Deborah E. Rupp

The mediating effects of social exchange relationships in predicting workplace outcomes from multifoci organizational justice

This study tests a social exchange model of multifoci justice. We compared perceptions of justice emanating from the supervisor to those emanating from the organization as a whole. In presenting our model, we hypothesize that the link between multifoci justice and multifoci outcomes (e.g. performance and OCB) is mediated by the formation of multifoci social exchange relationships. We further expected organizationally focused justice and relationships to predict organizationally relevant outcomes and supervisory focused justice and relationships to predict both supervisory and organizationally relevant outcomes. Findings generally supported our expectations, but more so for interactional justice and less so for procedural justice.

Taking a Multifoci Approach to the Study of Justice, Social Exchange, and Citizenship Behavior: The Target Similarity Model†:

An emerging trend within the organizational justice, social exchange, and organizational citizenship behavior literatures is that employees maintain distinct perceptions about, and direct different attitudes and behaviors toward, multiple foci such as the organization, supervisors, and coworkers. However, these multifoci developments have progressed, for the most part, independently of one another. Thus, to gain a more complete conceptualization of the employee experience, this review brings these respective literatures together. Specifically, the authors (a) review and organize multifoci research and theory in justice, social exchange, and citizenship behavior, (b) develop a “target similarity” model to provide a theoretical framework for conceptualizing and integrating multifoci research, and (c) o fer suggestions for future multifoci research.

The impact of justice climate and justice orientation on work outcomes: a cross-level multifoci framework.

In this article, which takes a person-situation approach, the authors propose and test a cross-level multifoci model of workplace justice. They crossed 3 types of justice (procedural, informational, and interpersonal) with 2 foci (organization and supervisor) and aggregated to the group level to create 6 distinct justice climate variables. They then tested for the effects of these variables on either organization-directed or supervisor-directed commitment, satisfaction, and citizenship behavior. The authors also tested justice orientation as a moderator of these relationships. The results, based on 231 employees constituting 44 work groups representing multiple organizations and occupations, revealed that 4 forms of justice climate (organization-focused procedural and informational justice climate and supervisor-focused procedural and interpersonal justice climate) were significantly related to various work outcomes after controlling for corresponding individual-level justice perceptions. In addition, some moderation effects were found. Implications for organizations and future research are discussed.

Three roads to organizational justice

In this paper, we review current theoretical thinking about organizational justice. We contend that there are three major perspectives for understanding why justice perceptions predict work-relevant criteria: (a) an instrumental approach which emphasizes gains and losses, (b) an inter-personal approach which emphasizes the nature of the relationships among individuals and organizations, and (c) a moral principles approach which emphasizes commitment to ethical standards. We review each of these perspectives, identify the many conceptual frameworks that underlie each approach, and describe both common themes and gaps that exist between the three approaches.

When customers lash out : The effects of customer interactional injustice on emotional labor and the mediating role of discrete emotions

Using affective events theory to integrate multifoci justice and emotional labor (EL), this lab study examined the effects of customer interactional justice on EL perceived by both the self and others. Participants played the role of customer-service representatives in a workplace simulation and were exposed to either interactionally fair or unfair customers. Results showed that unfairly treated participants engaged in higher levels of EL and found it more difficult to comply with display rules than did participants who were fairly treated. The above link was partially mediated by anger. Our findings suggest that customers are a viable source of justice, and customer behavior impacts the effort required of service workers to adhere to organizationally sanctioned emotional display rules.

Organization structure and fairness perceptions: The moderating effects of organizational level

Abstract This research explores the relationship between organizational structure and fairness perceptions. We hypothesized that several dimensions of organizational structure (centralization, formalization, size, and vertical complexity) would influence perceptions of distributive, procedural, and interactional fairness. Further, drawing on social exchange theory, we predict that organizational level will moderate the relationships between structure and fairness perceptions. In particular, we predicted that the effects of structure on justice perceptions would be stronger for individuals at lower organizational levels and weaker for those at higher levels. Results from a sample of 212 participants from 45 departments across 35 work organizations generally supported our predictions. Organizational structure—in particular centralization and formalization—exerted main effects on perceptions of distributive, procedural, and interactional justice. Organizational level was negatively related to both distributive and procedural justice. Finally, as hypothesized, organizational level moderated several of the relationships between structural dimensions and the three types of justice.

The Multidimensional Nature of Ageism: Construct Validity and Group Differences

The authors investigated the factor structure and construct validity of the Fraboni Scale of Ageism (FSA; M. Fraboni, R. Saltstone, & S. Hughes, 1990) and the age and gender differences in ageism scores. Confirmatory factor analyses supported the multidimensional nature of FSA scores and generally corroborated the initial factor structure reported by M. Fraboni, with some notable exceptions. Essentially, the present findings were aligned with theoretical models of ageism that emphasize both cognitive facets and affective facets. That is, on the basis of their factor analytic findings, the authors redefined Frabonis original factors of Antilocution, Avoidance, and Discrimination as Stereotypes, Separation, and Affective Attitudes, respectively, because of the clustering of items within factors. The revised 3-factor structure accounted for 36.4% of the variance in FSA scores. FSA factor scores significantly related to other scores from other measures of age-related attitudes, with higher correlations among factors that were similar in terms of their cognitive nature versus their affective nature. Finally, younger individuals and men had significantly higher ageism scores on the FSA than older individuals and women. The authors discussed the importance of adequately assessing ageism, with particular emphasis devoted to the understanding of age bias.

An employee-centered model of organizational justice and social responsibility

This paper reviews recent research within the area of organizational justice. It argues that a key element of the employee experience is the formation of perceptions about how both the self and others are treated by organizational stakeholders, as well as the level of dignity and respect bestowed by the organization to external groups. Employees, therefore, look in, around, and out, in order to comprehend their working experiences, and depend on these judgments to navigate the organizational milieu. A full understanding of justice phenomena requires consideration of individual differences; contextual influences; affective, cognitive, and social processes; as well as a person-centric orientation that allows for both time and memory to influence the social construction of worker phenomena.This paper reviews recent research within the area of organizational justice. It argues that a key element of the employee experience is the formation of perceptions about how both the self and others are treated by organizational stakeholders, as well as the level of dignity and respect bestowed by the organization to external groups. Employees, therefore, look in, around, and out, in order to comprehend their working experiences, and depend on these judgments to navigate the organizational milieu. A full understanding of justice phenomena requires consideration of individual differences; contextual influences; affective, cognitive, and social processes; as well as a person-centric orientation that allows for both time and memory to influence the social construction of worker phenomena.

How leaders cultivate social capital and nurture employee vigor: implications for job performance.

This study examined how leader relational behaviors (i.e., relational leadership) cultivate bonding social capital among organizational members and the way bonding social capital augments feelings of vigor at work. In addition, the authors examined how vigor enhances employee job performance. Using a sample of 209 participants in Israeli community centers, the results of structural equation modeling indicate a 2-stage mediation model in which leader relational behaviors are positively related to bonding social capital; this, in turn, results in feelings of vigor, which are positively associated with manager ratings of employee job performance.

Employee Justice Across Cultures: A Meta-Analytic Review

This article explores the moderating influence of Hofstede’s cultural dimensions (individualism/collectivism, masculinity/femininity, uncertainty avoidance, and power distance) on the relationship between justice perceptions and both supervisor- and employer-related outcomes. The integration of justice theories with Hofstede’s national culture typology implies multiple, and potentially competing, propositions regarding the impact of culture on justice effects. To sort out these issues, the authors present meta-analytic findings summarizing data from 495 unique samples, representing over 190,000 employees working in 32 distinct countries and regions. Results indicate that justice effects are strongest among nations associated with individualism, femininity, uncertainty avoidance, and low power distance. The authors discuss these findings in terms of the practice of justice across cultures.