Is More Fairness Always Preferred? Self-Esteem Moderates Reactions to Procedural Justice

Abstract

Organizational justice researchers have demonstrated that employees are more committed to organizations they believe treat them fairly. Drawing on self-verification theory, five studies showed that the positive relationship between procedural justice and commitment was eliminated among those with low self-esteem. Moreover, results of one study showed that this effect occurred only when self-verification strivings were likely to be salient (i.e., when employees expected their relationships with their organization to be relatively enduring). Finally, an experiment provided evidence that participants' experience of self-verification (feeling known and understood) mediated the interactive effect of procedural justice and self-esteem on their organizational commitment.