Contingent Employment Contracts: Are Existing Employment Theories Still Relevant?

Within most nations there has been growing evidence of a shift from ‘traditional’ or ongoing employment contracts to arrangements which are more ‘fixed-term’ or ‘contingent’ in structure. The growth of contingent employment arrangements raises questions concerning the applicability of existing theories of individual behaviour (e.g. satisfaction, motivation, etc.). Utilizing ‘employment commitment’ as an illustrative example, this article examines potential limitations in the applicability of commitment theory to different forms of contingent employment contracts. It also addresses some implications for union representation in contingent work arrangements.