The Role of Procedural Justice in Public Personnel Management: Empirical Results from the Department of Defense

Abstract

This article examines the relationship between federal employee perceptions of procedural justice and work satisfaction rates, turnover intentions, and the degree to which employees trust their managers. As the federal government considers reforming the civil service system, including changes to the procedures used to discipline employees and resolve grievances, understanding these relationships becomes particularly important. Analysis of Department of Defense data from the 2002 Federal Human Capital Survey indicates a significant, positive relationship between procedural justice perceptions, satisfaction rates, and trust in management. Likewise, a significant and negative relationship exists between procedural justice perceptions and turnover intentions. Interestingly, given similar levels of procedural justice perceptions, managers exhibit lower levels of satisfaction and trust and higher turnover intentions. This study provides an important benchmark for Defense and other agencies that are redesigning personnel systems and serves as a caution against implementing systems that employees may not view as either legitimate or just.

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