Relationships between ethical climate, justice perceptions, and LMX

Abstract

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to examine the impact of ethical climate and organizational justice perceptions on the quality of manager‐employee relationships via leader‐member exchange (LMX). It also aims to explore differences between distributive justice, procedural justice, and interactional justice perceptions as related to LMX. The purpose of this research was to investigate the relative strength of connections between ethical climate, these three types of justice perceptions, and LMX.Design/methodology/approachThe research was conducted via survey administration of questionnaires. The sample consisted of 105 working adults in an Israeli telecommunications company.FindingsIt was found that there was a significant positive relationship between perceived interactional justice and levels of LMX. No significant relationships were present between LMX and the other types of justice perceptions. Furthermore, it was discovered that there was a significant positive relationship between ethical climate and LMX. As an important, unexpected finding the study discovered a significant negative relationship between ethical climate and procedural justice.Originality/valueThis is one of the few studies to examine the effects of justice perceptions together with ethical climate perceptions on LMX. As such, these findings offer guidance in the development and implementation of further studies to examine the linkages between these constructs. In particular, it suggests that these findings provide a framework for examining the potential moderating role of ethical climate in the relationship between interactional justice perceptions and LMX.