5 (LO7)

• feelings of injustice occur regularly in the workplace.
• three most common varieties of justice

  1. Distributive justice.​

  2. Procedural justice.​

  3. Interactional justice.
• Organizational Justice​



  The perception that appropriate formal or informal rules have been applied to the situation.
• Distributive justice



  The perception that appropriate decision criteria (rules) have been applied to calculate how various benefits and burdens are distributed.
• Distributive justice



  These criteria— such as effort, need, or membership— determine how much each personshould receive, such as higher pay, more tedious tasks, better workspace, and so on.
• Procedural justice



  The perception that appropriate procedural rules have been applied throughout the decisionprocess.
• Procedural justice tends to be higher, for example,when the decision maker demonstrates neutrality (no favouritism), allows everyone involved to have their say, and allows an appeal of the decision.
• Interactional justice



  The perception that appropriate rules have been applied in the way the people involved are treated throughout the decision process.
• For example, we believe there is interactional justice when the decision maker is polite toward the potential beneficiaries and is honest and candid in providing information about the decision.
• equality principle



  is applied, for instance, when everyone gets subsidized meals in the company cafeteria.
• need principle



  we believe that those with the greatest needshould receive more outcomes than those with less need
• need principle



  An example of this principle is the practiceof giving employees who are ill paid time off to recover.
• equity principle



  states that the benefits people receive should be in proportion to what they contribute to the organization
• equity principle



  relates to the most common set of distributive justice rules in organizational settings
• equity theory



  theory explaining how people develop perceptions of fairness in the distribution and exchange of resources.
• employees determine whether a decisionis equitable by comparing their own outcome/input ratio to the outcome/input ratio of another person or group
• outcome/input ratio



  value of the outcomes you receive divided by the value of the inputs you provide in the exchange relationship
• Inputs



  include such things as skill, effort, reputation, performance, experience, and hours worked
• Outcomes



  are what employees receive from the organization, such as pay, promotions, recognition, interesting jobs, and opportunities to improve one’s skills and knowledge.
• comparison other



  A central feature of equity theory is that individuals determine fairness
• Comparison other



  might be another person or group of people in other jobs
• In the equity condition, people believe that their outcome/input ratio is similar to the ratio of the comparison other.
• The comparison of our own outcome/input ratio with the ratio of someone else results in perceptions of equity, underreward inequity, or overreward inequity.
• In the underreward inequity situation, people believe their outcome/input ratio is lower than the comparison other’s ratio.
• In the overreward inequity condition, people believe their outcome/input ratio is higher than the comparison other’s ratio.
• inequity tension


  When people believe they are under- or overrewarded, they experience negative emotions
• emotions


  are the engines of motivation.
• In the case of inequity, people are motivated to reduce the emotional tension.
• Ways to try to reduce the inequity tension

  1. Reduce our inputs

  2. Increase our outcomes

  3. Increase the comparison of other's inputs

  4. Reduce comparison other's outputs/outcomes

  5. Change our perceptions/beliefs

  6. Change comparison other

  7. Leave the field
• Reduce our inputs


  So the outcome/input ratio is similar to that of the higher-paid co-worker
• Increase our outcomes


  Some people who think they are underpaid ask for a pay raise
• Increase the comparison of other's inputs


  We might subtly ask the better-paid co-worker to do a larger share of the work
• Reduce comparison other's outputs/outcomes


  This might occur by ensuring that the co-worker gets less desirable jobs or working conditions
• Change our perceptions/beliefs


  We might believe that the co-worker really is providing more inputs (e.g., working longer hours) for that higher pay
• Change comparison other


  Instead of comparing ourselves with the higher-paid co-worker, we might increasingly compare with a friend or neighbour who works in a similar job
• Leave the field


  This occurs by moving to another department, joining another company, or keeping away from the work site where the higher paid co-worker is located
• Equity theory


  quite successful at understanding (usually

  in hindsight) why people feel unfairly rewarded
• Open communication


  important because it lets decision makers know from the employees affected whether they believe decisions are unfair.
• 2 problems in evaluating equity theory

  1. people vary in their choice of comparison other and which inputs or outcomes are most valuable
  2. equity theory accounts for only some of our feelings of fairness in the workplace.
• Procedural and interactional justice


  can be just as important as distributive justice.