Justice Sensitivity Research Articles

Exploring solidarity-based attitudes and behaviors regarding disadvantaged groups: The role of justice sensitivity and social identification.

Exploring solidarity-based attitudes and behaviors regarding disadvantaged groups: The role of justice sensitivity and social identification.

Justice sensitivity among nurses and physiotherapists in a Croatian rehabilitation hospital.

The aim of this study was to investigate and compare justice sensitivity between self-perceived beneficiaries, victims, and observers in a sample of 90 healthcare workers (nurses and physiotherapists) at the Varaždinske Toplice Special Medical Rehabilitation Hospital, Croatia. For this purpose we used a questionnaire consisting of demographic data and the Croatian version of the justice sensitivity inventory developed by Schmitt. Regardless of its limitations, our study clearly shows that healthcare professionals at Varaždinske Toplice are most sensitive to injustice from the beneficiary's perspective, that is, as persons who personally benefitted from injustice, although they may not have been instrumental to this effect. They are less sensitive to injustice perceived on the outside (observer's perspective) or to injustice suffered by themselves (victim's perspective). Another important finding is that participants of female gender, rural residence, and nurses (who are all women) are significantly more sensitive to injustice, whereas age and marital status do not seem to contribute to justice sensitivity. Future research should investigate the perception of injustice over a longer timeframe and involve all healthcare workers. It could also address different approaches to management, especially in terms of worker rewards and career advancement. Qualitative research among healthcare workers could provide a broader and clearer idea of social injustice at their workplace.

Justice sensitivity's impact on strike outcomes in Germany and France

IntroductionInjustices are often described as causes for strikes. ObjectiveWith this study, we aimed to test if trait justice sensitivity (victim and observer sensitivity) was related to strike attitudes, willingness to strike, and non-normative strike behavior and if these relations were mediated by the traits of anger or empathy. Additionally, we compared samples from two countries (Germany and France) in the respective measures. MethodWe collected data from 424 participants (231 were German, 193 were French) using an online questionnaire and established scales. Hypotheses were tested using structural equation modeling. ResultsWe observed that the effect of victim justice sensitivity on willingness to strike and non-normative strike behavior was mediated by anger. Furthermore, empathy mediated the effect of observer justice sensitivity on the legitimacy of strikes and the support of strikers. The overall model was not moderated by country. ConclusionWe showed for the first time that trait variables also play a significant role in strike outcomes. Our results imply that national differences in industrial relations systems did not influence our model significantly. Results also indicated (unexpectedly) that French participants reported significantly lower willingness to strike, significantly more negative reactions towards strikes, less legitimacy of strikes, and less support of strikers compared to the German sample – differences that warrant further research examining potential reasons.

Belief in a just world and fair behavior among clinical nurses: a moderated mediation model of empathy and observer justice sensitivity

BackgroundExploration of the relationship between nursing staffs’ justice in belief world and fair behavior is important to promote equity and access to health services in health organizations, as well as to enhance the quality of care. In order to further dissect the influencing factors of fair behavior among clinical nurses, the current study aims to investigate how belief in a just world influences the fair behavior among nurses. Based on the belief in a just world theory, the empathy-altruism theory and the protective-protective model, the current study aimed to provide a deeper understanding of the effect of belief in a just world on fair behavior by investigating the mediating role of empathy and the moderating role of observer justice sensitivity.MethodThis was a cross-sectional study. 571 registered clinical nurses were included from five hospitals in Fuzhou through a convenience sampling method. Measurements included Chinese translations of belief in a just world scale, empathy scale, observer justice sensitivity scale, fair behavior scale. SPSS 22.0 was used to describe descriptive statistics and the variables’ Pearson correlation coefficient. SPSS PROCESS macro Model 4 and model 14 were used to examine the mediation and the moderation between the relationship of belief in a just world and fairness behavior.ResultThe results shower that fairness behavior was positively correlated with one’s belief in a just world (r = 0.26, p < 0.01); (2)empathy mediated the relationship between belief in a just world and fair behavior. The mediation model explains 20.83%; (3) Observer justice sensitivity moderated the relationship between empathy and fair behavior.ConclusionsBelief in a just world, empathy, and observer justice sensitivity were motivations for nurses’ fair behavior. Nursing administrators should focus on cultivating nurses’ belief in a just world, their empathy abilities, and positive qualities of justice sensitivity to enhance fair behavior in a healthcare setting.

Social Comparison on Social Networking Service and Social Isolation among Youth: The Mediating Role of Relative Deprivation and Moderating Effect of Victim Justice Sensitivity

Social Comparison on Social Networking Service and Social Isolation among Youth: The Mediating Role of Relative Deprivation and Moderating Effect of Victim Justice Sensitivity

Parenting practices as a buffer in the relationship between exposure to community violence and bullying in Mexican adolescents.

Multiple studies have shown that adolescents exposed to community violence are likely to engage in bullying behaviors. However, we still need to understand which variables can help reduce the influence of community violence exposure (CVE) on bullying. To investigate this question, a study was conducted with a sample of 568 Mexican adolescents, comprising 276 (48.6%) males and 292 (51.4%) females aged 12 to 16 years old (M age = 13.7 years, SD = 0.82). The study examined how parental support (PS) and parental induction to justice sensitivity (JS) can moderate the relationship between CVE and bullying. The study used structural equation modeling with latent variables. The results showed that CVE was positively associated with bullying, whereas PS and the induction to perpetrator JS were negatively associated. The moderation analysis suggests that the relationship between CVE and bullying was weaker among adolescents who received high PS. On the other hand, low and high parental induction to JS had the same moderating effect. Based on the findings, parental practices are critical when developing preventive programs to reduce the harmful effects of CVE on bullying behavior.

How coworker undermining leads justice-sensitive employees to miss deadlines

PurposeThis study examines how employees’ exposure to coworker undermining may lead them to miss work deadlines. It offers a particular focus on the mediating role of diminished organization-based self-esteem and the moderating role of justice sensitivity in this connection.Design/methodology/approachThe research hypotheses are tested with data collected among employees and supervisors who work in various industries.FindingsPurposeful efforts by coworkers to cause harm translate into an increased propensity to fail to complete work on time, because the focal employees consider themselves unworthy organizational members. The extent to which employees feel upset with unfair treatments invigorates this process.Practical implicationsFor employees who are frustrated with coworkers who deliberately compromise their professional functioning, diminished self-worth in relation to work and the subsequent reduced willingness to exhibit timely work efforts might make it more difficult to convince organizational leaders to do something about the negative coworker treatment. Pertinent personal characteristics can serve as a catalyst of this dynamic.Originality/valueThis study contributes to extant human resource management research by detailing the link between coworker undermining and a reduced propensity to finish work on time, pinpointing the roles of two hitherto overlooked factors (organization-based self-esteem and justice sensitivity) in this link.

The effect of justice sensitivity on malevolent creativity: the mediating role of anger and the moderating role of emotion regulation strategies

Backgroundthe AMORAL model emphasizes the close connection of individuals’ belief system and malevolent creativity. Belief in a just world theory (BJW) states that people have a basic need to believe that the world they live in is just, and everyone gets what they deserve. Therefore, justice matters to all people. Justice sensitivity, as one of individual trait, has been found associated with negative goals. However, relevant studies have not tested whether justice sensitivity can affect malevolent creativity and its psychological mechanisms. Additionally, researchers have found that both anger and emotion regulation linked with justice sensitivity and malevolent creativity, but their contribution to the relationship between justice sensitivity and malevolent creativity remained unclear. The current study aims to explore the influence of justice sensitivity on malevolent creativity, the mediating effect of trait anger/state anger on the relationship between justice sensitivity and malevolent creativity, and the moderating effect of emotion regulation on this mediating effect.MethodsA moderated mediating model was constructed to test the relationship between justice sensitivity and malevolent creativity. A sample of 395 Chinese college students were enrolled to complete the questionnaire survey.ResultsJustice sensitivity positively correlated with malevolent creativity, both trait anger and state anger partly mediated the connection between justice sensitivity and malevolent creativity. Moreover, emotion regulation moderated the indirect effect of the mediation model. The indirect effect of justice sensitivity on malevolent creativity through trait anger/state anger increased as the level of emotion regulation increased. The results indicated that justice sensitivity can affect malevolent creativity directly and indirectly through the anger. The level of emotion regulation differentiated the indirect paths of justice sensitivity on malevolent creativity.ConclusionsJustice sensitivity and malevolent creativity was mediated by trait anger/state anger. The higher sensitivity to justice, the higher level of trait anger/state anger, which in turn boosted the tendency of malevolent creativity. This indirect connection was moderated by emotion regulation, individuals with high emotion regulation are better able to buffer anger from justice sensitivity.

Restorative Parental Discipline and Types of Defending Bystander Intervention in Cyberbullying: The Mediate Role of Justice Sensitivity.

Parental socialization strategies are critical in explaining adolescents' online behavior. This study examined the relationships between parental restorative discipline, observed justice sensitivity, and cyber-bystander defender intervention (constructive and aggressive) in cyberbullying. The sample comprised 900 Mexican adolescents (40.2% male and 58.8% female), of which 450 were from secondary school (M age = 13.6, SD = 0.8) and 450 were from high school (M age = 15.4, SD = 1.3). Structural equation modeling with latent variables was performed. Overall, the results indicate that parental restorative discipline positively relates to the observer's justice sensitivity and the adoption of constructive interventions by cyber-bystander defenders. However, restorative discipline had no significant direct relationship with aggressive intervention. Observers' justice sensitivity mediates the association between restorative parenting discipline and aggressive or constructive defender interventions. Gender does not moderate the relationship proposed in the structural model. These findings suggest that parental restorative discipline explains constructive and aggressive cyber-bystander defender interventions in cyberbullying.

The fairness of human resource management practices: an assessment by the justice sensitive.

Although fairness is a pervasive and ongoing concern in organizations, the fairness of human resource management practices is often overlooked. This study examines how individual differences in justice sensitivity influence the extent to which human resource management practices are perceived to convey principles of organizational justice. Analysis was performed on a matching sample of 283 university students from three academic units in two countries having responded at two time points. Justice sensitivity was measured with the 40-item inventory developed and validated by Schmitt et al. (2010). Respondents were instructed to indicate to what extent each of 61 human resource management practices generally conveys principles of organizational justice. Justice sensitivity was positively associated with subsequent assessments of the justice contents of human resource management practices. The distinction between self-oriented and other-oriented justice sensitivities was helpful in determining perceptions of these human resource management practices and of a subset of pay-for-performance practices. The findings inform current research about the meanings borne by human resource management practices, and also increase understanding of entity judgment formation as an important aspect of systemic justice.

Psychometric evaluation of the Polish version of the Questionnaire of Attitudes of Healthcare Workers towards Reporting of Clinical Adverse Events (P-RoCAES)

Abstract Aim. The purpose of the study was psychometric evaluation of the Polish version of the Questionnaire of Attitudes of Healthcare Workers towards Reporting of Clinical Adverse Events (P-RoCAES), based on an adaptation of the Reporting of Clinical Adverse Events Scale (RoCAES) by Wilson B., Bekker H.L., Fylan F. Material and methods. A total of 101 participants took part in the study, 41.4% of whom were internal medicine nurses, the remaining percentage were nursing students. In addition to the P-RoCAES, the Author’s Survey Questionnaire, the Justice Sensitivity Inventory, the Moral Feelings Scale, the Perceived Stress at Work Scale were used. Results. P-RoCAES reliability (internal consistency: Cronbach’s alpha 0.82; McDonald’s omega 0.80) and theoretical relevance for questions from the Author’s Survey Questionnaire were found. Convergent relevance with sensitivity to justice, feelings in moral situations, work stress perception were not proven. Confi rmatory factor analysis did not provide a reinforcement of the 5-dimensional factor structure of the original RoCAES. Conclusions. The P-RoCAES achieved satisfactory psychometric properties in validation to Polish conditions, enabling to be used in research of attitudes towards adverse events among medical professionals and students, in order to educate and promote reporting culture for maintaining patient safety in healthcare. Despite possible limitations, the P-RoCAES should be considered an objective, valid, reliable tool.

Co-workers’ perceptions of the distributive justice of idiosyncratic deals – the roles of content, timing, and justice sensitivity

Research to date creates a predominantly positive image of idiosyncratic deals (i-deals). However, since i-deals lead to differences in employment relationships, they can trigger perceptions of unfairness and negative reactions among co-workers, thereby posing a threat to the overall effectiveness of i-deals. Against this background, it is important to gain more insights into how co-workers’ perceptions of distributive justice are shaped. Building on distributive justice theory and integrating distributive justice principles with the roles of emotions and personality, this study investigates three factors that are likely to influence co-workers’ perceptions of the distributive justice of an i-deal: the i-deal’s content, the negotiation’s timing, and co-workers’ justice sensitivity. The results of the vignette-based, between-subjects quasi-experimental study with 650 employees show that these three factors influence co-workers’ perceptions of an i-deal’s distributive justice. In addition, the results of the study reveal interaction effects between the factors under investigation. By examining what influences co-workers’ perceptions of distributive justice, this study contributes to a better understanding of i-deals from a third-party perspective and highlights that some types of i-deals, in terms of content and timing, should be approached with particular caution by supervisors.

Exploring the appeal of villainous characters in film-induced tourism: perceived charismatic leadership and justice sensitivity

Film-induced tourism is considered a valuable marketing tool, especially crucial for the recovery of post-pandemic tourism. The rapid growth of digital streaming platforms has enabled film and television works to reach global audiences and impact viewers on a broader scale. Scholars and tourism operators increasingly recognise film characters’ pivotal role in global film-induced tourism. While film-induced tourism is generally believed to impact the image of tourist destinations positively, existing research has predominantly focused on the decent characters portrayed in films. However, the allure of captivating audiences is not confined solely to decent characters. According to narrative studies in film and television, villainous characters with extraordinary skills often have a stronger appeal to viewers than decent ones. Therefore, the objective of this study is to explore a rarely discussed topic: how villainous characters enhance the attractiveness of tourist destinations. This interdisciplinary research principally integrates character arc theory and reception aesthetics from film studies, emotion contagion theory from marketing research, and place attachment theory from tourism studies. Accordingly, this study examines the perceived charismatic leadership of villainous characters and its impact on film tourists’ emotion contagion, place attachment and visit intention. The study distributed questionnaires to 532 audiences who watched the Chinese police and crime drama titled, The Knockdown (狂飙), and who acquainted themselves with the villainous character Gao Qiqiang (高启强). Structured equation modelling showed that villainous characters with charismatic leadership can significantly impact the intention of film tourists. Specifically, perceived charismatic leadership directly influenced emotions of pleasure, arousal and admiration. Place attachment existed as a whole or partial mediator of the three emotions and visit intention. Moreover, the audience’s justice sensitivity negatively moderated the positive relationship between perceived charismatic leadership and emotions. Finally, the study provides insights and suggestions for film tourism marketers and screenwriters.

Attitudes of Internal Medicine Nurses, Surgical Nurses and Midwives towards Reporting of Clinical Adverse Events.

Understanding the attitudes of medical staff contributes to shaping a culture of safety in health care. The aim of this study was the measurement of attitudes of nurses and midwives towards reporting clinical adverse events. Various research tools were used, including the Reporting of Clinical Adverse Events Scale (RoCAES; Polish: P-RoCAES), the Justice Sensitivity Inventory, the Feelings in Moral Situations Scale, the Perceived Stress at Work Scale and the Author's Survey Questionnaire. The cross-sectional survey was conducted from October 2022 to April 2023. The study used assessment-based sampling. The study included 745 midwives and nurses working in internal medicine-surgical wards in nine hospitals in a large provincial city in Poland. One-way analysis of variance ANOVA, post hoc test (Fisher's NIR), and r-Spearman correlation test were used. The level of significance (p) did not exceed 0.05. Respondents did not differ in terms of sensitivity to justice, moral feelings, and perceived stress at work, all of which variables were at moderate levels. Respondents' attitudes towards reporting clinical adverse events in the P-RoCAES were positive (surgical nurses 71.10; internal medicine nurses 72.04; midwives 71.26; F(2.741) = 1.14, p = 0.319), especially those with a master's degree, longer work experience and older age. Respondents with a master's degree were most likely to perceive a benefit from reporting adverse events (P-RoCAES subscale) (F(2.737) = 8.45, p = 0.001). The longer employment tenure (F(3.716) = 4.63, p = 0.003) and having a master's degree (F(2.737) = 3.10, p = 0.045) were associated with a higher feeling of guilt among the respondents (P-RoCAES subscale). The longer the participants worked, the more positive their attitude became towards the importance of transparency in procedures (F(2.741) = 3.56, p = 0.029), but the more negative their attitude was towards the benefits of reporting adverse events (P-RoCAES subscale) (r(686) = -0.08, p = 0.037). Individual attitudes of nurses and midwives as well as their age, length of service or education can influence the formation of a culture of safety in health care (including the reporting of clinical adverse events). Attitudes can motivate corrective action, can be reinforced and shaped by educational programs, good quality management and monitoring system solutions.

Victim Sensitivity in Romantic Relationship Scale (VSRRS): A Scale Development Study

The main aim of this study is to develop a measurement tool that possesses both validity and reliability in order to comprehend the perception of justice sensitivity within romantic relationships among married adults. The study focuses specifically on the examination of victim sensitivity, which constitutes one of the dimensions of justice sensitivity. The participants in this research comprised a total of 325 adults for the purpose of exploratory factor analysis, while 410 adults were involved for confirmatory factor analysis.The outcomes of the exploratory factor analysis (EFA) disclosed a unidimensional structure consisting of 17 items. Furthermore, the model fit indices derived from the confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) confirmed the suitability of the one-factor solution. To assess the construct validity of the scale, CFA and item-total correlations were employed. The item-total correlations ranged from 0.43 to 0.69. Reliability analysis of the scale involved the computation of Cronbach's alpha internal consistency coefficient and Composite Reliability-CR. The results revealed a Cronbach's alpha value of .90 and a CR value of .90, indicating high internal consistency and reliability of the scale. In conclusion, based on the rigorous evaluation of validity and reliability, it can be deduced that the Victim Sensitivity in Romantic Relationships Scale is a valid and reliable instrument for assessing victim sensitivity in the context of romantic relationships within the Turkish culture.

An English-Language adaptation and validation of the Justice Sensitivity Short Scales–8 (JSS-8)

The construct of justice sensitivity has four perspectives that capture individual differences in the strength of reactions to injustice when becoming a victim of injustice (victim sensitivity), when witnessing injustice as an outsider (observer sensitivity), when passively benefitting from an injustice done to others (beneficiary sensitivity), or when committing an injustice (perpetrator sensitivity). Individual differences in these four justice sensitivity perspectives are highly relevant in moral research. With just eight items in total, the Justice Sensitivity Short Scales–8 (JSS-8) are a very efficient way to measure the four perspectives. JSS-8 was initially constructed in German (Ungerechtigkeitssensibilität-Skalen–8, USS-8) and later translated into English. In the present study, we empirically validated this English-language adaptation in a heterogeneous quota sample from the UK. The results show that the psychometric properties (i.e., reliability, validity, standardization) of JSS-8 are good, and that they are comparable with those of the German-language source version. Because of the invariance of loadings, intercepts, and residual variances, researchers can compare manifest scale statistics (i.e., means, variances) of JSS-8 across the UK and Germany. JSS-8 is thus particularly suitable for measuring justice sensitivity in various research areas with constraints on assessment time and questionnaire space.

Ambition and extreme behavior: relative deprivation leads ambitious individuals to self-sacrifice.

Ambitious people are characterized by strong motivation toward great and valuable objectives, with the superordinate goal to gain respect and recognition from others. Recent literature regarding ambition demonstrated that it leads individuals to engage in extreme behavior. However, no previous research has investigated under which conditions the relation between ambition and extremism is enhanced. Across two studies, we tested the hypothesis that ambitious individuals are more prone to engage in extreme behavior in the face of relative deprivation (i.e., justice sensitivity), than their less ambitious counterparts. We confirmed our predictions employing a cross-sectional design with an American sample (Study 1) and an experimental design with an Italian sample (Study 2). The present research adds theoretical knowledge and empirical support to the existing literature on ambition, extreme behavior, and relative deprivation, and provides fruitful insight into strategies for preventing extremism.

Vaccine envy during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The term vaccine envy (i.e., envy experienced when others are given the opportunity to receive a COVID-19 vaccine) was coined during the COVID-19 pandemic and has received media attention. This study is the first to systematically investigate vaccine envy. In two pre-registered online surveys conducted in May 2021 (N = 1,174) and October/November 2021 (N = 535), we collected data from vaccinated and unvaccinated German participants, including measures of vaccine envy, well-being, personal experiences during the pandemic, and various trait constructs (e.g., justice sensitivity and self-esteem). We found that in May 2021, 47% of participants experienced vaccine envy at least sometimes and that vaccine envy was connected to victim sensitivity, subjective perceptions of being threatened by the pandemic, and an increased willingness to be vaccinated. By November 2021, however, vaccine envy among unvaccinated participants had almost disappeared. Our findings advance the understanding of the psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Role of downward versus upward social comparison in service recovery: Testing a mediated moderation model with two empirical studies

This paper extends prior research into the role of social comparison in service recovery by investigating the role of both downward and upward social comparison. Social comparison theory and attribution theory are applied to explore the differences in how upward and downward inter-customer comparison affects post-recovery satisfaction and word-of-mouth intentions. The mediating role of distributive justice perceptions and the moderating effects of the attribution of inter-customer differences in service recovery and customers’ justice sensitivity are also examined. Two online scenario-based experimental studies show that downward social comparison leads to greater satisfaction and lower negative word-of-mouth intentions. In addition, distributive justice mediates the relationship. Finally, attribution of difference in inter-customer influence and individual-level justice sensitivity moderate these effects. Besides its conceptual contributions, the findings from this paper may help managers design more effective service recovery strategies.

The influence of perceived organizational exploitation on frontline hospitality employees’ workplace deviance: an organizational justice perspective

PurposeDrawing on organizational justice theory, this study aims to investigate how perceived organizational exploitation induces frontline hospitality employees’ organizational and interpersonal deviance. Specifically, this study explored the mediating effect of distributive and procedural justice, as well as the moderating effect of justice sensitivity.Design/methodology/approachThe focal research analyzed multiphase survey data from 267 frontline service employees with structural equation modeling.FindingsThe results revealed that perceived organizational exploitation induced frontline hospitality employees’ organizational and interpersonal deviance through their perceptions of distributive and procedural justice. Moreover, employees’ justice sensitivity amplified perceived organizational exploitation’s harmful impact on justice perceptions and its conditional influence on organizational and interpersonal deviance.Practical implicationsOrganizations should take actions to reduce the occurrence of exploitation to prevent employees’ workplace deviance behaviors. Moreover, organizations can foster employees’ justice perceptions and take care of employees with strong justice sensitivity to reduce the destructive behaviors triggered by organizational exploitation.Originality/valueBy investigating frontline employees’ workplace deviant behaviors, this research identifies new outcomes of exploitation by hospitality organizations. Moreover, the research contributes by offering a justice-based perspective to understand the effects of perceived organizational exploitation. Furthermore, this research helps identify a new boundary condition of being exploited by organizations.