Linking distributive and procedural justice to employee engagement through social exchange: a field study in India

Research linking justice perceptions to employee outcomes has referred to social exchange as its central theoretical premise. We tested a conceptual model linking distributive and procedural justice to employee engagement through social exchange mediators, namely perceived organizational support (POS) and psychological contract, among 238 managers and executives from manufacturing and service sector firms in India. Findings suggest that POS mediated the relationship between distributive justice and employee engagement, and both POS and psychological contract mediated the relationship between procedural justice and employee engagement. Theoretical and practical implications with respect to organizational functions are discussed.