Procedural Justice Climate Survey

A Research Proposal for the Lawrence Berkeley

National Laboratory

Prepared by,

Devin Campbell

College of Business

University of Nevada, Reno

Fall 2015

Purpose of the Study

The purpose of this study is to analyze the role and importance of procedural justice climate at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory through its variables: (leader power distance values, team power distance, and ethical climate), in improving the workplace climate. This study will allow us to see the many different factors that positively or negatively influence the procedural justice climate that currently resides at the laboratory.

The Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBL) is located at 1 Cyclotron Rd, right above the University of California, Berkeley campus. The LBL is a national laboratory which was founded in 1931 and they conduct research for the U.S. Department of Energy. They have approximately 3,232 employees (About the Lab, 2015) and was originally created as the Radiation Laboratory of the University of California. The LBL has since become the major international center for physics research with 13 Nobel Prizes (About the Lab, 2015). They have also been separated into 14 scientific divisions which are organized within the areas of Computing Sciences, General Sciences, Energy and Environmental Sciences, Life Sciences, and Photon Sciences.

The LBL proudly stands out in the world of science and “is synonymous with excellence” (About the Lab, 2015). Throughout the years, they have had a reputation of being a competitive place to work. This high level of competition has created a workplace climate where employees don’t believe that they are being treated fairly. Focusing just on the LBL, the proposed research looks to address the factors which might influence the employees’ views on fairness in the workplace. We will seek insight into how leader power distance values, team power distance values, and ethical climate may predict how employees’ view the amount of fairness in the workplace. We expect that increasing all three will result in an increased amount of perceived fairness from employees at the LBL.

Relevance of the Study

Based on the review of scholarly literature, we have selected three variables which might influence the levels of perceived fairness within an organization: leader power distance values, team power distance values, and ethical climate.

Past research has found that “congruence between a leader and a team regarding goal accomplishment and constructive conflict were both positively related to team performance” (Gibson 2009). In addition to that, when there is incongruence between leaders’ and teams’ power distance values, (Cole, Carter, Zhang 2013) misalignment in either direction yields lower justice perceptions. Because of this, organizations should encourage individuals in managerial rolls to become more aware of teams’ power distance preferences in order to adapt their own behaviors to match those of their subordinates.

Along with power distance values, past research has also found that ethical leadership of top managers has a positive impact on employees’ behaviors through cascading effects (Mayer 2009). If there are none currently present, ethical leadership development programs can help top managers analyze and develop their own ethical leadership (Shin, Sung, Choi, Kim 2015).

This study is potentially relevant for managers at the LBL. If we find a misalignment between leaders’ and teams’ power distance values, and an unethical climate predict lower levels of perceived fairness, then managers at the LBL should institute an ethical leadership program and managerial training programs. This will allow the managers to lead by example and this “cascading effect” of ethical leadership will flow throughout the organization. The managerial training programs will give managers the skills they need in order to modify their own behaviors to better match those of their subordinates. Research Strategy and Methods Design team

Principal Investigator: Devin Campbell, University of Nevada, Reno ● Student in a Seminar in Qualitative Management class● Created surveys and studies for various management classes

Content Expert: Brandon White, IT Supervisor, LBL

● Upper management employee concerned about current workplace situation● Extensive management knowledge

Content Expert and Statistical Expert: Jacob Miller, IT Support, LBL● Extensive statistical knowledge● Can run multiple analysis’ on the data

Human Resources Expert: Karen Wilson, HR Manager, LBL● Can distribute surveys to all employees and ensure anonymity● Extensive management knowledge

Timing

I propose a longitudinal study design, using employee surveys to collect measures. By using the longitudinal design, we will be able to draw conclusions more confidently from the data collected. I suggest a 6 month study where data will be collected once every 3 months in 3 waves. Wave 1 will be collected 3 months before Wave 2 and 6 months before Wave 3. Dates are listed below:

● Approval of the final study design: December 21st, 2015● Final design corrections: January 4th, 2016● First wave of data collection: January 11th, 2016● Second wave of data collection: April 11th, 2016● Third wave of data collection: July 11th, 2016

Respondents

I believe that we should try to gather data from all members of the IT division at the lab. This is an isolated work group at LBL who provides technical support to all employees. Employees will be invited to take part in the survey via cover letter (see Appendix 1 for details). Content

This study being conducted contains variables to measure the procedural justice climate, including leader power distance, team power distance, and ethical climate. Concluding with a demographic section at the end of the survey. The survey will be approved by the director of the department and will meet all guidelines (see Appendix 2 for details).

Data collection methods The survey will be delivered to the employees of the IT department in three waves, the first of which is January 11th, 2016, second on April 11th, 2016, and the third on July 11th, 2016. Employees who are not working that day will receive a copy on their desk. All results will remain completely anonymous and employees will be invited to take the survey via cover letter (see Appendix 1). By completing the survey, respondents will be implying their consent. Each person who completes the survey will have a number assigned to them in order to link the data from each wave.

The survey will take you no more than 20 minutes to complete, which can be done at any time before the due date. The study is being conducted in the interest of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and they are funding the study. It will be distributed and analyzed by the The College of Business, University of Nevada, Reno. Because of the personal nature of the survey, respondents can choose to complete it at home and return it to the locked drop box outside the break room before the end date. Once collected, surveys will be kept in the safe of the principal investigator. When finalized, the results will be ran with SPSS to obtain information on how to create a more effective and fair workplace.

Reporting of results Once the analysis is completed, the HR manager will be informed of the results. Because of the large volume of information being collected, it should take approximately 2-3 months to have reports ready. When the reports are ready, we will meet with the HR manager and several other managers to go over ways to improve the situation at hand. We will take into consideration the findings of past research and make sure that management knows the importance of having a fair and trusting workplace. From there we will make some recommendations to them about how they can increase the levels of fairness within the workplace.

Reference List

About the Lab. (n.d.). Retrieved December 1, 2015, from http://www.lbl.gov/about/

Al-Zu’bi, Hasan Ali (11/2010). "A Study of Relationship between Organizational Justice and JobSatisfaction". International journal of business and management (1833-3850), 5 (12), p. p102

Ambrose, M., Arnaud, A., Schminke, M. (2008). Individual Moral Developmentand Ethical Climate: The Influence of Person-Organization Fit on Job Attitudes. Journal of Business Ethics

Cole, M. S., Carter, M. Z., & Zhang, Z. (2013). Leader–team congruence in power distancevalues and team effectiveness: The mediating role of procedural justice climate. Journal Of Applied Psychology, 98(6), 962-973. doi:10.1037/a0034269

Colquitt, J. A., Noe, R. A., & Jackson, C. L. (2002). Justice In Teams: Antecedents andConsequences of Procedural Justice Climate. Personnel Psychology, 55(1), 83-109.

Cullen, John B., Victor, B., and Broson J. (1993) The Ethical Climate Questionnaire: AnAssessment of its Development and Validity. Psychological Reports: Volume 73, pp. 667-674. doi: 10.2466/pr0.1993.73.2.667

Dorfman, P. W., Howell, I. P., & Kerr, S. (1986). Moderator Variables in LeadershipResearch. Academy Of Management Review, 11(1), 88-102. doi:10.5465/AMR.1986.4282632

Earley, C.P. and Erez, M. (Eds.) (1997): New Perspectives on InternationalIndustrial/Organizational Psychology (pp.192-242). Frontiers of Industrial & Organizational Psychology

Hofstede, G. H. (2001). Culture’s consequences: Comparing values, behaviors, institutions, andorganizations across nations (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Mayer, David M. (01/2009). "How low does ethical leadership flow? Test of a trickle-downmodel". Organizational behavior and human decision processes (0749-5978), 108 (1), p.

Schaubroeck, J., Lam, S. S. K., & Cha, S. E. (2007). Embracing transformational leadership:Team values and the impact of leader behavior on team performance. Journal of Applied Psychology, 92, 1020–1030. doi:10.1037/0021-9010.92.4.1020

Shin, Y., Sung, S., Choi, J., & Kim, M. (2015). Top Management Ethical Leadership and FirmPerformance: Mediating Role of Ethical and Procedural Justice Climate. Journal Of Business Ethics, 129(1), 43-57. doi:10.1007/s10551-014-2144-5

Victor, B. and J. Cullen (1988), The Organizational Bases of Ethical Work Climates,Administrative Science Quarterly (pp.33, 101–125)

Appendix 1

Dear Employees,

My name is Devin Campbell and I am a student in the College of Business at the University of Nevada, Reno. I am examining the relationship between procedural justice climate, leader power distance values, team power distance values, and ethical climate. By participating in this survey, you will help management gain insight into the factors which influence perceived fairness at work.

The following questionnaire will require approximately 20 minutes to complete. There is no compensation for completing this survey. In order to ensure that all information will remain confidential, please do not include your name. If you choose to participate in this project, please answer all questions as honestly as possible. Participation is strictly voluntary and you may refuse to participate at any time.

Please return completed surveys to the locked drop box outside of the break room before the due date. Thank you for taking the time to complete this survey. The data collected will provide useful information to the management regarding the current workplace environment. If you require additional information or have any questions, please feel free to contact me at the number listed below.

Thank you,

Devin Campbell(510)-685-3579DGECampbell@gmail.com

Appendix 2

Construct Name Construct Definition ScaleProcedural Justice Climate Defined as an emergent

state that reflects “how fairly the team as a whole is treated procedurally” by authority figures (Colquitt, Noe, & Jackson, 2002, p. 84)

Procedural Justice ClimatePlease indicate the extent to which you agree or disagree with each statement.Strongly Disagree: 1Strongly Agree: 5

1. Job decisions are made by the manager in a biased manner.

2. My manager makes sure that all employee concerns are heard before job decisions are made.

3. To make job decisions, my manager collects accurate and complete information.

4. My manager clarifies decisions and provides additional information when requested by employees.

5. All jobs decisions are applied consistently to all affected employees.

6. Employees are allowed to challenge or appeal job decisions made by their managers

(Al-Zu’bi 2010)Leader Power Distance Power distance values at the

leader level refer to the extent to which a leader expects his or her subordinates to acknowledge a formal power relationship and, therefore, be more obedient to and accept a leader’s directive influence (Hofstede, 2001).

Leader Power DistancePlease indicate the extent to which you agree or disagree with each statement.Strongly Disagree: 1Strongly Agree: 5

1. In most situations managers should make decisions without consulting their subordinates

2. In work related matters,

managers have a right to expect obedience from their subordinates

3. Employees who often question authority sometimes keep their managers from being effective

4. Once a decision of a top-level executive is made, people working for the company should not question it

5. Employees should not express disagreements with their managers

6. Managers should be able to make the right decision without consulting their others

7. Managers who let their employees participate in decision lose power

8. A company‘s rules should not be broken – not even when the employee thinks it is in the company‘s best interest.

(Earley & Erez, 1997)Team Power Distance “Power distance values at

the team level reflect team members’ shared preferences regarding the degree to which their leader’s directives should be respected and shown deference.”(Schaubroeck, 2007)

Team Power Distance Please indicate the extent to which you agree or disagree with each statement.Strongly Disagree: 1Strongly Agree: 5

1. Managers should make most decisions without consulting subordinates

2. It is frequently necessary for a manager to use authority and power when dealing with subordinates

3. Managers should seldom ask for the opinions of employees

4. Managers should avoid

off-the-job social contacts with employees

5. Employees should not disagree with management decisions

6. Managers should not delegate important tasks to employees

(Dorfman & Howell, 1988)Ethical Climate The organization’s ethical

climate is “the shared perceptions of what is ethically correct behavior and how ethical issues should be handled (pp. 51-52).”(Victor and Cullen 1987)

Ethical ClimatePlease indicate whether you agree with each of the following statements about your companyCompletely False: 0Completely True: 5

1. In this company, people are mostly out for themselves

2. People are expected to do anything to further the company’s interests

3. There is no room for one's own personal morals or ethics in this company

4. The most important consideration in this company is each person's sense of right and wrong.

5. Everyone is expected to stick by company rules and procedures.

6. Successful people in this company go by the book.

7. In this company, people are guided by their own personal ethics.

8. Successful people in this company strictly obey the company policies.

9. It is expected that you will always do what is right for the customer and public.

(Victor and Cullen 1987)

1. Please indicate the extent to which you agree or disagree with each statement.

Strongly Disagree

Somewhat Disagree

Neutral Somewhat Agree

Strongly Agree

a. Job decisions are made by the manager in a biased manner.

1 2 3 4 5

b. My manager makes sure that all employee concerns are heard before job decisions are made.

1 2 3 4 5

c. To make job decisions, my manager collects accurate and complete information.

1 2 3 4 5

d. My manager clarifies decisions and provides additional information when requested by employees.

1 2 3 4 5

e. All jobs decisions are applied consistently to all affected employees.

1 2 3 4 5

f. Employees are allowed to challenge or appeal job decisions made by their managers

1 2 3 4 5

2. Please indicate the extent to which you agree or disagree with each statement about your manager at work.

Strongly Disagree

Somewhat Disagree

Neutral

Somewhat Agree

Strongly Agree

a. In most situations managers should make decisions without consulting their subordinates

1 2 3 4 5

b. In work related matters, managers have a right to expect obedience from their subordinates

1 2 3 4 5

Strongly Somewhat Neutral Somewhat Strongly

Disagree Disagree Agree Agreec. Employees who often question authority sometimes keep their managers from being effective

1 2 3 4 5

d. Once a decision of a top-level executive is made, people working for the company should not question it

1 2 3 4 5

e. Employees should not express disagreements with their managers

1 2 3 4 5

f. Managers should be able to make the right decision without consulting their others

1 2 3 4 5

g. Managers who let their employees participate in decision lose power

1 2 3 4 5

h. A company‘s rules should not be broken – not even when the employee thinks it is in the company‘s best interest.

1 2 3 4 5

3. Please indicate the extent to which you agree or disagree with each statement about your team leader at work.

Strongly Disagree

Somewhat Disagree

Neutral Somewhat Agree

Strongly Agree

a. Team Leaders should make most decisions without consulting subordinates

1 2 3 4 5

b. It is frequently necessary for a Team Leader to use authority and power when dealing with subordinates

1 2 3 4 5

c. Team Leaders should seldom ask for the opinions of employees

1 2 3 4 5

Strongly Somewhat Neutral Somewhat Strongly

Disagree Disagree Agree Agreed. Team Leaders should avoid off-the-job social contacts with employees

1 2 3 4 5

e. Employees should not disagree with management decisions

1 2 3 4 5

f. Team Leaders should not delegate important tasks to employees

1 2 3 4 5

4. Please indicate whether you agree with each of the following statements about your company.

Completely False

Usually False

Sometimes False

Sometimes True

Usually True

Completely True

a. In this company, people are mostly out for themselves

0 1 2 3 4 5

b. People are expected to do anything to further the company’s interests

0 1 2 3 4 5

c. There is no room for one's own personal morals or ethics in this company

0 1 2 3 4 5

d. The most important consideration in this company is each person's sense of right and wrong.

0 1 2 3 4 5

Completely Usually Sometimes Sometimes Usually Completely

False False False True True Truee. Everyone is expected to stick by company rules and procedures.

0 1 2 3 4 5

f. Successful people in this company go by the book.

0 1 2 3 4 5

g. In this company, people are guided by their own personal ethics.

0 1 2 3 4 5

h. Successful people in this company strictly obey the company policies.

0 1 2 3 4 5

i. It is expected that you will always do what is right for the customer and public.

0 1 2 3 4 5

5. Demographics

What is your Age?

25 or Under 26-40 41-55 56 or Older

What is your Gender?

Male Female

What is your Employment Status?

Self-Employed Part-Time Employed

Full-Time Employed

Not Currently Working

What is your current marital status?

Divorced Married Single Would Rather Not Say

Citations for Scales

Al-Zu’bi, Hasan Ali (11/2010). "A Study of Relationship between Organizational Justice and JobSatisfaction". International journal of business and management (1833-3850), 5 (12), p. p102

Colquitt, J. A., Noe, R. A., & Jackson, C. L. (2002). Justice In Teams: Antecedents andConsequences of Procedural Justice Climate. Personnel Psychology, 55(1), 83-109.

Cullen, John B., Victor, B., and Broson J. (1993) The Ethical Climate Questionnaire: AnAssessment of its Development and Validity. Psychological Reports: Volume 73, pp. 667-674. doi: 10.2466/pr0.1993.73.2.667

Howell, I. P., Dorfman, P. W., & Kerr, S. (1986). Moderator Variables in LeadershipResearch. Academy Of Management Review, 11(1), 88-102. doi:10.5465/AMR.1986.4282632

Earley, C.P. and Erez, M. (Eds.) (1997): New Perspectives on InternationalIndustrial/Organizational Psychology (pp.192-242). Frontiers of Industrial & Organizational Psychology

Hofstede, G. H. (2001). Culture’s consequences: Comparing values, behaviors, institutions, andorganizations across nations (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Schaubroeck, J., Lam, S. S. K., & Cha, S. E. (2007). Embracing transformational leadership:Team values and the impact of leader behavior on team performance. Journal of Applied Psychology, 92, 1020–1030. doi:10.1037/0021-9010.92.4.1020

Victor, B. and J. Cullen (1988), The Organizational Bases of Ethical Work Climates,Administrative Science Quarterly (pp.33, 101–125)