The psychological contract and volunteering: a systematic review

<p dir="ltr">This paper explores the use of the concept of the psychological contract in investigating the experience of volunteers and its potential to help develop strategies to attract, retain, and support volunteers and the mission of non-profit organizations who their efforts support, through a systematic review of what we know about the psychological contract in relation to volunteers.</p><p dir="ltr">Following the PRISMA, PIECES, and Warwick protocols, we conducted a search of empirical research in business and broader social sciences and humanities databases. From the initial 6,042 studies reviewed, 29 met the inclusion criteria that focused on peer-reviewed journal articles published in English. The research questions and findings investigated by these studies were categorized using Alcover, Rico, Turnley, and Bolino's (2017) multiple-exchange model of the PC: PC formation and development, information-seeking behavior, identification (of the nature of the PC), PC fulfillment, and PC breach. </p><p dir="ltr">We propose new directions for research on PC and volunteering, including suggestions for research methods and contexts.</p>