The influence of organic organizational structure on employees’ overall justice: Mediating role of renqing perception

Abstract

Renqing is one of the core concepts of the Chinese traditional culture which implies a typical set of informal social norms. This paper examines the influencing mechanism between organic organizational structure, employees’ renqing perception and their overall justice perception in the Chinese workplace. Specifically, we define renqing perception as the extent to which employees perceive that people’s actions in their organizations follow the renqing norm. We hypothesize that employees’ perception of organic organizational structure will positively relate to both their renqing perception and overall justice. Moreover, renqing perception serves as a significant mediator in the relationship between organic organizational structure and overall justice. Results from two-wave surveys of 325 Chinese employees provide largely consistent support for our hypotheses. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.