EFFECTIVENESS OF DIFFERENT EXPLANATIONS/SOCIAL ACCOUNTS IN DIFFERENT EMPLOYEE DISCIPLINE SITUATIONS

In a laboratory study, participants read one of 72 scenarios (crossing four different discipline situations, with three types of explanations in each situation, with three different levels of discipline outcome severity, and with two types of employee attributions for their behaviour) describing a disciplinary discussion between a manager and an employee. Results indicated a significant difference between the types of account in their effect on perceptions of interactional justice, but not on other types of justice or on perceived adequacy of the explanation. Attributions, disciplinary problem, and discipline outcome had significant effects on perceptions of all forms of justice and on perceived adequacy of the explanation. Some age and gender differences were also found, suggesting that perceived fairness in discipline may require a contingency approach. Employee discipline/punishment is a ubiquitous reality in organizations (Arvey & Ivancevich, 1980; Arvey & Jones, 1985). A number of studies have indicated that organizational justice theories may be particularly useful with respect to increasing the understanding and management of the discipline process in organizations because employee perceptions of disciplinary fairness are very important fo