Organisational justice and strain‐based conflict among Nigerian prison officers
| Published date | 01 September 2023 |
| Author | Morris Jenkins,Eric G. Lambert,O. Oko Elechi,Daniel Hall,Smart Otu,Jennifer L. Lanterman,Claire Barrington |
| Date | 01 September 2023 |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1111/hojo.12525 |
Received: 28 June 2022 Accepted: 7 March 2023
DOI: 10.1111/ho jo.12525
ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Organisational justice and strain-based conflict
among Nigerian prison officers
Morris Jenkins1Eric G. Lambert2O. Oko Elechi3
Daniel Hall4Smart Otu5Jennifer L. Lanterman6
Claire Barrington7
1Morris Jenkins is Associate Professor,
Justice, Law,and Public Safety
Department, Lewis University, Illinois,
USA
2Eric G. Lambert is Professor,School of
Public and Environmental Affairs,
Indiana University Northwest, Indiana,
USA
3O. Oko Elechi is Professor,Department
of Criminal Justice, Mississippi Valley
State University, Mississippi, USA
4Daniel Hall is Professor, Department of
Justice and Community Studies, Miami
University, Hamilton, Ohio, USA
5Smart Otu is Senior Lecturer,
Department of Sociology, Facultyof
Humanities and Social Sciences, Federal
University, Nigeria
6Jennifer L. Lanterman is Associate
Professor, Department of Criminal
Justice, University of Nevada, Nevada,
USA
7Claire Barrington is undergraduate
student, English Studies and Criminal
Justice, Miami University, Hamilton,
Ohio, USA
Correspondence
Eric G. Lambert, Professor,School of
Public and Environmental Affairs,
Indiana University Northwest, Indiana,
USA
Email: erilambe@iu.edu
Abstract
Most employees, including prison employees, want their
employers to treat them fairly. Distributive justice (per-
ceived fairness of outcomes) and procedural justice
(perceived fairness of processes and procedures) are
important dimensions of organisational justice. Limited
research among correctional staff in the US suggests that
views of distributive and procedural justice spill over
and result in a strain-based form of work-family conflict.
Strain-based conflict occurs when work problems follow
apersonhomeandcreateconflictathome.Basedon
multivariate regression analysis of survey data from 120
Nigerian prison staff, distributive justice had significant
negative effects on the strain-based form of work-family
conflict. Contrary to findings among US staff, procedu-
ral justice did not have a similar significant association.
The connection between views of organisational justice
and strain-based work-family conflict appears to vary by
nation.
KEYWORDS
correctional staff, Nigeria, organisational justice theory, prison
staff, strain-based conflict
© 2023 The Howard League and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
408 wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/hojo HowardJ. Crim. Justice. 2023;62:408–430.
THE HOWARDJOURNAL OF CRIME AND JUSTICE 409
1 INTRODUCTION
Corrections is an inherently challenging occupation. It involves maintaining order among indi-
viduals being held against their will. Not all incarcerated individuals follow rules and orders,
and the possibility of violence is very real. As Armstrong and Griffin (2004) pointed out: ‘few
other organisations are charged with the central task of supervising and securing an unwilling
and potentially violent population’ (p.577). This type of occupation raises the chances of psycho-
logical strain (Lambert, Liu & Jiang, 2018). In the literature, the spillover between the work and
home domains is referred to as work-family conflict (Greenhaus & Beutell, 1985; Hogan et al.,
2006). Strain-based conflict, a subtype of work-family conflict, occurs when work issues follow a
person home, resulting in conflict and problems (Armstrong, Atkin-Plunk & Wells,2015; Lambert
et al., 2006, 2022). What happens at work does not necessarily stay at work. Issues at work can
spill over and detract from interactions at home. Strain-based conflict is detrimental, lowers the
overall quality of life for correctional officers (Liu et al., 2021). Exploring whether and how differ-
ent workplace variables related to officer strain-based conflict is important. Organisational justice
is a salient aspect of correctional work environments that has previously been found to influence
prison staff (Lambert et al., 2019; Taxman & Gordon, 2009).
Correctional officers are a highly important resource for prison agencies. The day-to-day oper-
ation of prisons requires that officers complete a myriad of duties and tasks. Officers undeniably
affect the operations of correctional institutions; however, not only do correctionaloff icers affect
prisons, but correctional work environments also affect officers (Lambert, Liu & Jiang, 2018;
Triplett, Mullings & Scarborough, 1999). Organisational justice views are a salientworkplace vari-
able. Organisational justice represents employee views about whether or not the organisation
treats employees fairly.Distributive and procedural justice are two major dimensions of organisa-
tional justice (Greenberg, 1990; Lambert et al., 2019). Distributive justice refers to the perception
that organisational outcomes, such as pay, evaluation, promotion and assignment, are fair. Pro-
cedural justice refers to perception that the processes and procedures to reach outcomes are fair
(Colquitt, Greenberg & Zapata-Phelan, 2005; Lambert et al., 2020a). Organisational justice affects
prison staff (Lambert, 2003; Lambert et al., 2019; Taxman & Gordon, 2009). High levels of justice
can buffer prison officers from the more challenging effects of working in a prison; conversely,
low levels of justice affect officers negatively (Lambert & Hogan, 2006; May et al., 2020). Work-
ing for a correctional organisation where employees feel organisational processes and outcomes
are unfair can be extremely challenging. The effects of workplace variables do not only remain at
work. Work issues can follow officers home and affect the quality of their home lives (Armstrong,
Atkin-Plunk & Wells, 2015; Lambert et al., 2022).
Perceptions of distributive and proceduraljustice are unlikely to disappear when prison officers
end their work shifts. The negative psychological strain from a negative perception of organisa-
tional justice at the prison likely follows officers home, possibly resulting in being argumentative
and irritable with those at home, resulting in strain-based conflict (Liu et al., 2021). Likewise,
viewing the organisation as being fair in terms of distributive and procedural justice should result
in a more positive psychological state of mind, which, in turn, should reduce the level of strain-
based conflict with family and friends (May et al., 2020). Limited research to date supports the
postulation that views of organisational justice are associated with strain-based conflict among
prison staff, at least among Chinese prison officers (Liu et al., 2021) and US prison staff (May
et al., 2020). Exploring the connection between organisational justice views and strain-based
conflict among prison officers from different nations is important. No current research explores
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