Leader–Member Exchange in Mediating Interpersonal Justice and Informational Justice Climate toward Counterproductive Work Behavior

Abstract

This cross-level study (individual level) examines the influence of interpersonal justice climate and informational justice climate (unit level) on counterproductive work behavior (individual level). The study also examines the role of leader–member exchange (individual level) in mediating the influence of these climates on counterproductive work behavior. The study was carried out by distributing a questionnaire to non-civil-servant lecturers in three new state universities in Indonesia. Of the questionnaires distributed, 399 were returned completely filled out and were then processed using hierarchical linear modeling. Hierarchical linear modeling is the appropriate analysis tool for examining cross-level models in which there is variance at both the individual level and the group level, with individual-level outcomes. The hierarchical linear modeling method still considers variance both within and between units and the role of both individuals and units simultaneously. The instruments were tested using confirmatory factor analysis, and reliability tests were carried out by looking at the coefficient of Cronbach’s alpha. The results of the hypothesis test show that while interpersonal and informational justice climates do not have an influence on counterproductive work behavior (H1 and H2 not accepted), they do have a significant influence on leader–member exchange (H3 and H4 accepted), which itself has a positive influence on counterproductive work behavior (H5 accepted). The test results for H6 and H7 show leader–member exchange fully mediates the influence of interpersonal and informational justice climate on counterproductive work behavior. The results of this study encourage further discussion and open opportunities for cross-level research with different variables and objects.