How psychological contract unreplicability fosters employee well-being in worker cooperatives: The mediating role of meaningful work

Abstract

Worker cooperatives are increasingly regarded as environments conducive to workplace wellbeing. However, empirical research on the mechanisms underlying it remains scarce. This quantitative study examines how the distinctiveness of employment relationships influences two key dimensions of well-being at work: hedonic (the prevalence of positive over negative emotions) and eudaemonic (a sense of personal fulfillment). More precisely, we focus on psychological contract (PC) unreplicability, defined as the extent to which employees perceive that their current PC would be difficult to obtain in other organizations. Survey data from 510 employees in French worker cooperatives distinguish between relational PC (intangible, socioemotional rewards such as support and solidarity) and transactional PC (tangible, material benefits such as pay or training). Results show that relational PC unreplicability is strongly and positively related to both dimensions of well-being, with meaningful work partially mediating these relationships. In contrast, transactional PC unreplicability is only weakly related to eudaimonic well-being and shows no significant association with hedonic well-being or meaningful work. By situating the psychological contract within a comparative labor market perspective, this study underscores that fostering socio-emotional benefits perceived as rare and difficult to replicate externally, can strengthen meaning and ultimately enhance employee well-being in worker cooperatives.