Organisational justice, trust and the management of change. An exploration
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/00483480310467660 |
| Date | 01 June 2003 |
| Pages | 360-375 |
| Published date | 01 June 2003 |
| Author | Mark N. K. Saunders,Adrian Thornhill |
| Subject Matter | HR & organizational behaviour |
Organisational justice, trust
and the management of change
An exploration
Mark N. K. Saunders
The Business School, Oxford Brookes University, Wheatley,
Oxford, UK, and
Adrian Thornhill
Gloucestershire Business School, University of Gloucestershire,
Cheltenham, UK
Keywords Trust, Organizational effectiveness, Change
Abstract This paper explores employees’ trust as a reaction to the management of change using
the constructs of organisational justice. Following a review of organisational justice theory in
relation to trust and change, employees’ reactions are considered using a case study of a UK public
sector organisation. Drawing on 28 in-depth interviews with employees, the nature of trust is
explored. Little difference is found between trusting and mistrustful employees’ perceptions of
distributive justice. Supporting earlier findings regarding the relationship between procedural
justice and trust, the research also reveals the distinct importance of fairness of treatment
(interactional justice) in enabling trust.
Introduction
Organisational change is often perceived by individuals as threatening (Mabey
and Salaman, 1995) requiring careful implementation to overcome mistrust
associated with vulnerability and loss of security and wellbeing. Such feelings are
commonly defined in terms of employees’ confidence in, or reliance on, someone or
something (Guest, 1998). Consequently, perceptions about the processes through
which change has been implemented, the outcomes and the treatment of those
affected appear likely to influence whether employees feel trusting or mistrustful.
Organisational justice theory offers a framework through which to explore and
understand employees’ feelings of trust or mistrust more fully. Organisational
justice integrates the outcomes of organisational change with the methods used to
achieve it, and perceptions about the treatment of those affected. In this paper, we
commence by conceptualising the relationship between trust and organisational
justice within the context of change. Using a case study drawn from a UK public
sector organisation, we then examine employees’ self-categorized feelings of trust
and mistrust within this conceptualisation. We conclude with a discussion about
theimplicationsofthisforenablingtrust during organisational change and for
organisational justice theory, and reflect briefly on the limitations of this study
and directions for future research.
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PR
32,3
360
Received April 2002
Accepted October 2002
Personnel Review
Vol. 32 No. 3, 2003
pp. 360-375
qMCB UP Limited
0048-3486
DOI 10.1108/00483480310467660
Organisational justice, trust and change: an overview
Organisational justice theory (Greenberg, 1987) focuses on perceptions of
fairness in organisations, by categorising employees’ views and feelings about
their treatment and that of others within an organisation. Three types of
organisational justice theory have been identified in the literature (Greenberg,
1987; Folger and Cropanzano, 1998). Perceptions about the outcomes of
decisions taken form the basis of distributive justice (Homans, 1961; Leventhal,
1976). Perceptions about the processes used to arrive at, and to implement,
these decisions form the basis of two further types of justice that are often
treated as one in the literature; these are procedural justice and interactional
justice (for example, Cropanzano and Greenberg, 2001). Procedural justice
focuses on employee perceptions of the fairness of procedures used to make
decisions (Thibaut and Walker, 1975). This has been distinguished from
interactional justice which focuses on employees’ perceptions about the
fairness of the interpersonal treatment received during implementation (Bies
and Moag, 1986).
Development of trust theory has, to date, been more disparate focusing on a
range of levels of analysis from the interpersonal to the inter-organisational
(e.g. Rousseau et al., 1998). Although this has resulted in a variety of definitions
of trust, these exhibit a number of common elements including notions of
“favourable expectations” and a “willingness to become vulnerable”. Mo
¨llering
(2001) has sought to use and develop these elements, arguing that trust
develops from favourable expectations that are based on interpretations of the
reality to which trust relates, enabled by a suspension of disbelief and a
corresponding leap of faith. This suggests that the process through which trust
is developed is informed by socially constructed interpretations of reality that
include a willingness to make judgements about as yet unresolved situations
and a leap of faith about unknown ones. Trust, according to this approach, is
based on the acceptance of interpretations that includes awareness that
information is imperfect. Accordingly, a “mental leap of trust” is made, or
required, from interpretation to expectation for trust to be developed
(Mo
¨llering, 2001, p. 412).
Herriot et al.’s (1998) four manifestations of trust offer a means of relating
Mo
¨llering’s (2001) process-based definition to organisational change. Their first
manifestation emphasises confidence that expectations of the outcomes of
change will be favourable, namely that obligations will be fulfilled. The second
relates to a belief about not being deceived. For example, that managers will
not be selective with the truth or actively deceive those they manage. In
contrast, the third emphasises a willingness to become vulnerable, focusing on
the trust placed in the abilities of those managing the change process to
undertake this role. Finally, the fourth deals with trust originating from a belief
that people are benevolent, will not harm employees (again emphasising
vulnerability) and may even care for their welfare during the change process
Organisational
change
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