Does Organizational Justice Matter? Implications for Construction Workers' Organizational Commitment

Ying Yi Chih, Kohyar Kiazad, David Cheng, Alessandra Capezio, Simon Lloyd D. Restubog

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Despite the empirical linkage between employees' organizational commitment and their positive work outcomes (e.g., reduced turnover and enhanced productivity), very little is known in the construction literature and practice about the antecedents of construction workers' organizational commitment. Thus, this research extends employee commitment scholarship to the construction context to investigate the interactive effects of workers' perceived organizational injustice and tenure on their subsequent organizational commitment, via the mediating role of psychological strain. Longitudinal data from 179 construction workers revealed that worker's perceived organizational injustice increased their psychological strain, which, in turn, reduced their organizational commitment. This indirect negative effect of organizational injustice on organizational commitment via psychological strain was found to be stronger for less-tenured workers. Thus, to promote and maintain a committed workforce, construction organizations should ensure their organizational routines, procedures, and supervisory practices enhance workers' perceptions of fairness. This research contributes to the body of knowledge by identifying processes through which workers' organizational commitment can be eroded (or strengthened), enriching the understanding of the social-psychological aspects of performance management.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Article number04016043
JournalJournal of Management in Engineering
Volume33
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - Mar 1 2017
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Construction workers
  • Labor and personnel issues
  • Organizational commitment
  • Organizational justice
  • Psychological strain

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Industrial relations
  • General Engineering
  • Strategy and Management
  • Management Science and Operations Research

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Does Organizational Justice Matter? Implications for Construction Workers' Organizational Commitment'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this