Unpacking the relationship between procedural justice and job performance

PurposeThis study investigates the mediating role of improvisation behavior in the relationship between employees' perceptions of procedural justice and their job performance, as evaluated by their supervisors, as well as the invigorating role of their organization-based self-esteem in this process.Design/methodology/approachSurvey data were collected in three rounds among employees and their supervisors in Pakistan.FindingsAn important factor that connects procedural justice with enhanced job performance is whether employees react quickly to unexpected problems while carrying out their jobs. This mediating role of improvisation is particularly salient to the extent that employees consider themselves valuable organizational members.Practical implicationsFor organizations, this study pinpoints a key mechanism—willingness to respond in the moment to unanticipated organizational failures—by which fair decision-making processes can steer employees toward performance-enhancing activities. It also reveals how this mechanism can be activated, namely, by ensuring that employees feel appreciated.Originality/valueImprovisation represents an understudied but critical behavioral factor that links employees' beliefs about fair decision-making procedures to enhanced performance outcomes. This study shows, for the first time, how this beneficial role can be reinforced by organization-based self-esteem, as a critical personal resource.