Perception of (In)Justice, Engagement, and Counterproductive Behavior in the Academic Environment: The Mediating Role of Emotions
The perception of (in)justice has become the subject of considerable scientific interest in the field of organizational psychology. In the academic environment, research has so far shown that the perception of justice is positively correlated with motivation and negatively correlated with anger and...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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University of Rijeka
2025-07-01
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| Series: | Psychological Topics |
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| Online Access: | https://www.pt.ffri.hr/pt/article/view/1033 |
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| author | Jelena Majcen Iva Černja Rajter Maša Tonković Grabovac |
| author_facet | Jelena Majcen Iva Černja Rajter Maša Tonković Grabovac |
| author_sort | Jelena Majcen |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The perception of (in)justice has become the subject of considerable scientific interest in the field of organizational psychology. In the academic environment, research has so far shown that the perception of justice is positively correlated with motivation and negatively correlated with anger and aggressive behavior toward teachers. However, less is known about the mechanisms of the various aspects of justice in an academic setting. The aim of this research was to provide a better understanding of justice perception in an academic context by (1) examining its connection to engagement and counterproductive behavior, and (2) viewing emotions as mediators of these relationships. A total of 426 students completed an online questionnaire comprising Teachers’ and Peers’ Fairness Scale, Affective Well-Being Scale for Students, Work Engagement Scale for Student Population, and Counterproductive Work Behavior Questionnaire for Student Population. Data analysis indicated a positive relationship between four dimensions of justice perception and engagement. Measures of counterproductive behavior showed a distinct pattern of connections with justice perception dimensions: only colleagues’ interactional justice was negatively correlated to interpersonal deviance, while teachers’ procedural and interactional fairness were negatively related to organizational deviance. Pleasant emotions accounted for a significant portion of variance in engagement across all dimensions of justice and mediated their relationships to engagement. Pleasant and unpleasant emotions did not show a unique contribution in predicting the dimension of counterproductive behavior above fairness. The results confirm the relevance of justice perceptions in the academic environment and provide guidelines for creating the environment conducive to fostering pleasant emotions and enhancing students’ engagement.
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| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-e47d9ad451ca4c3d9f3d37af2b6ed291 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 1332-0742 1849-0395 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | University of Rijeka |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Psychological Topics |
| spelling | doaj-art-e47d9ad451ca4c3d9f3d37af2b6ed2912025-08-20T03:12:46ZengUniversity of RijekaPsychological Topics1332-07421849-03952025-07-01342Perception of (In)Justice, Engagement, and Counterproductive Behavior in the Academic Environment: The Mediating Role of EmotionsJelena Majcen0Iva Černja Rajter1Maša Tonković Grabovac2Faculty of Croatian Studies, Zagreb, CroatiaInstitute of Social Sciences Ivo Pilar, Zagreb, CroatiaFaculty of Croatian Studies, Zagreb, CroatiaThe perception of (in)justice has become the subject of considerable scientific interest in the field of organizational psychology. In the academic environment, research has so far shown that the perception of justice is positively correlated with motivation and negatively correlated with anger and aggressive behavior toward teachers. However, less is known about the mechanisms of the various aspects of justice in an academic setting. The aim of this research was to provide a better understanding of justice perception in an academic context by (1) examining its connection to engagement and counterproductive behavior, and (2) viewing emotions as mediators of these relationships. A total of 426 students completed an online questionnaire comprising Teachers’ and Peers’ Fairness Scale, Affective Well-Being Scale for Students, Work Engagement Scale for Student Population, and Counterproductive Work Behavior Questionnaire for Student Population. Data analysis indicated a positive relationship between four dimensions of justice perception and engagement. Measures of counterproductive behavior showed a distinct pattern of connections with justice perception dimensions: only colleagues’ interactional justice was negatively correlated to interpersonal deviance, while teachers’ procedural and interactional fairness were negatively related to organizational deviance. Pleasant emotions accounted for a significant portion of variance in engagement across all dimensions of justice and mediated their relationships to engagement. Pleasant and unpleasant emotions did not show a unique contribution in predicting the dimension of counterproductive behavior above fairness. The results confirm the relevance of justice perceptions in the academic environment and provide guidelines for creating the environment conducive to fostering pleasant emotions and enhancing students’ engagement. https://www.pt.ffri.hr/pt/article/view/1033perception of justiceacademic fairness perceptionemotionsengagementcounterproductive behaviorstudents |
| spellingShingle | Jelena Majcen Iva Černja Rajter Maša Tonković Grabovac Perception of (In)Justice, Engagement, and Counterproductive Behavior in the Academic Environment: The Mediating Role of Emotions Psychological Topics perception of justice academic fairness perception emotions engagement counterproductive behavior students |
| title | Perception of (In)Justice, Engagement, and Counterproductive Behavior in the Academic Environment: The Mediating Role of Emotions |
| title_full | Perception of (In)Justice, Engagement, and Counterproductive Behavior in the Academic Environment: The Mediating Role of Emotions |
| title_fullStr | Perception of (In)Justice, Engagement, and Counterproductive Behavior in the Academic Environment: The Mediating Role of Emotions |
| title_full_unstemmed | Perception of (In)Justice, Engagement, and Counterproductive Behavior in the Academic Environment: The Mediating Role of Emotions |
| title_short | Perception of (In)Justice, Engagement, and Counterproductive Behavior in the Academic Environment: The Mediating Role of Emotions |
| title_sort | perception of in justice engagement and counterproductive behavior in the academic environment the mediating role of emotions |
| topic | perception of justice academic fairness perception emotions engagement counterproductive behavior students |
| url | https://www.pt.ffri.hr/pt/article/view/1033 |
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