The impact of personality and team context on the relationship between workplace injustice and counterproductive work behavior

Abstract

This study ascertains whether the impact of workplace injustice on counterproductive work behavior is moderated by personality and team context. A sample of 131 public-service employees completed a questionnaire that assessed the extent to which they receive distributive, procedural, and interactional justice. Furthermore, team commitment, coworker satisfaction, and Big Five personality traits were assessed. Finally, respondents estimated the frequency with which they and their colleagues engage in counterproductive behaviors. Procedural, distributive, and interactional injustice all provoked counterproductive behaviors. The effect of justice on these destructive acts diminished when team commitment was elevated, coworker satisfaction was limited, agreeableness was pronounced, and neuroticism was reduced. The findings confirm that vulnerability amplifies the impact of injustice, but interdependence can diminish this effect. © 2007 Blackwell Publishing, Inc.