Organizational Justice in the Arab World: A Comparative Meta-Analytical Review of Constructs and Related Outcomes

This study provides the first meta-analytic synthesis of organizational justice research in the Arab world, addressing a major gap in a field historically dominated by Western samples. The meta-analysis examined the relationships between the dimensions of organizational justice and key job outcomes, with a focus on comparing findings from Arab culture to those reported in Western cultural research. A comprehensive search of major databases identified 61 relevant studies (49 in Arabic and 12 in English) from 20 Arab countries. All four dimensions of organizational justice (distributive, procedural, interpersonal, and informational) showed significant positive correlations with job outcomes. Among these, trust demonstrated the strongest association, while organizational citizenship behaviors and performance showed relatively weaker correlations. Notably, interpersonal justice emerged as the most influential predictor across outcomes—particularly trust—underscoring its prominent role in Arab cultural contexts, whereas procedural justice tends to hold greater significance in Western culture. The analysis also confirmed the moderating role of procedural justice in the relationship between distributive justice and job satisfaction, indicating that unfair procedures can diminish the positive effects of favorable outcomes. By demonstrating both universal patterns and culturally specific variations in justice–outcome relationships, this study broadens the global understanding of fairness at work and provides a valuable reference point for cross-cultural organizational research.