Procedural Justice Research Articles

Resolving the adaptive performance problems in the public sector using purposeful leadership: an empirical investigation in Ghana

PurposePerformance problems in the public sector (PS) necessitate adaptation due to the sector’s uniqueness. Purposeful leadership (PL) may resolve PS adaptive performance (AP) problems. However, there is a paucity of research on the influence of PL on AP. Using data from three large PS organisations in Ghana, this research explores the relationship between PL and AP through job satisfaction (JS) and organisational identification (OI). It also explores the moderating effect of organisational integrity (IN) on the PL–JS and PL–OI relationships.Design/methodology/approachThis paper created and tested a research model using the responses of 875 public servants in Smart PLS 4. Contract fulfilment and perceived organisational support functioned as control factors influencing JS (an intervener). Perceived procedural justice and psychological need satisfaction serve as control factors for OI (another intervener). Age, sex, tenure, education and job position were used as control variables in AP. To assess the role of moderation, we utilised the product indicator approach, and to estimate the role of mediation, we used variance accounted for (VAF). A significance level of 5% was established.FindingsAs anticipated, this study found that PL and AP had a significantly positive connection (t = 2.229, p = 0.000, β = 0.138). Both JS (VAF = 27.37%) and OI (VAF = 39.21%) partially mediated this connection. IN positively moderated the PL–JS (t = 4.249, p = 0.000, β = 0.165) and PL–OI (t = 3.704, p = 0.002, β = 0.099) connections.Research limitations/implicationsThis paper provides a theoretical and empirical understanding of the PL–AP relationship, how this relationship is facilitated and how the PL–JS and PL–OI relationships are strengthened. It provides a roadmap for upcoming scholars to test the hypotheses in diverse PS contexts globally to broaden the field of leadership. It will be insightful to show how JS and OI jointly mediate this relationship and the potential mediating role of job embeddedness in further studies.Practical implicationsHuman resource (HR) practices in PS organisations, such as selecting, leadership enhancement initiatives, promotions, training and performance evaluations, must be guided by a “values-driven strategy” if leadership is to find, cultivate and keep employees capable of devising innovative strategies to manage unforeseen circumstances at work. The leaders are required to demonstrate the values of their organisations in order to set up a role model.Social implicationsThis study highlights the obstacles that purposeful leaders have the potential to mitigate, as well as the prospects that they might offer. It shows the essence for PS organisations to uphold and maintain high integrity standards as their hallmark.Originality/valueThis paper is the first to create and test a research model that shows the relationship between PL and AP. It also shows the different mechanisms (JS and OI) that make this effect possible, as well as the good work environment (i.e. IN) that allows the PL–JS and PL–OI relationships to grow.

One crime wave, three hypotheses: using interrupted time series to examine the unintended consequences of criminal justice reform, computer tablet recording of crime and a long-term hot spots policing programme

After sustained reductions in robberies and thefts in 2016, the city of Montevideo, Uruguay, experienced a sudden increase in these crimes in late 2017. Using interrupted time series regressions, and controlling for seasonality using ARIMA models, we investigated three potential explanations for this increase: (1) the failure of a hot spots policing program to maintain crime decreases; (2) improved crime recording by police patrols using tablet computers; and (3) the change from an inquisitorial to an adversarial criminal justice procedure. We found that the hot spots policing program that began in April 2016 continued to be associated with crime reductions during 2017, that the increases observed after November 2017 were strongly associated with the new criminal justice procedure, and that tablets had a positive, albeit negligible, effect. The findings illustrate that criminal justice reforms, desirable as such reforms may be, can have unintended consequences on crime levels.

Relationship between organizational justice and citizenship behavior as perceived by staff nurses at a selected hospital

Background Organizational justice is a managerial practice that may create a positive and more effective citizenship behavior among staff nurses. Staff nurses perceive fairness from their managers and have more satisfaction, motivation, and desire to achieve extra work. Aim To examine the relationship between organizational justice and citizenship behavior as staff nurses perceive. Design A descriptive correlational research design was utilized to carry out this study. Sample A convenience sample (281) of staff nurses. Setting The study conducted in all units at New Kasr Einy Teaching Hospital except operating rooms. Tools Two adopted questionnaires were used. The first questionnaire was the organizational justice questionnaire. The second questionnaire was the organizational citizenship behavior questionnaire. Results Finding of the current research reported that the highest mean percentages (85.5 and 71.3%) were given to interactional justice and informational justice dimensions, while the lowest mean percentages (38.4 and 36.1%) were given for procedural justice and distributive justice. Also, as regards citizenship behaviors dimensions, the highest mean percentages (89.4, 90.7, and 87.0%, respectively) were given to the dimensions of altruism, courtesy, and conscientiousness, while the lowest mean percentages (67.8 and 61.6%) were given to sportsmanship and civic virtue dimension and there was no statistical correlation between organizational justice and organizational citizenship behavior (P=0.73). Conclusion The present study results concluded that there was no statistically significant relation between organizational justice and citizenship behavior. Recommendations Hospital administrators should ensure nurse managers adhere to rules and regulations to achieve justice. Nurse managers should conduct periodical meetings with staff nurses to discuss and solve work problems considering staff nurses’ concerns and interests.

Rungkad Hakekat Penuntutan dalam penjelasan Pasal 132 Undang-Undang nomor 1 tahun 2023 tentang Kitab Undang-Undang Hukum Pidana (KUHP BARU) dan Kegalauan Penyidik/ Penyidik Pembantu Polri

This is different from the term Wetboek van Strafprocesrecht, which in Indonesian means "Criminal Procedure Code". According to legal expert from Hasanuddin University Makassar; Hamzah (1985:13) the Dutch Minister of Justice emphasized that the term "Strafvordering" covers all criminal prosecution procedures. Therefore, it can be concluded that the Criminal Procedure Code in Indonesia is not a descendant of Dutch blue blood/a colonial product, while also confirming that the current Criminal Procedure Code does not merely discuss prosecution procedures. The explanation of Article 132 of the Law of the Republic of Indonesia Number 1 of 2023 concerning the Criminal Code reads "in this provision what is meant by "prosecution" is the judicial process which begins with an investigation". The explanation of Article 132 of the new Criminal Code is a butterfly effect phenomenon if not receiving special attention will certainly damage the essence of prosecutorial authority which is neatly structured in the Indonesian criminal procedural justice system. The explanation of Article 132 of the new Criminal Code does not at all understand Stufenbau's legal theory where the expanded role of prosecutors is in direct contrast to Article 30 paragraph (4) of the Law. -The 1945 Constitution which is the ground norm or basic norm. Apart from that, the Explanation of Article 132 of the New Criminal Code is too vulgar to rebel against the principle of Functional Differentiation which is already compatible with the Indonesian criminal procedural justice system. It requires awareness of all Polri personnel through education about the latent dangers of the explanation of Article 132 of the New Criminal Code. This is in order to explain that this article slightly confuses the existence of investigators/assistant investigators of the National Police so that investigative authority should not be compromised.

A new carrier for old assumptions? Imagined publics and their justice implications for hydrogen development in the Netherlands

This paper presents an anticipatory approach to energy justice by focusing on nascent justice implications of imagined publics in transition visions. We test this approach in a case study, building on an interpretive qualitative content analysis of twenty-one vision documents followed by a select number of interviews on the hydrogen transition in the Netherlands. Combining theory and case insights, we develop the thesis that publics, in their various roles and compositions and with their diverse demands, are not always acknowledged nor correctly represented in the Dutch hydrogen transition. Non-recognition and misrecognition of publics in vision documents is problematic and unjust and can result in future distributive and procedural justice issues when these recognition injustices become performed in and through policy, technology, and infrastructure. Reflections on the opportunities and risks of this anticipatory approach are provided, and so are recommendations for more just and inclusive (hydrogen) transitions.

Procedural justice and probation officer legitimacy: Testing the process-based model in community supervision

PurposeThis study provides an empirical test of Tyler's (2006) process-based model by investigating the relationship between procedural justice, legitimacy, and felt obligation to obey among people sanctioned to county-level probation. MethodsUsing a cross-sectional design, self-reported data were collected from a sample of individuals on probation in a western state (n = 185). Confirmatory factor analyses and full structural equation modeling were used to test a measurement and structural component on the relationship between procedural justice and clients' legitimacy and obligation to obey. ResultsResults demonstrate construct and discriminant validity across measures of client's procedural justice and legitimacy attitudes. In addition, SEM results revealed a positive and statistically significant association between procedural justice with probationers' legitimacy beliefs. In addition, perceived legitimacy was associated with clients' felt obligation to obey their probation officer, though indirect effects were non-significant but potentially suggested partial mediation. ConclusionsThis study provides empirical evidence supporting the positive relationship between perceptions of procedural justice with clients' legitimacy and perceived PO legitimacy with their felt obligation. Study results highlight key theoretical and policy considerations regarding the measurement and application of the process-based model in community corrections.

Perceptions of Consumer Fraud and Aging Among Older People and the Judiciary in China.

Systematic research has been conducted on the relationship between aging and consumer fraud victimization. But few empirical studies examine the reality of judicial dispute resolution in consumer fraud against older people from the perspective of older adults and judges in China. Based on 161 court rulings, this qualitative study explores the perceptions of older adults in litigation about their experiences of being defrauded in China, alongside judges' responses. Results reveal that common fraud patterns used by business perpetrators render older individuals more susceptible to fraud. Older plaintiffs strategically frame "old age" in litigation, potentially as a tactical maneuver, while also readily emphasizing the importance of procedural justice. Results further show that judges expressed either negative ageism or age-neutral discourse in response to fraud targeting older individuals. Findings highlight the need to enhance consumer education to prevent fraud and address ageist stereotypes among older people. Findings also highlight the need to encourage Chinese courts to consider individual case specifics, leading to fair judgments and the protection of older individuals from fraud while upholding their rights.

Communication repair in parole oral hearings: Comparing remote and in-person settings

The Parole Board (PB) for England and Wales is responsible for deciding whether prisoners are safe to be released into the community. Although the PB was using remote formats (teleconferencing and videoconferencing) to conduct hearings prior to 2020, the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic accelerated the wider application of remote hearings. Such changes in modality can have a significant impact on interactional practices, with participation in remote communication requiring a different set of skills from those normally involved in in-person interaction. We argue that this shift in modality is important because it risks impeding prisoners’ participation in hearings and may limit the legitimacy of a parole hearing decision when examined through the lens of procedural justice theory. In this article, we draw on a dataset of 30 recordings of in-person and remote oral hearings. We analyse sections in which prisoners are questioned by PB panel members to identify whether these interactions can be deemed to be as successful in remotely held hearings as compared with in-person hearings. To assess this, we compare instances of communication problems that occur in the datasets. Applying conversation analysis, we find that instances of repair work from participants are statistically more likely to be present in remote hearings when compared to in-person settings. Our analysis has implications for the operating model being used by the PB and knowledge around participation in remotely held justice contexts.

Victimized Teachers’ Perceptions of Procedural Justice and the Impact on Satisfaction with School Responses

ABSTRACT Victimization of teachers is an area of growing concern for administrators and policymakers. Recent research has increased the understanding of the prevalence and negative consequences of teacher victimization; however, one gap in the literature involves understanding the quality of treatment when victimizations are reported to school administrators. The present research attempts to fill the gap by applying procedural justice theory to understand how elements of school responses to victimization events affect teachers’ satisfaction with the process. Data from teachers among 50 largest school districts across the nation were used to identify 636 theft, sexual harassment, and physical assault incidents reported to school administration. Teachers’ satisfaction with the school response was modeled using measures derived from distributive and procedural justice theoretical frameworks applied to administrator actions. Results indicate that procedural justice is an important dimension of school response and influential on teachers’ reported satisfaction with how victimization events were handled.

Leader workaholism and subordinates' psychological distress: The moderating role of justice climate

Leader workaholism, characterized by an excessive drive to work long hours, is prevalent among organizational leaders. Its impact on subordinates' mental health warrants examination. This study investigated the direct relationship between leader workaholism and subordinates' psychological distress. Drawing on substitutes for leadership theory, it also assessed the buffering effects of procedural, interactional, and distributive justice climates in this relationship. Data from an online survey of 40 leaders and 200 subordinate employees revealed a positive correlation between leader workaholism and subordinates' psychological distress. However, the procedural and interactional justice climates negatively moderated this relationship, whereas the distributive justice climate did not. This disparity may result from the strong link between distributive justice climate and specific, objective outcomes. The study enhances understanding of the adverse effects of leader workaholism on employee psychological health and suggests organizational strategies, such as fostering procedural and interactional justice climates, to mitigate these effects.

The connection between organizational structure variables and organizational justice views among correctional staff

ABSTRACT A growing body of research on organizational justice views indicates that distributive (i.e. perceived fairness of outcomes) and procedural justice (i.e. perceived fairness of procedures to reach outcomes) are linked to salient correctional staff outcomes, such as job stress, job involvement, job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and life satisfaction; however, limited research investigates the relationships between workplace factors and the organizational justice views among prison staff. The current study investigated the relationships between organizational structure variables of instrumental communication, formalization, integration, and input into organizational decision-making with the procedural and distributive views of staff at a state-run U.S. prison. Data was from 257 staff who worked at a prison holding medium- and high-security convicted male offenders. Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regression analysis indicated formalization, integration, and input were significantly positively correlated with procedural justice. Instrumental communication, however, was not significantly correlated with procedural justice. Input was a significant positive predictor of distributive justice, while instrumental communication, formalization, and integration were not significant predictors. Considerably more variance was explained in procedural justice compared to distributive justice views. The findings suggest that correctional administrators should be aware that input into decision-making is associated with prison staff’s views of both distributive and procedural justice.

Mechanisms of the social control of children and young people: From ‘stop and search’ to ‘stop and engage’ in Police Scotland

Since the implementation of stop and search reform in Scotland, the volume of this tactic has decreased and proportionality has increased. However, little has been published that has detailed the design, communication and implementation of stop and search reform in Scotland. This article traces the policy intentions of this reform programme and demonstrates that these aligned with central tenets of procedural justice theory. This article then examines ethnographic data regarding the dissemination and implementation of reform into police practice between 2016 and 2018, which demonstrates that the procedural justice intentions of reform to improve the policing of Scotland’s children and young people were not reproduced in practice. Instead, reform paved the way for the emergence of a new and unscrutinised practice that came to be known as ‘stop and engage’ that has enabled the continued antagonistic and over-policing of young people in the post-reform environment.

Energy (in)justice in the green energy transition. The case of Fosen wind farms in Norway

In 2021, the Norwegian Supreme Court ruled that wind power licences issued in 2010 for two wind farms in the Fosen area near Trondheim violated the cultural rights of the local Sámi herders. The Fosen case is of interest as it demonstrates how policy intervention to honour the human rights of citizens to a healthy environment came into conflict with the indigenous human rights. Our study explores why this wind power project became a policy failure and what the Sámi achieved in terms of green energy justice through their legal and political struggles as well as settlement agreements. The green energy justice framework fails to address longstanding indigenous injustices and inequalities. Hence, it needs to recognise traditional knowledge, assess the historical context of the intervention, and include a veto right to indigenous minorities to ensure that their rights protected by Article 27 of the ICCPR are respected. The policy failure involved opposition among the Sámi herders to the intervention. The failure occurred as politics shaped the decision and decision-making process underestimated the impact on reindeer husbandry and ignored the objections raised by the Sámi herders. The Supreme Court ruling addressed the reasons for the policy failure and strengthened the indigenous dimensions of the green energy justice. The Sámi herders and their supports were unable to mobilise public media support for the removal of the windmills to undo the human rights violation. Hence, the settlement agreements included distributional justice in the form of monetary compensation and the recognition of their need for new land for winter grazing as well as strengthening of their procedural justice with granting of a veto right on future licenses of the two wind farms.

Understanding Willingness to Cooperate With Police: Current Perceptions of Bias Matter, But So Does Hope in Future Police Procedural Justice

To solve crime, police rely on the public’s willingness to cooperate (WTC). While scholarship has focused on how people’s current perceptions of police might impact their WTC, it is likely that their views concerning the future might also matter. This study tested the hypothesis that people’s hope in future police procedural justice (HFPPJ) may impact and even overpower the association between how they currently view police and their current WTC. With two convenience samples, one of 311 adolescents and another of 578 adults, and two measurement strategies, the results indicated that, while people’s current perceptions of police are associated with their WTC, HFPPJ conditions moderate (study 1) and may even overpower (study 2) that association. Hope in the future of policing may not blind people to current biases within policing, but it appears to be associated with their willingness to cooperate with police.

Procedural Justice Spill-Over and Recidivism After Release From Prison

The importance of procedural justice for reducing criminal behavior has been demonstrated in numerous criminal justice contexts. However, to date, no study has evaluated the impact of procedural justice in encounters with multiple authorities on recidivism. Using longitudinal data from the Prison Project, this study examines the associations between perceptions of prison staff procedural justice, probation officer procedural justice, and recidivism during a 12-month follow-up period. Findings indicate that detainees who felt treated fairly by prison staff, perceived their probation officer to be fairer, and, subsequently, they had a lower likelihood of getting reconvicted. How prison staff are perceived by people in prison may impact those people’s perceptions of their probation officers which in turn may affect their offending behavior.

Do justice perceptions of performance appraisal practices affect organizational citizenship behavior through affective commitment? Evidence from the information technology industry

PurposeThe paper aims to examine the effect of justice perceptions of performance appraisal (JPPA) practices (i.e. distributive, procedural, informational and interpersonal justice) on organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) and affective commitment (AC) and the effect of AC on OCB. Further, it investigates the mediating role of AC in the relationship between JPPA practices and OCB. Moreover, this study examines the moderating effect of job level on the relationship between JPPA practices and OCB.Design/methodology/approachThe data were collected using a self-reported structured questionnaire. A total of 650 questionnaires were distributed among the employees of 50 information technology (IT) companies in India, and 503 samples were obtained. The conceptual framework was tested using the partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) method, and the moderating effect was tested using process macro.FindingsThe findings of this study reveal that the JPPA practices positively affect OCB and AC and AC affects OCB. Further, AC partially mediates this relationship between JPPA practices and OCB. Furthermore, the direct effect of JPPA practices on OCB happens to be strengthened when the job level decreases, thus confirming the moderating role of job level.Research limitations/implicationsThe findings of this study augment the social exchange theory (SET) by suggesting that individuals perceiving justice or fairness in performance appraisal practices are likely to have a greater AC that ultimately engages employees in OCB.Practical implicationsThis study will be helpful for human resource practitioners in IT companies who are responsible for the fairness of performance appraisal practices and expect their employees to be emotionally attached to the organization and engaged in OCB.Originality/valueThe study adds to the body of knowledge of how justice in performance appraisal practices links to OCB through AC and moderates by job level in an emerging economy in Asia.

Borderline content and platformised speech governance: Mapping TikTok's moderation controversies in South and Southeast Asia

AbstractContent moderation comes with trade‐offs and moral dilemmas, particularly for transnational platforms governing borderline content where the boundaries of acceptability are subject to debate. While extensive research has explored the legality and legitimacy of platformised speech governance in established democracies, few address the complexities of less‐than‐democratic developing nations. Through sociolegal analysis and controversy mapping of TikTok's localised moderation in South and Southeast Asia, the study examines how major actors negotiate the shifting boundaries of online speech. The analysis reveals that neither the platform nor regional states are well‐positioned to achieve sound governance of borderline content. Primarily, TikTok localises its moderation based on pragmatic necessity rather than moral obligations, deliberately sidestepping contentious political controversies. Governments demonstrate determined efforts to control online discourse, leveraging legal uncertainty to further political agendas. Thus, local content governance often relies on vague rationales around securitisation and morality. The contradictory motives of (de)politicising borderline moderation seemingly counterbalance each other, yet in practice lead to an accountability vacuum where legitimate interests are sidelined. Given the lack of normative common ground, ensuring procedural justice and encouraging civic participation are essential to counteract rhetoric that rationalises imposition of certain speech norms hinging on imbalanced political power.

“Coke’s not a food”: A critical discourse analysis of sugar-sweetened beverage tax acceptability by white residents from an upper-middle class neighborhood in Winnipeg Manitoba

Increasing concerns about the health impacts of sugar consumption has led to the proposition of a sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) tax in Canada. However, competing concerns related to stigma and equity remain and have not been explored in a Canadian context. As part of a broader study examining the perspectives of various populations on SSB tax acceptability, we examined how residents of an upper-middle class neighborhood conceptualize SSB tax acceptability, and we explored the discourses that inform their discussion. We conducted and analyzed qualitative, semi-structured interviews with residents of an upper-middle class neighborhood in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Recruitment criteria were residence, adults, and English speaking. Critical discourse analysis methodology was used, and healthism (health moralism) and tax psychology informed the analysis. Eighteen participants volunteered: 15 females and 3 males; all self-identified as white, and all spoke about (grand)parenting. Healthist discourse was utilized in supportive discussion of SSB taxation. With the mobilization of healthism, ideal citizens and parents were described as “health conscious” and those who might be likely to reduce SSB intake because of taxation. Healthism also contributed to their identification of beverages targeted by a tax, versus those they deemed as having redeeming nutritional qualities. Limits to SSB tax support were expressed as fairness concerns, with a focus on the procedural justice of the tax. Participants supported SSB taxation and the discourses they employed suggested support for the tax was perceived as contributing to their construction of the kind of ideal, health-valuing citizens they hoped to embody. However, participants were also concerned about the fairness of implementation, although this did not outweigh the prioritization of good health.

Intersectional Victims as Agents of Change in International Human Rights-Based Climate Litigation

Abstract Climate change uniquely affects those who are at the intersection of several inequalities simultaneously, such as those based on gender, age, and disability. This makes them ‘directly affected’ by climate change, which is crucial in establishing ‘victim status’ under Article 34 of the European Convention on Human Rights. At the same time, as a result of unequal power relations, intersectional victims face exclusion from, or minimal participation in, political decision-making processes concerning climate change. This further justifies their claim to victim status as a matter of procedural climate justice. As agents of change, intersectional victims, namely elderly women and girls with disabilities, can be empowered to contribute to climate decision making, thereby reshaping unjust power relations. The article examines two climate cases currently before the European Court of Human Rights: Verein KlimaSeniorinnen Schweiz and Others v. Switzerland, brought by elderly women, and Duarte Agostinho et al. v. Portugal and 32 other States, brought by children and young people.

Insights into the Impact of Organizational Factors and Burnout on the Employees of a For-Profit Psychiatric Hospital during the Third Wave of the COVID-19 Pandemic.

In this paper, we provide insights into the interplay among the organizational, job, and attitudinal factors and employees' intentions to resign during the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic at a mental health hospital. We point out shortcomings in the relationship dynamics between executive administration and operational staff and propose a pathway to develop more effective leadership frameworks to increase job satisfaction. We integrate qualitative data from case information and open-ended questions posed to employees at a mental health hospital and quantitative data from a small-scale survey (n = 19). We highlight that the ability to achieve objectives, work autonomy, burnout, affective commitment, distributive and procedural justice, and job satisfaction are critical in determining individuals' intentions to resign. Individuals identified disconnectedness and moral distress as critical aspects, while highlighting empathy, compassion, satisfaction, and confidence as pivotal elements. Mental healthcare settings could benefit from enhancing the staff's ability to achieve objectives, work autonomy, affective commitment, and both distributive and procedural justice. Addressing burnout and implementing measures to increase job satisfaction are equally vital. Efficiently restructuring dynamics between various leadership levels and staff can significantly improve employee retention.