Editorial summary. This is our text summary of an article published by frontiers-orgpsych. Charts, figures, and the author’s full voice are at the original — read it there .
Editorial verdict
Methodologically sound mixed-methods study with null quantitative findings redeemed by rich qualitative insight — the ambivalence finding is credible, but Swiss-specific context and broad categorisation of non-permanent workers limit generalisability.
Executive summary
This article examines how permanent employees perceive collaboration with non-permanent workers in blended teams, a topic of growing relevance as organisations increasingly rely on flexible workforce arrangements. Drawing on Psychological Contract theory and signaling theory, the authors hypothesise that higher proportions of non-permanent workers negatively affect permanent employees' organisational trust, job insecurity, and team commitment, with Perceived Organisational Support (POS) as a moderator. Using a mixed-methods design across six Swiss organisations, Study 1 surveyed 878 permanent employees and Study 2 conducted 22 semi-structured interviews. Quantitative results yielded no significant main effects for the hypothesised relationships; however, POS moderated the association between non-permanent worker proportion and organisational trust at low POS levels. Qualitative analysis identified seven themes revealing that collaboration is experienced ambivalently — non-permanent workers simultaneously reduce workload and introduce burdens such as onboarding demands and increased responsibility. Outcomes were more strongly shaped by organisational conditions, communication quality, and the perceived rationale for non-permanent hiring than by team composition alone. The study advances understanding by centring permanent employees' perspectives and demonstrating that blended team outcomes are highly context-dependent.
Key insights
- 1The proportion of non-permanent workers in a team does not directly or uniformly affect permanent employees' organisational trust, job insecurity, or team commitment — contextual conditions mediate these relationships.
- 2Perceived Organisational Support (POS) moderates the relationship between non-permanent worker proportion and organisational trust: negative associations emerge only when POS is low, suggesting that organisational signals of support buffer potential negative interpretations of blended team composition.
- 3Permanent employees' experiences of collaboration are inherently ambivalent — non-permanent workers are valued for workload reduction and expertise but simultaneously generate burdens including onboarding demands, responsibility for others' errors, and administrative overhead from restricted system access.
Practical takeaways
- Organisations that communicate clearly about the rationale for non-permanent hiring — distinguishing workload management or expertise acquisition from cost-cutting — appear to generate more positive permanent employee interpretations of blended team composition.
- Structured integration practices such as buddy systems, internal flexible worker pools, and supervisor-led expectation management are associated with more positive collaboration experiences in blended teams across occupational groups.
Frameworks mentioned
Psychological Contract Theory
A framework distinguishing relational and transactional employment relationships used to explain how permanent and non-permanent workers operate under divergent mutual obligations, affecting group cohesiveness and commitment.
Social Exchange Theory
A theoretical lens applied to interpret how perceived organisational support shapes permanent employees' reciprocal attitudes and behaviours toward their organisation in blended team contexts.
Signaling Theory
Used to explain how HR practices — including the composition of blended teams — convey signals to permanent employees about organisational priorities, stability, and appreciation.
Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) Model
Referenced as a theoretical resource framing workload and support dynamics relevant to permanent employees' experiences in blended teams.
References
- Eisenberger et al. (1986).Perceived Organisational Support (POS scale).
- Bakker & Demerouti. Job Demands-Resources Model.
- George et al.. Blended workgroups framework.
- Greenhalgh & Rosenblatt. Job insecurity conceptualisation.
- Connelly & Gallagher. Contingent and temporary work arrangements.
- Cappelli & Keller. Contingent and temporary work arrangements.
- Rousseau. Psychological contract theory.
- Blau. Social Exchange Theory.
- Colquitt. Organisational justice scale.
- Sverke et al.. Job insecurity meta-analysis.
Source & Provenance
frontiers-orgpsych
Martina Zölch
August 4, 2026
Research Study
Europe
Original source metadata is preserved. AI analysis is generated separately.
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