Fairness Perceptions and Retaliation for Unfair Events

The Opportunity to Upload Cover Letters and Procedural Fairness Perceptions: A Time Series Analysis

• Published in 2010 in Applied H.R.M. Research
• Author: M. Horvath
• For more information, contact: Mike Horvath

Abstract: Organizations (through the design of their employment application websites) have the option of prohibiting or allowing certain types of traditional applicant communications such as cover letters. However, while prohibiting such communications may streamline recruiting processes, it may come at a price. This study hypothesizes that the opportunity to submit cover letters during a selection process should improve procedural, but not interpersonal or informational, justice perceptions. Over a three-year period, 1,949 applicants rated their perceptions of the initial stage of an organization’s selection process. During this period, the organization changed the applicants’ opportunity to upload cover letters, but made no other changes to its selection process. Time series analysis showed that average procedural justice perceptions increased at the same time as the cover letter intervention. Interpersonal and informational justice perceptions did not show a corresponding increase.

The Role of Fairness Perceptions and Accountability Attributions in Predicting Reactions to Organizational Events

• Published in 2007 in the Journal of Psychology
• Authors: M. Horvath and S. B. Andrews
• For more information, contact: Mike Horvath

Abstract: Researchers have found that fairness perceptions relate to many different outcomes (e.g., J. A. Colquitt, D. E. Conlon, M. J. Wesson, C. Porter, & K. Y. Ng, 2001). However, they cannot predict when an employee will react against a specific individual or against the organization itself. To address this question, the authors integrated the fairness and blame-attributions literatures. They predicted that blame attributions would strengthen the relationship between fairness perceptions and reactions to specific organizational agents. They surveyed 48 employees who believed there were inaccuracies in their most recent performance appraisals. Employees reported perceptions of fairness and attributions of blame to both their supervisor and the organization and rated their commitment to both targets. Supervisors simultaneously rated each employee’s citizenship behavior toward each target. For supervisor reactions and organizational citizenship behavior directed at the organization, blame and fairness perceptions interacted; unique positive reactions were elicited only when the supervisor was perceived as blameless and fair.