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Interpersonal Justice, Relational Conflict, and Commitment to Change: The Moderating Role of Social Interaction
Author(s) -
Bouckenooghe Dave,
De Clercq Dirk,
Deprez Jana
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
applied psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.497
H-Index - 88
eISSN - 1464-0597
pISSN - 0269-994X
DOI - 10.1111/apps.12006
Subject(s) - psychology , mediation , social psychology , interpersonal communication , moderated mediation , moderation , economic justice , interpersonal relationship , conservation of resources theory , political science , law
Drawing from C onservation of R esources theory, this study examines the hitherto unexplored mediating role of relational conflict in the link between interpersonal justice and commitment to change, as well as how social interaction might moderate this mediating effect. Data were captured from employees directly affected by a large‐scale restructuring in a E uropean‐based organisation. The analyses show that interpersonal justice positively affects commitment to change and that relationship conflict fully mediates the relationship. Further, social interaction moderates both the interpersonal justice–relational conflict and the relational conflict–commitment to change relationships, such that they get invigorated at higher levels of social interaction. The findings also reveal that the indirect effect of interpersonal justice on commitment to change, through relational conflict, is more pronounced at higher levels of social interaction, in support of a moderated mediation effect. These findings have significant implications for research and practice.