Organizational justice and innovation in the workplace: the case of the UAE

Abstract

Purpose– The purpose of this paper to aim at exploring the links between employees’ perceptions of distributive, procedural and interactional justice on one hand and innovation climate and readiness to innovate on the other hand. The role of innovation climate in predicting readiness to innovate is also examined. Further, the study attempts to test the mediating role of innovation climate in justice-readiness to innovate relationship.Design/methodology/approach– This paper aims at exploring the links between employees’ perceptions of distributive, procedural and interactional justice on one hand and innovation climate and readiness to innovate on the other hand. The role of innovation climate in predicting readiness to innovate is also examined. Further, the study attempts to test the mediating role of innovation climate in justice-readiness to innovate relationship.Findings– The findings revealed that perception of justice played a key role in employees’ perception of innovation climate. Innovation climate was found to be positively and significantly related to readiness to innovate. Employees’ readiness to try new ways of doing things and question the existing habits of the work tended to show significant and positive relationship to organizational justice. Innovation climate played a significant yet a partial role in mediating the link between justice and readiness to innovate.Research limitations/implications– The sample represented only governmental sector and only one emirate of the UAE's seven emirates. The implications of the findings for researchers together with some future guidelines are discussed in the paper.Practical implications– The paper provides practitioners with some advice about understanding and managing justice and innovation.Originality/value– The paper is the first study in the UAE and the Middle East that examines the links between justice, innovation climate and readiness to innovate.