Mediating Effect of Affective Commitment in Predicting Employee Engagement and Satisfaction from Organizational Justice

This study examines whether affective commitment explains the relationship between organizational justice and two significant employee outcomes, that is, employee engagement and employee satisfaction. Considering the job demands–resources model, social exchange theory, affective events theory, and equity theory, a conceptual model was developed and tested. A standardized, self-administered questionnaire was used to gather data from 275 employees working across six service-sector industries in Punjab, India, using systematic random sampling. Structural equation modeling was used to examine the direct and indirect relationships between the study variables. This study claims that organizational justice plays an important role in enhancing employee satisfaction and engagement. In addition, affective commitment also partially mediates the impact of employees’ perception of organizational fairness on employees’ emotional attachment, which ultimately encourages more positive attitudes and behaviors. By establishing this mediating mechanism within an integrated theoretical framework, this study enhances our existing understanding of how organizational fairness leads to positive employee outcomes. The findings also emphasize that implementing equitable, justifiable, fair, and transparent HR practices promote employee engagement, satisfaction, and commitment in the service sector of Punjab, India.