The mediating role of perceived organizational support in the effects of interpersonal and informational justice on organizational citizenship behaviors

Our purpose is to examine whether and how perceived organizational support (POS) mediates the effects of informational and interpersonal justice on organizational citizenship behaviors (OCB).

Data were randomly collected from 159 matched supervisor‐subordinate dyads of three engineering firms in Hong Kong in different sites and period of time.

Results of structural equation modeling indicated that POS fully mediated the effects of interpersonal and informational justice on citizenship behaviors that are directed at the organization (OCBO) and its members (OCBI).

Cross‐sectional research design limits the reveal of causality in variables. The findings theoretically integrate justice with POS literature by distinguishing the unique effects of interpersonal and informational justice on OCBO and OCBI through the mediating role of POS.

The success of leaders lie in whether they are trained to comply with the informational and interpersonal rules as well as show respect and provide candid information to the employees on a daily encounter. Also, the leaders may help cultivating subordinates’ a favorable perception of POS by passing on clear messages to subordinates that organization cares about and accounted to them.

The use of POS as a mediator on distinguishing interpersonal and informational justice on OCB is unprecedented. Most justice research has been focussed on distributive and procedural justice or situational factors that moderate the justice‐OCB link. But, this study has strength of clarifying the links among interpersonal and informational justice, POS, and OCB on professional employees in a non‐North‐America context.