Examining an Organisational Justice Model of Perceived Discrimination in the New Zealand Workforce

The current study proposes a model to examine the impact of organisational justice on perceived discrimination and work attitudes/behaviour. The model also examines the influence of ethnicity and support for diversity on these relationships. Two studies were conducted using separate samples which collected data from 1,554 employees in 2010 and 2012. Study 1 used an overall measure of perceived racial discrimination whilst study 2 used a 4-part general measure of discrimination. Regression analysis from both studies showed that interpersonal justice is active in predicting perceptions of discrimination, and these perceptions are associated with negative outcomes for work attitudes and behaviour. Support for diversity largely mitigated the negative effects of discrimination on work behaviour. A lack of predicted results for work attitudes may indicate that processes resulting from discrimination differ according to work attitudes and behaviour. Conclusions and avenues for future research are discussed