Episode 064: The Unwritten Deal at Work: Trust, Fairness and Why Women Stay or Leave with Dr. Corina Taban

What keeps someone committed to an organization long after the formal employment contract is signed?In this episode of DBA Chronicles, Dr. Valrie Grant and Dr. Kelly Burich sat down with Dr. Corina Taban, organizational behavior researcher and Founder of 934 Advisors, to explore the psychological contract; the unwritten expectations, promises and obligations that shape the relationship between employees and their organizations.Drawing on her doctoral research examining women managers in Big Tech, Corina introduces the idea of a gendered psychological contract and explores how trust, fairness, reciprocity, loyalty and career expectations can influence whether women remain committed, begin todisengage or ultimately leave.One of the most striking findings from her research is that staying does not necessarily mean an employee believes the relationship is working. Women may continue to perform at a high level, support colleagues and demonstrate commitment even while perceiving a significant imbalance between what they give to an organization and what they receive in return.The conversation also moves beyond retention to ask a more important question: What happens before someone leaves?Corina explains how breaches in the psychological contract can emerge through one significant broken promise orthrough the accumulation of smaller disappointments. When employees stop believing that their contribution is valued, that processes are fair or that the organization has their well-being in mind, their relationship with work can begin to change even if they remain on the payroll.And in the age of AI, that unwritten deal is being rewritten again.Organizations are asking employees to learn new tools, redesign workflows, increase productivity and adapt quickly. But what are employees being offered in return? If becoming more productive simply results in more work, smaller teams or less security, what incentive exists for employees to embrace transformation?Corina challenges leaders to think about reciprocity, not simply adoption.This episode is a conversation for DBA scholars, organizational leaders, managers and anyone thinking seriously about the changing relationship between people, work and technology.Subscribe to DBA Chronicles on Spotify and follow DBA Chronicles on LinkedIn for more conversations at theintersection of research, practice and the DBA journey.Connect with UsLinkedIn: DBA Chronicles Website: ⁠www.dbachronicles.org⁠ Subscribe & ReviewIf you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe to DBAChronicles, leave a review, and share it with fellow researchers, practitioners, educators, and business leaders who believe the best ideas emerge when scholarship meets practice.