IMBALANCED STRUCTURES, UNFAIR STRATEGIES - POWER AND JUSTICE IN SOCIAL-EXCHANGE

We investigate how the balance of power in exchange relations affects actors' perceptions of the fairness of their partners' power strategie s. If justice is in the eye of the beholder as virtually all social ps ychological theories of justice assume, does its subjective nature wor k to the advantage of the powerful or the weak? Alternative perspectiv es on justice and power suggest competing hypotheses. One view propose s that norms of justice support and legitimate behavioral inequalities that favor the powerful; the second view argues that noms of justice counter and oppose the effects of power Using an experimental design t hat allows us to manipulate structural power and behavioral strategies independently, we test hypotheses derived from these competing theori es in relations of direct, nonnegotiated exchange. We find no evidence for an opposing effect of justice and substantial support for a legit imating effect. Most significantly, punishment strategies are perceive d as more fair when used by exchange partners who are advantaged on re ward power than when used by disadvantaged partners.