Family-supportive manager and perceived pregnancy discrimination: psychological contract breach and trust as mediators of remote working mothers’ turnover intentions
Year: 2026
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Introduction The potential impact of remote work on the continuity of women’s careers may be contingent upon managerial attitudes and organizational norms. However, research on pregnant employees and those on post maternity-leave who work remotely has been limited. The present study proposes an integrative model examining the indirect associations of family-supportive manager and perceived pregnancy discrimination with turnover intentions through two mediators: psychological contract breach and organizational trust. Method We conducted an online survey in two waves, with 406 women either pregnant or on post maternity-leave who worked remotely or in a hybrid arrangement. Findings The results show that psychological contract breach mediated the relationship between family-supportive manager and organizational trust (indirect = 0.08, p < 0.05). Similarly, psychological contract breach mediated the relationship between perceived pregnancy discrimination and organizational trust (indirect = −0.19, p < 0.001). Organizational trust mediated the effect of psychological contract breach on turnover intentions (indirect = 0.11, p < 0.01), although the mediation was complementary to the direct effect rather than complete. A complete indirect effect of a family-supportive manager on turnover intentions was found through the combined mediation of psychological contract breach and organizational trust (indirect = −0.07, p < 0.01; indirect = −0.08, p < 0.01; indirect = −0.02, p < 0.01; respectively) and of perceived pregnancy discrimination on turnover intentions through the combined mediation of psychological contract breach and organizational trust (indirect = −0.05, p < 0.01; indirect = 0.16, p < 0.001, respectively). Discussion Theoretically, this study generates new theoretical insights by synthesizing the theories of gendered organizations and work-family boundary. The study offers preliminary insights into the relationship between family-supportive manager and perceived pregnancy discrimination with the psychological contract breach that may result. The study extends previous research on turnover intentions by examining indirect associations linking family-supportive manager and perceived pregnancy discrimination to turnover intentions through psychological contract breach and organizational trust. Practically, this study suggests that family-friendly policies may be effective if, in parallel, organizations redefine their work relations to create a supportive work environment for pregnant and post maternity-leave employees.
Source: Frontiers in Psychology
Authors: Aviv Kidron, Neta Cohen, Michal Gross
Institution: The Max Stern Yezreel Valley College
Language: English
Subfield: Sociology and Political Science
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $3,801
OpenAlex ID: W7221613114