The Role of Organizational Politics, Justice, and Trust on Work Outcomes

Political behaviors that are driven by self-interest are a common part of every organization yet little research has been done to examine their relationship to work outcomes (Ferris et al., 2002). The purpose of the present study is to explore two possible mediators that play a role in the relationship between organizational politics and work outcomes. Using social exchange theory as a foundation, organizational justice and trust were thought to mediate the relationship between organization politics and relevant work outcomes, including affective commitment, organizational citizenship behaviors, and perceived organizational support. Empirical data showed that interactional justice mediated the relationship between organizational politics and trust in one's supervisor and that trust in one's supervisor mediated the relationship between interactional justice and OCBIs. Data also showed that procedural justice mediated the relationship between organizational politics and trust in one's organization and that trust in one's organization mediated the relationship between procedural justice and OCBOs, affective commitment, and perceived organizational support. Distributive justice did not mediate the relationship between organizational politics and trust in one's organization. Possible explanations for why this was the case and implications are discussed.