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The Synergistic Effects of Organizational Justice and Trust to Supervisor on Vagal Tone: Preliminary Findings of an Empirical Investigation

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  • Raphael M. Herr

    (Mannheim Institute of Public Health, Social and Preventive Medicine, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, 68167 Mannheim, Germany
    Institute of Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine, Centre for Health and Society, Faculty of Medicine, Heinrich-Heine-University of Düsseldorf, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany)

  • Jian Li

    (Institute of Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine, Centre for Health and Society, Faculty of Medicine, Heinrich-Heine-University of Düsseldorf, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
    Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Fielding School of Public Health; School of Nursing, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA)

  • Peter Angerer

    (Institute of Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine, Centre for Health and Society, Faculty of Medicine, Heinrich-Heine-University of Düsseldorf, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany)

Abstract

The influence of perceived unfairness at the workplace (organizational injustice) on employee health is well established. Several theories explain the unpleasant and stressful nature of the experience of injustice, using trust as a central element. This study examines the effect of trust to supervisor on the association of perceived injustice with vagal tone—an objective marker for stress experience. Questionnaires assessed organizational justice and trust. Vagal tone was measured by indictors of heart rate variability (HRV), which captured parasympathetic (pNN50, RMSSD, and HF) and parasympathetic and sympathetic (SDNN, and LF) regulation. Synergistic effects were tested by linear regressions with interaction terms between organizational justice and trust to supervisor in 38 managers. Organizational justice was related to HRV indicators that reflect in particular the parasympathetic branch (β pNN50 = 0.32, p < 0.05; β RMSSD = 0.27, p < 0.1), and interaction effects with trust to supervisor were also most pronounced there (interaction β pNN50 = −0.41, p < 0.01; β RMSSD = −0.47, p < 0.01). In conclusion, the combination of low perceived justice and trust to supervisor appears substantial to the physiological stress threat of employees. Promoting fairness at the workplace might reduce stress; if not possible, trust to supervisor should be enhanced.

Suggested Citation

  • Raphael M. Herr & Jian Li & Peter Angerer, 2019. "The Synergistic Effects of Organizational Justice and Trust to Supervisor on Vagal Tone: Preliminary Findings of an Empirical Investigation," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(5), pages 1-9, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:16:y:2019:i:5:p:790-:d:210876
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    3. Greenberg, Jerald, 2009. "Everybody Talks About Organizational Justice, But Nobody Does Anything About It," Industrial and Organizational Psychology, Cambridge University Press, vol. 2(2), pages 181-195, June.
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