Event justice and social entity justice: A cross-lagged analysis

ABSTRACT
This study aimed to examine the directionality of the relationship between event justice and social entity justice. Using two samples and a cross-lagged panel analysis with two measurement times, social entity justice was found to predict event justice (procedural, distributive, interpersonal and informational justice event), supporting the top-down process.

PRESS PARAGRAPH
The life of organizations is punctuated by a wide range of managerial decisions (e.g., hiring, performance appraisal or organizational change). Facing such events, employees evaluate the fairness of the situation experienced. However, little is known about how employees develop justice judgments. This study shows that employees’ fairness perceptions about their organization influence their interpretation of the fairness of subsequent events involving the organization. Building and fostering a climate of justice is therefore of primary importance for organizations, since global fairness perceptions about the organization may help employees to perceive a specific event, such as a managerial decision, as being fair.