Relative effects of procedural and distributive justice on employee attitudes.

Abstract

This study investigated the relative influence of two aspects of fairness, procedural and distributive justice, on two employee attitudes: organizational commitment and satisfaction with pay. Hierarchical regression analysis of data from 36 employees from one organization indicated that the variance in organizational commitment was uniquely associated with procedural factors, whereas the variance in satisfaction with pay was uniquely associated with distributive factors. Thibaut and Walker's (1975) pioneering studies of procedural justice examined the alternative dispute-resolution models used most frequently in legal settings. A number of their investigations concerned the objective functioning of these competing models of the legal process; that is, an examination of how actual decisions varied as a result of using different procedures. At the same time, they also noted the importance of other considerations. However, this kind of information about what actually happens can provide, in our opinion, only a partial basis for selecting a dispute-resolution model to serve a particular purpose. It is also necessary to know how each of the possible procedural choices is perceived and evaluated by persons subject to the process and by other persons who may at some future time have their rights decided in a similar setting. This subjective measure is crucial because one of the major aims of the legal process is to resolve conflicts in such a way as to bind up the social fabric and encourage the continuation of productive exchange between individuals. (p. 67) This passage emphasizes that favorable subjective evaluations of dispute-resolution methods - perceptions of procedural fairness are central to the operation of the legal system. l.ndeed, such evaluations areessential to theallegiance, commitment, and loyalty of citizens necessary for a society grounded in law. Continued support for the legal system hinges on the perceived fairness of the Procedures used to make judgments. The present study addresses an analogous situation in business organizations. Many decisions in such organizations (e.g., promotions, raises) involve judging people, a process typicaliy called Performance appraisai. We are interested in the perceived procedural justice of performance appraisals. We suggest that these Perceptions have a strong impact on the level of commitment

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