Blended teams in a changing workplace: how permanent employees perceive collaboration with non-permanent workers

Abstract

Introduction This study examines how permanent employees perceive collaboration with non-permanent workers in blended teams, drawing on Psychological Contract (PC) theory and signaling theory. In view of the challenges facing the world of work, the need for flexible work is evident. Organizations depend on non-permanent workers to lower financial risks, to achieve flexibility, and to access specific expertise. However, few studies have looked at permanent employees in blended teams and their collaboration with non-permanent workers. Methods We explored this issue in a mixed-methods study across six Swiss organizations. Study 1 surveyed 878 permanent employees to examine associations between the perceived proportion of non-permanent workers in the team and organizational trust, job insecurity, and team commitment, and to test perceived organizational support (POS) as a moderator. Study 2 comprised qualitative interviews with 22 survey participants to explore how permanent employees interpret collaboration with non-permanent workers in their everyday work experiences. Results Study 1 showed that the perceived proportion of non-permanent workers in the team was not significantly related to permanent employees' organizational trust, job insecurity, or team commitment in our cross-sectional analyses. However, POS moderated the relationship with organizational trust. Study 2 identified seven key themes and 15 sub-themes characterizing how permanent employees interpret collaboration with non-permanent workers. Discussion Collaboration with non-permanent workers is perceived as ambivalent rather than uniformly positive or negative; for example, it may be perceived as reducing workload as well as creating additional workload. However, organizational and managerial conditions seem to shape these perceptions. By integrating PC theory with signaling theory, we provide a more detailed explanation under which conditions collaboration is perceived as a signal of support or replaceability, and how this shapes permanent employees' employment relationship.