Organizational Justice and Organizational Citizenship Behavior: The Mediating Effect of Cognition- and Affect-Based Trust

Abstract

The relationships between organizational justice, trust and organizational citizenship behavior had been explored in past studies. Based on the exchange theory, this study distinguished two dimensions of trust, cognition-based and affected-based trust respectively. We explored how distributive, formal procedural and interactive justice affect organizational citizenship behavior through different dimensions of trust. Analyzing data through LISREL, we found cognition-based and affect-based trust has negative and positive relationships with organizational citizenship behavior respectively. Besides, an employee's trust in a supervisor mediates the relationships between organizational justice and organizational citizenship behavior. Distributive justice has no relationships with trust and organizational citizenship behavior. Formal procedural justice has direct relationship with organizational citizenship behavior. Cognition-based trust and affect-based trust mediates the relationships between formal procedural and interactive affect and organizational citizenship behavior. Affect-based trust is more important predictor of trust.