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Effects of organizational justice on depressive symptoms and sickness absence: A longitudinal perspective

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  • Ybema, Jan F.
  • van den Bos, Kees

Abstract

A longitudinal three-wave study among a large representative sample of 1519 employees of various companies in The Netherlands examined how organizational justice (as measured by distributive and procedural justice) was related to depressive symptoms and sickness absence. It was predicted that perceived justice would contribute to lower depressive symptoms and sickness absence, whereas depressive symptoms and absenteeism in turn would contribute to lower perceptions of organizational justice. In line with the predictions, we found that both distributive and procedural justice contributed to lower depressive symptoms, and distributive justice contributed to lower sickness absence in the following year. With regard to reversed effects, sickness absence contributed to lower perceptions of distributive justice to some extent. Moreover, sickness absence was related to higher depressive symptoms a year later. This research shows the importance of justice in organizations as a means to enhance the wellbeing of people at work and to prevent absenteeism.

Suggested Citation

  • Ybema, Jan F. & van den Bos, Kees, 2010. "Effects of organizational justice on depressive symptoms and sickness absence: A longitudinal perspective," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 70(10), pages 1609-1617, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:70:y:2010:i:10:p:1609-1617
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    1. Elovainio, Marko & van den Bos, Kees & Linna, Anne & Kivimäki, Mika & Ala-Mursula, Leena & Pentti, Jaana & Vahtera, Jussi, 2005. "Combined effects of uncertainty and organizational justice on employee health: Testing the uncertainty management model of fairness judgments among Finnish public sector employees," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 61(12), pages 2501-2512, December.
    2. Elovainio, M. & Kivimäki, M. & Vahtera, J., 2002. "Organizational justice: Evidence of a new psychosocial predictor of health," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 92(1), pages 105-108.
    3. Elovainio, Marko & Kivimäki, Mika & Steen, Nick & Vahtera, Jussi, 2004. "Job decision latitude, organizational justice and health: multilevel covariance structure analysis," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 58(9), pages 1659-1669, May.
    4. Ylipaavalniemi, Jaana & Kivimäki, Mika & Elovainio, Marko & Virtanen, Marianna & Keltikangas-Järvinen, Liisa & Vahtera, Jussi, 2005. "Psychosocial work characteristics and incidence of newly diagnosed depression: a prospective cohort study of three different models," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 61(1), pages 111-122, July.
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    1. Elovainio, Marko & Linna, Anne & Virtanen, Marianna & Oksanen, Tuula & Kivimäki, Mika & Pentti, Jaana & Vahtera, Jussi, 2013. "Perceived organizational justice as a predictor of long-term sickness absence due to diagnosed mental disorders: Results from the prospective longitudinal Finnish Public Sector Study," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 91(C), pages 39-47.
    2. M Harvey Brenner & Elena Andreeva & Töres Theorell & Marcel Goldberg & Hugo Westerlund & Constanze Leineweber & Linda L Magnusson Hanson & Ellen Imbernon & Sophie Bonnaud, 2014. "Organizational Downsizing and Depressive Symptoms in the European Recession: The Experience of Workers in France, Hungary, Sweden and the United Kingdom," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 9(5), pages 1-14, May.
    3. María José Sanzo & Luis Ignacio Álvarez & Marta Rey, 2017. "Lights and Shadows of Business-Nonprofit Partnerships: The Role of Nonprofit Learning and Empowerment in this Ethical Puzzle," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(8), pages 1-21, August.
    4. Pérez-Arechaederra, Diana & Briones, Elena & Lind, Allan & García-Ortiz, Luis, 2014. "Perceived Organizational Justice in Care Services: Creation and multi-sample validation of a measure," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 102(C), pages 26-32.
    5. Maiju Kangas & Joona Muotka & Mari Huhtala & Anne Mäkikangas & Taru Feldt, 2017. "Is the Ethical Culture of the Organization Associated with Sickness Absence? A Multilevel Analysis in a Public Sector Organization," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 140(1), pages 131-145, January.
    6. Hyunjin Oh & Heyeon Park & Sunjoo Boo, 2017. "Mental health status and its predictors among call center employees: A cross‐sectional study," Nursing & Health Sciences, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 19(2), pages 228-236, June.
    7. Burhan, Omar K. & van Leeuwen, Esther & Scheepers, Daan, 2020. "On the hiring of kin in organizations: Perceived nepotism and its implications for fairness perceptions and the willingness to join an organization," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 161(C), pages 34-48.

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