The Relationship Between Perceptions of Fairness and Voluntary Turnover Among Retail Employees1

Summary

The research paper, "The Relationship Between Perceptions of Fairness and Voluntary Turnover Among Retail Employees," by Jones and Skarlicki (2003), delves into the complex interplay of organizational justice dimensions and their impact on actual employee turnover, moving beyond mere turnover intentions. The authors aimed to understand how different aspects of fairness—distributive, procedural, and interactional justice—combine to predict whether retail employees choose to leave their jobs voluntarily. This study addresses a gap in previous research which often reported inconsistent results when examining actual turnover behavior in relation to fairness perceptions. To achieve their objectives, the study employed a quantitative methodology, examining 159 retail employees. The researchers focused on measuring employees' perceptions of the three justice types and subsequently tracking their voluntary turnover behavior. A critical finding revealed that the effect of distributive justice on turnover was significantly stronger when employees perceived interactional justice to be low. This suggests that while dissatisfaction with outcomes (distributive justice) can lead to turnover, poor interpersonal treatment or lack of dignity and respect (low interactional justice) can exacerbate this effect, making employees more likely to leave. Another important methodological implication highlighted by the study is that disproportionate turnover group base rates, where stayers significantly outnumber leavers, can influence the outcomes observed in justice-turnover research, warranting careful consideration in future studies. The findings imply that organizations should not only focus on fair outcomes and processes but also ensure employees are treated with respect, as perceived fairness can foster continued employment.