such as age, education and total tenure were entered. In step 2, the independent variable and moderating variable were entered. In step 3, the interaction term was entered and the beta coefficient as well as the significance of the interaction was examined. Table 4.5 summarized the regression results of testing Hypothesis 2.
Model 3 presented that the interaction of psychological contract breach and career plateau was significant on intention to leave as the dependent variable, and the
Variable
beta coefficient was positive (β=.26, p<.05). In other words, Hypothesis 2 was supported. It meant that the degree of career plateau would moderate the relationship between psychological contract breach and intention to leave.
To discover in detail about whether both two sub-dimensions of career plateau have moderating effects on the relationship between psychological contract breach and intention to leave, the same three steps were entered as well. In Step 1, control variables were entered. In step 2, the independent variable and moderating variable were entered. In step 3, the interaction was entered and the beta coefficient as well as the significance of the interactional was examined.
Table 4.6 summarized the regression results of testing Hypothesis 2a. Hypothesis 2a predicted that hierarchical career plateau positively moderates the relationship psychological contract breach between and intention to leave. Model 3 presented that the interaction of psychological contract breach and hierarchical career plateau was significant on intention to leave as the dependent variable, and the beta coefficient was positive (β=.16, p<.05). In other words, Hypothesis 2a was supported. It meant that the degree of hierarchical career plateau would moderate the relationship psychological contract breach between and intention to leave.
Table 4.7 summarized the regression results of testing Hypothesis 2b. Hypothesis 2b predicted that job content career plateau positively moderates the relationship psychological contract breach between and intention to leave. However, Model 3 presented that the interaction of psychological contract breach and job content career plateau was not significant on intention to leave as the dependent variable. In other words, Hypothesis 2b was not supported. Thus, only Hypothesis 2 and Hypothesis 2a were supported.
Table 4.5.
Result of hierarchical regression analyses for career plateau as a moderator (n=444)
Note. ***p < .001 **p < .01 *p < .05
PCB= Psychological contract breach, CP= Career plateau Variables
Table 4.6.
Result of hierarchical regression analyses for hierarchical career plateau as a moderator (n=444)
Note. ***p < .001 **p < .01 *p < .05
PCB= Psychological contract breach, HCP= Hierarchical career plateau Variables
Table 4.7.
Result of hierarchical regression analyses for job content career plateau as a moderator (n=444)
Note. ***p < .001 **p < .01 *p < .05
PCB= Psychological contract breach, JCP= Job content career plateau Variables
To interpret the moderating effect in detail, career plateau was divided into high and low level group based on the mean. Figure 4.1 showed the interactional graphs between psychological contract breach and career plateau. As expected, psychological contract breach had a relatively more positive effect on intention to leave for individuals with higher career plateau; however, psychological contract breach had a more slightly positive effect on intention to leave for individual with lower career plateau. All in all, career plateau showed significantly positive moderating effect between psychological contract breach and intention to leave.
In conclusion, the summary of hypotheses testing results was shown in Table 4.8
Figure 4.1. Interaction plots for the moderating effects of career plateau
Figure 4.2. Interaction plots for the moderating effects of hierarchical career plateau
Table 4.8.
Result of hypotheses testing
Hypotheses Result
H 1. Psychological contract breach is positively associated with intention to leave.
Supported
H 2. Career plateau positively moderates the relationship between psychological contract breach and intention to leave.
Higher career plateau strengthens the relationship between psychological contract breach and intention to leave.
Supported
H 2a. Hierarchical career plateau positively moderates the relationship between psychological contract breach and intention to leave.
Higher hierarchical career plateau strengthens the relationship between psychological contract breach and intention to leave.
Supported
H 2b. Job content career plateau positively moderates the relationship between psychological contract breach and intention to leave.
Higher job content career plateau strengthens the relationship between psychological contract breach and intention to leave.
Not Supported