The Revised Group Engagement Model Based On Interactional Justice:Theoretical Issues And Mechanisms

The group engagement model (GEM) integrates the domain of justice and self concept research. However, research within this model does not clarify the concept of social self and its mediation mechanism underlying relationships between interactional justice and different kinds of outcomes (i.e., interpersonal vs. group-related outcomes), nor investigate how interactional justice influence group-related outcomes.To solve these problems, we put forward two core ideas based on literature of related domains, and theoretically make a definition of social self. We treated interactional justice as an independent form of justice (rather than a component of procedural justice as mentioned by GEM) and explored its effects within the framework of GEM. In two studies, we horizontally (i.e., mediation mechanism) and vertically (i.e., moderation mechanism) extended GEM.Study1was aimed to examine the structures of the self concepts that were related to GEM, and the mediation mechanisms of different kinds of social selves underlying relationships between interactional justice and varied forms of outcomes. Based on the core ideas and the definition of social self, we put forward propositions for testing mediating effects of varied social selves and the corresponding hypotheses. Through three experiments, we found that:(1) the relational self and the collective self were two independent structures;(2)Self construal was composed of individual self relational self and collective self;(3)Social self was composed of relational self, collective self, relational identification and organizational identification;(4) Interactional justice positively influenced the activation of relational self;(5)Relational identification mediated the relationships between interactional justice and interpersonal outcomes(i.e., leader evaluation and helping behaviors directed at the leader);(6)Organizational identification not only fully mediated the relationship between interactional justice and group-related outcomes(i.e.,organizational citizenship behaviors directed at the organization, OCBO), but also mediated the relationship between interactional justice and helping behaviors directed at the leader;(7) Between interactional justice and interpersonal outcomes, the mediation effect of relational identification was significantly greater than those of relational self and leader-member exchang(LMX).On the basis of study1, study2continued to investigate the moderating effects of leader prototypicality in terms of two experiments.We found that (1)The effect of interactional justice on organizational identification was moderated by leader prototypicality;(2) The effect of interactional justice on OCBO was moderated by leader prototypicality.(3) The moderationg effect of leader prototypicality on the relationship between interactional justice and OCBO was fully mediated by organizational identificationFinally, we discussed our research’s theoretical significance, its contributions to GEM and related areas, and the directions for future studies.