Organizational Justice Competency and Organizational Justice Behaviors for Building Leader-Follower Relationships: A Roadmap for Leader-Aspiring Managers

Abstract

Literature asserts that management is not leadership. Because leadership enhances employee performance, job satisfaction, and organizational commitment, among other advantages, scholars have argued that it is beneficial for managers to become leaders or develop leadership skills. To become leaders, literature indicates that subordinates must first willingly transform into followers who subsequently make their manager their leader. However, followership results from various positive human relations practices by the manager, which convince subordinates of the manager's followership worthiness. This study recognizes organizational justice as an effective human relations competence that managers should practice in transforming subordinates into followers. This is based on the literature, which asserts that organizational justice enhances the work environment by stimulating employee performance, increasing motivation, engagement, trust in supervisors, and commitment to the organization. While literature recommends organizational justice as a leadership competence, the specific behaviors that produce justice remain sparse and sometimes controversial. This study contributes to the knowledge of organizational justice analysis and recommends specific social justice behaviors for managers to practice as a roadmap for achieving organizational justice and increasing their subordinates’ likelihood of becoming followers.