مجلة روافد للدراسات و الأبحاث العلمية في العلوم الاجتماعية والإنسانية

Hidden Occupational Deterioration Resulting From Psychological Contract Breach: A Theoretical Proposal For Differentiation From Job Burnout, Quiet Quitting, And Work Alienation

Auteurs : Berbache Dhia Eddine .

Résumé

This theoretical paper addresses hidden occupational deterioration as a proposed pathway differentiated from job burnout, quiet quitting, work alienation, and employee disengagement. It operationally defines hidden occupational deterioration as cumulative erosion of occupational meaning and organizational trust resulting from repeated psychological contract breach, lacking acute emotional exhaustion or a deliberate effort-reduction decision in its first stage, and treated as a probabilistic threshold rather than a closed state foreclosed by burnout's emergence. The paper employs a descriptive-analytical method based on a critical theoretical review of twenty-four peer-reviewed sources: sixteen empirical studies published between 2018 and 2026, six of which were selected for in-depth discussion, and eight foundational theoretical, review, and methodological references. It proposes a dual behavioral indicator—presenteeism co-occurring with organizational silence—justified against three competing alternatives, a probabilistic temporal model with two trajectories, and eight falsifiable propositions. The paper specifies the discriminant validity standard required for empirical demonstration, alongside its limitations, potential objections, and a future research agenda.

Mots clés

Hidden Occupational Deterioration; Job Burnout; Quiet Quitting; Psychological Contract Breach; Organizational Trust.