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This study tested a multidimensional model of organizational justice in the context of contingent employment. Based on previous conceptual and empirical research, the authors generated the following predictions. First, they predicted that the data would be consistent with a four-factor model of organizational justice, including distributive, procedural, interpersonal, and informational justice. Second, distributive justice was expected to predict outcome satisfaction. Third, procedural justice was expected to predict commitment to the temporary organization, though the authors anticipated that this relationship would be mediated by perceived organizational support. Finally, informational and interpersonal justice were thought to predict commitment to one's staffing agent, but this effect was expected to be mediated by trust. These predictions were tested on a sample of 162 employees of a temporary staffing agency. Findings generally supported the predictions, though there were also some unexpected results.
Keywords: organizational justice; social exchange theory; affective commitment; temporary employment
Although individuals certainly care about the economic value of their receipts, employees are also attentive to the justice with which allocation decisions are made. Generally speaking, the more workers consider decisions-and the way these are made-as fair, the more they will react positively to them. For example, organizational justice increases such things as organizational commitment (Konovsky & Cropanzano, 1991; Lowe & Vodanovich, 1995), job performance ratings (Ball, Trevifto, & Sims, 1994; Scandura, 1999), effective customer service (Moliner, Martinez-Tur, Peiró, Ramos, & Cropanzano, 2003), job satisfaction (Gaertner, 1999; Lowe & Vodanovich, 1995), and organizational citizenship behavior (OCB; Moorman, Blakely, & Niehoff, 1998; Pillai, Schriesheim, & Williams, 1999).
Though obviously important, the aforementioned research is limited in that it has been primarily conducted in the context of "traditional work relationships," that is, in the context of a full-time employment contract. However, there are good reasons to believe that the nature and character of work and organizations, and the individual experience of work, has undergone important changes (Parks & Kidder, 1994). Indeed, other kinds of employment relationships exist and are becoming more and more important. Given this, the present study examines the relationship between temporary workers and their staffing organizations. Indeed, this new form of employment contract engenders new kinds of relationships between organizations and employees. More particularly, this kind of temporary employment is characterized by (a) a double relationship...