Shared Fairness Perceptions of Chinese Subordinates and German Supervisors

Abstract

Enriching organizational justice literature with insights from cultural identity negotiation theory, our explorative, qualitative study develops an evidence-based model illuminating how culturally diverse subordinates and supervisors can achieve through their cross-cultural interactions shared fairness perceptions. Our analysis is based on a complex research design comprising in total 133 interviews in China and in Germany from Chinese subordinates of German supervisors, German subordinates of Chinese supervisors, Chinese supervisors of German subordinates and from German supervisors of Chinese subordinates. As a result of our empirically induced theorizing, we came to understand the centrality of inter-linked cultural identity negotiation processes. Only those subordinates and supervisors who were willing and able to engage in such processes, once they came into contact with the other respective party, succeeded in arriving at the approximation of previously more distinct fairness perceptions and ultimately to a partially shared understanding of fairness. In addition, we found various moderating factors influencing the cultural identity negotiation processes. From these factors cultural preservation, i.e., the degree to which the subordinates and supervisors cling to their original cultural identity, was by far the most important one.