Justice in Teams: The Effects of Interdependence and Identification on Referent Choice and Justice Climate Strength

Using theories of social comparison & influence as a lens through which to view the operation of justice in teams, this study explores the effects of interdependence & group identification on referent choice & justice climate strength. 372 undergraduate students participated in a laboratory experiment with two levels each of team interdependence, procedural treatment, & outcome favorability. The results showed that members of highly interdependent teams were more likely to make intergroup justice comparisons & that group identification partially mediated this relationship. Interdependence was also related to variability in team climate perceptions, with group identification as a mediator between interdependence & procedural justice climate strength. Overall, the findings highlight interdependence & social identity as contextual variables that influence the emergence of team-level justice perceptions. Tables, References. Adapted from the source document.