Disentangling the Relational Approach to Organizational Justice: Meta-Analytic and Field Tests of Distinct Roles of Social Exchange and Social Identity

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Liao, Zhenyu; Wang, Nan; Zhu, Jinlong; Chen, Tingting; Johnson, Russell E.
• 署名单位: Northeastern University; Lingnan University; Renmin University of China; Michigan State University
• 刊物名称: JOURNAL OF APPLIED PSYCHOLOGY
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0021-9010
• DOI: 10.1037/apl0001193
• 发表日期: 2024
• 页码: 1716-1741
• 关键词: ORGANIZATIONAL JUSTICE; social exchange; social identity; relative mediating power

摘要

Social exchange- and social identity-based mechanisms have been commonly juxtaposed as two pivotal proxies of the relational approach for studying organizational justice. Despite their distinct theoretical roots, less is known about whether and how these two proximal mechanisms complement one another in accounting for justice effects on key outcomes. Tracing back to their disparate fundamental premises-reciprocity underpinning social exchanges and oneness underpinning identity construction-we attempt to disentangle the relative mediating effects of these two mechanisms. Our empirical testing hinges on one meta-analytic study with 105 independent samples (N = 29,868), coupled with one preregistered experience-sampling study with 1,941 cross-day observations over 3 weeks from 147 subordinate-supervisor pairs. Overall, we find that exchange-based mechanisms account for more of the indirect effect of justice on task performance, whereas identity-based mechanisms (particularly interdependent identity) account for more of the indirect effect of justice on counterproductive work behavior. Regarding the indirect effect on organizational citizenship behavior, identity-based mechanisms (particularly positive self-evaluations) and exchange-based mechanisms respectively present great utility between the two studies. By providing nuanced insight into the complementary yet distinct nature of these two prominent mechanisms, our research encourages a more granular theoretical approach for studying organizational justice effects.