This study is about employees’ perceptions of organisational justice as far as HRM practices in municipalities are concerned. The literature confirms that there is a relationship between organisational justice perceptions and employee commitment, and that positive or negative justice perceptions could have an influence on employee attitudes and performance, and overall organisational performance. It was revealed in the previous chapter that research on organisational justice has shown that employees’ organisational justice perceptions link directly with job satisfaction and employee organisational commitment. For example, Bakhshi et al. (2009:148) argued that perceived organisational justice is an important predictor of job satisfaction, as well as organisational commitment. Organisational commitment represents a global, systemic reaction that people have to the company for which they work. Bakhshi et al. (2009:148) claimed that the use of fair decision-making procedures could provide evidence of genuine caring and concern on the part of the organisation for the well- being of employees. The use of fair and just procedures within the organisation will motivate employees to continue their association with the organisation, and to exhibit higher levels of commitment to the organisation.
Farndale, Hope-Hailey and Kelliher (2010:6) confirmed the link between employees’ perceptions of justice in HRM and job satisfaction and employee commitment. These authors’ claims suggest that perceptions of injustice in HRM practices might lead to employees developing negative attitudes towards their jobs and the organisation. The existence of negative attitudes among employees in an organisation will not bode well for organisational success and long-term growth. Lumley, Coetzee, Tladinyane and
Ferreira (2011:105) contended that organisational commitment is generally assumed to reduce abandonment behaviours (which include tardiness and high labour turnover). In addition, employees who are committed to their organisation may be more willing to participate in “extra-role” activities, such as being creative or innovative, which frequently ensures an organisation’s competitiveness in the market (Lumley et al. 2011:105). Lee and Chen (2013:196) stated that employee commitment and job attitude are nowadays considered two of the most important and controversial elements in human resource management, and employee commitment is linked mainly to work values, work motivation, and work involvement. In the light of these claims, management needs to put more effort into ensuring that workers are motivated, satisfied, and committed to the organisations that they serve. Ghazanfar et al. (2012:502) stated that HRM practices could reflect organisational commitment of the organisation’s employees, a factor which is believed to influence employees’ motivation and desire to put in more effort, so that the organisation can ultimately improve its performance. Employee organisational commitment results in an employee exhibiting positive behaviour. Paino, Thani and Idris (2011:97) pointed out that employee commitment is an acceptance of organisational goals and willingness to exert effort on behalf of the organisation, and it is associated with positive behaviours, such as job performance and attendance.
If managers start dealing with their subordinates in a fair and trustful manner, they can enhance the commitment of employees, and this is bound to result in optimal performance for the organisation, as well as increased productivity (Raja, Abraiz, Tabassum & Jawad 2012:43). A study by Jawad et al. (2012) highlighted the link between organisational justice and employee commitment. That is, commitment and attitudes towards one’s organisation are enhanced by employee perceptions of justice in the organisation. Bakhshi et al. (2009:147) found that employees who perceived that they were being treated fairly by their employers were more committed, trustful, and satisfied with the company than when they perceived that they were being treated unfairly.
Based on the literature explored in this chapter on commitment, one can infer that municipal employees, who perceive that they are being treated fairly and justly by their
municipality, are likely to have a positive attitude. They are likely to remain satisfied and committed to the municipality, and they may stay loyal for a longer period. This has unfortunately not been the case in many municipalities in South Africa, where it has been reported that political interference in the recruitment of the workforce has resulted in poor procedures and policies and unfair HRM practices (CoGTA 2009:67).
The thesis statement for this study is that employees that perceive justice in their organisations are more likely to feel satisfied. Because satisfied employees tend to have positive attitudes or feelings about their organisation, they will tend to be committed and motivated to even take on an extra role such as helping out others when there is really no need to and higher levels of performance than expected. It is also posited that perceptions of justice will result in low absenteeism, low staff turnover, and loyalty to the organisation – all of which will benefit the organisation by giving it a competitive edge and making it successful in the long term. It can thus be asserted that organisations with insight into how to manage employees justly and fairly are likely to evoke positive attitudes and positive behaviour from their employees. Therefore, satisfied municipal employees are likely to show work commitment by being loyal to the organisation, going the extra mile, and delivering quality service to citizens.
Studies such as that of Altaf, Afzal, Hamid and Jamil (2011), Ismail, Guatleng, Cheekiong, Ibrahim, Ajis and Dollah (2009), and Weller (2009) should provide municipalities and policy makers with insight into the relationship between perceived organisational justice and work attitude and the formation of employee justice perceptions. Bakhshi et al.’s (2009) study might also help municipalities to have a better understanding of how to retain valuable employees and increase employees’ commitment to and satisfaction with their work, thereby improving employee performance.
The following section explores theories about the psychological contract. The researcher has found the concept of the psychological contract, which defines the mutual relationship between the employer and the employee, to be useful, as employees have certain expectations of their employer that are not necessarily
documented, but could have just as much impact on employee attitudes and behaviour in the workplace.