The influence of fairness on employee work engagement

Abstract

In this study the effect of fairness on work engagement, and the influence of uncertainty, job demands and resources on this relationship, is tested. 201 participants participated in a questionnaire containing an experimental condition, making salient a critical fair or unfair incident. Although significantly influencing a series of other variables, the manipulation does not affect work engagement directly. Some additional mediating and moderating relationships are found. The manipulation failing to induce an effect on work engagement suggests that the concept does not differ much over time and situations, which supports the trait approach to work engagement. The flexibility of elements of the JD-R model has augmented the present research by allowing different concepts to be used as predictors. However it has also complicated the generalization of findings. More in-depth research is needed to clarify the relations between the variables at hand.