| Three 2 x 2 factorial studies compared the effect of an explanation offered by a boss after offending a worker to a pay-raise that the worker received on fairness judgments and chances of worker turnover. The studies differed slightly in the scenarios. Subjects were 413 adults, students and workers. Study 1 failed to yield any significant effects. In Study 2 both explanation and pay-raise influenced ratings of turnover chances for the same income. Explanation influenced chances of moving to another job for a 5% raise, while wage-raise also affected judgments of fairness. In Study 3, with a scenario corrected for potential bias, both explanation and wage-raise affected judgments of fairness; explanation also influenced estimated turnover chances for the same pay. The importance of explanations in preventing worker turnover are discussed. |
