Fostering justice and ethical climate in the workplace: Leader–follower value congruence perspectives

Abstract

This study focused on the relationships between organizational justice dimensions (distributive, procedural, interpersonal, and informational) and employee ethical behavior through the mediator of ethical climate. We found that in a sample of 271 Iraqi employees, all four justice dimensions had a positive effect on employee ethical behavior. This impact was mediated by ethical climate, meaning that ethical climate plays a role in how the four justice dimensions affect employee ethical behavior. The impact of the justice dimension types on employee ethical behavior was stronger when leader–follower value congruence was high, which also increased (moderated) the effect of ethical climate as a mediator. This means that when employees share the same values as their leaders, they are more likely to be influenced by the distributive, procedural, interpersonal, and informational justice within the workplace. Implications of the findings are discussed.