Justice and leadership as precursors to OCB: a time-lagged study of fairness, well-being and ethics

Purpose Using the tenet of self-determination theory, the current study investigates the relationship between perceived organizational justice and organizational citizenship behavior (OCB). Moreover, the study examines the sequential mediation of performance appraisal fairness (PAF) and well-being, as well as the moderating role of ethical leadership (EL), in the relationship between three types of perceived justice (procedural, distributive and interactional) and PAF. Incorporating the literature on EL, this study aims to investigate the relatively unexplored role of EL as a moderator. Design/methodology/approach A time-lagged study design was applied using a purposive sampling technique where data was collected from employees working in the Telecom sector. Data were analyzed using structural equation modeling techniques through MPLUS. Findings The results revealed that perceived justice (procedural, distributive and interactional) has a positive impact on OCB with the sequential mediation of PAF and well-being and moderation of EL. According to the findings, organizations should prioritize justice to build a healthy work environment that promotes employee well-being and encourages OCB. Originality/value The current study contributes to the existing body of knowledge by shedding light on the relationship between perceived justice, PAF, psychological well-being, EL and OCB. These relationships were tested in isolation, however, the current study intended to develop and test an integrated model.