A Dynamic Approach to Fairness: Effects of Temporal Changes of Fairness Perceptions on Job Attitudes

Abstract

Purpose: To examine whether and how temporal changes in fairness perceptions are associated with employee attitudes beyond the influence of the current fairness perceptions.

Design/Methodology/Approach: A two-wave longitudinal longitudinal design was used. Data were collected from current employees across a wide variety of business organizations in Hong Kong. A total of 151 survey questionnaires were collected and used for all analyses.

Findings: The changes in fairness perceptions significantly explained the variance in job satisfaction beyond the current fairness perceptions. In addition, the positive changes in fairness perceptions were related to job satisfaction and affective organizational commitment more strongly than did the negative changes.

Implications: The results indicate that to fully understand the impact of justice perceptions, we need to consider not only the current justice perception but also the changes in fairness perceptions. Our findings are also important to developing and refining change theory by suggesting that we need to take into account the nature of the changes when examining the effects of the changes in fairness perceptions.

Originality/Value: This work is one of the few studies that have examined the effects of justice changes incorporating the direction of changes (i.e., the relative impact of positive vs. negative changes in fairness) on employee outcomes and how changes in fairness perceptions are associated with employee attitudes outside the United States.

Keywords: Organizational justice, Changes in fairness perceptions, Job satisfaction, Affective organizational commitment