PROCEDURAL JUSTICE AS MODERNISM - PLACING INDUSTRIAL ORGANISATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY IN CONTEXT/

A particularly ethnocentric theory-procedural justice-is placed within a larger theoretical context drawn from theories of comparative insti tutions. All of the hypotheses (tested in a sample of 1604 engineers a nd managers in Lithuanian and American electronics companies) were sup ported: (a) Employees in the ''neo-traditional'' political economy per ceived theirorganisations as significantly (and substantially) less me ritocratic than did their peers in the ''modern'' political economy. ( b) The relationship between political economy and employee perceptions of procedural justice was mediated by the organisation's use of merit ocratic practices. (c) Procedural justice was associated with employee organisational commitment and coworker trust, even when controlling f or political economy. By placing procedural justice into its societal context, insight was gained into its role in fostering Deer trust and its value to employees even in those organisations where it is unexpec ted.