Why Justice Matters. Determinants and Consequences of Organizational Justice

Organizational justice research identified a broad set of possible emotional, attitudinal and behavioral consequences to justice perceptions. Empirical evidence of these relationships strongly emphasizes the importance of justice concerns for organizations. Mainly discussed are behavioral reactions to justice, categorized in organizational citizenship behavior, task performance and counterproductive work behavior. Several theoretical approaches offer deeper understanding into why these consequences may occur, and facilitate accurate predictions. In order to clarify what individuals perceive as just in organizations, scholars identified different dimensions of justice. Taken together, the field of organizational justice research offers valuable insights for practical application. These conceptualizations of consequences, underlying processes and the sources of justice perceptions can serve as a practical valuable guideline for organizations. Thus, it helps companies to identify reasons for beneficial and harming employee behavior and points out ways to foster employee’s organizational support.