TEST OF A JUSTICE-BASED MODEL OF SUBORDINATES RESISTANCE TO DOWNWARD INFLUENCE ATTEMPTS

The authors developed and tested a model that depicts interactional ju stice as a mediator of the effects of managers' influence tactics on s ubordinates' resistance. Data collected from supervised workers provid ed evidence of mediated moderation: The use of hard influence tactics was associated with lower resistance when they were used with soft inf luence tactics. This effect was mediated by the experience of interact ional justice. Although the use of rational influence tactics was unre lated to subordinates' resistance, it was associated with greater inte ractional justice when they were not used with soft influence tactics. Resistance was also related to the content of the influence attempt: Resistance was lower when targets perceived the request to be interest ing, important and unambiguous. Implications and directions for future research are briefly discussed.