Using the Concept of Distance to Broaden the Horizons of Organizational Justice

Abstract

In the present chapter, we draw on the construal-level theory of psychological distance (CLT; Trope & Liberman, 2003, 2010) to highlight new avenues in the study of organizational justice. The chapter comprises three main parts. First, we review the central tenets of CLT and associated research. In the second part, we summarize our own and others’ recent justice research, which has already begun to draw on CLT findings. Finally, in the main part of the chapter, we draw on Parts I and II to derive a number of novel propositions concerning justice-related phenomena. In particular, we consider implications that the concept of psychological distance has for justice research from three perspectives: recipients (victims) of injustice, third-party observers of injustice, and agents who enact justice. Our overarching goal in the chapter is to broaden the horizons of organizational justice phenomena by incorporating the concept of psychological distance.