Abstract
The aim of the present study is to model organizational justice and job satisfaction with the mediating role of organizational indifference (case study: General Directorate of Education of Semnan Province). The research method is applicable in terms of its purpose and is quantitative and descriptive-correlational in terms of its implementation method. The statistical population of the study includes 607 employees of the General Directorate of Education of Semnan Province, 242 of whom were selected using the Cochran formula and a multi-stage and stratified proportional sampling method. A standard questionnaire was used to collect data. Data analysis was performed using SPSS software and structural equations. The results of this study showed that the direct effect of organizational justice and job satisfaction is 0.34. Also, the indirect effect of the organizational justice and job satisfaction variable with the effect of the mediating variable of organizational indifference is 0.062. Furthermore, the path coefficient between the two variables of organizational justice and job satisfaction is 0.34; in other words, a degree change in organizational justice caused an increase of 0.34 degrees in job satisfaction. Also, the path coefficient between organizational justice and organizational difference is -0.39, which showed the negative effect of the organizational justice variable on organizational indifference; in other words, a degree change in organizational justice caused a decrease of 0.39 degrees in organizational indifference. This means that organizational justice has an inverse relationship with organizational indifference.
Extended abstract
Introduction
Many different factors in organizations lead to the formation of employees' attitudes towards the organization. Although some of the related factors are positive, some are negative. The fact that employees think that they are treated unfairly in organizational practices and the decrease in perceived organizational support may lead to a pessimistic attitude towards the organization, which has a detrimental effect on the success of the organization. The traditional view of an ideal workplace is an organization with a climate of justice and a supportive environment (Rahman & Karim, 2022). Therefore, studying occupational behavior is one of the most difficult and complex tasks due to the multiplicity and overlap of variables that affect human behavior, interrelationships, and the instability of these variables. In addition, predicting human behavior in organizations is not easy. It is unpredictable because it results from an attempt to meet the multiple needs of different people. Undoubtedly, human behavior can be understood to some extent within the framework of behavioral principles and concepts (Abd & Behadili, 2019).
The results of recent studies show that organizations need to improve their efficiency. In this regard, it is believed that a constructive, advanced, and sustainable culture is the foundation for improving the efficiency of organizations (Olan et al, 2019). Job satisfaction is a concept that has been widely studied in organizational behavior research, and is usually defined as an affective variable obtained from the evaluation of an individual’s work experience (Fritzsche & Parrish, 2005). In fact, job satisfaction is related to the mental state or feelings of employees about the nature of their work. Job satisfaction refers to an individual’s emotional approach to their current position in the organization and the company (Valaei & Jiroudi, 2016).
Adams & Freedman (1976) state that when individuals’ inputs are less than those of similar individuals in the organization who perform similar work or when the services they provide are not compensated by the organization, individuals experience job dissatisfaction or deficiency (Yuen et al, 2018). It is time to abandon the hypothesis that knowing organizational intelligence is the only way to organizational success (Alvesson & Spicer, 2017). In fact, knowledge has a dark side that grows with it and causes dissatisfaction and frustration in the organization (Paulson, 2017). Researchers have named this dark side organizational apathy (Albrecht, 2003; Alvesson & Spicer; Paulson, 2017). Organizational apathy is defined as the lack of reflection, substantive reasoning, and justification in organizations. This causes employees to deny the use of intellectual resources outside of limited and safe conditions. The operating system creates a sense of certainty that makes organizations work properly, and leads to saving the organization and its members from the friction caused by doubt and reflection (Alvesson & Spicer, 2017).
Considering the importance of organizational justice and consequently job satisfaction and its key role in individuals' performance in their jobs, we seek to answer the question: how to model organizational justice and job satisfaction with the mediating role of organizational indifference (case study: Semnan Province General Directorate of Education)?
Theoretical Framework
Organizational Justice
Transactional justice encompasses aspects of the communication process such as politeness, honesty, and respect between the source and the recipient. It refers to the perceived fairness of the supervisor's interpersonal behavior. These perceptions of justice are implicitly linked to diversity and difference in work outcomes such as social capital and organizational health (Amrolahi Biuki et al, 2017).
Organizational Apathy
With the beginning of the third millennium, the role of human resources has become more prominent day by day, and is now considered one of the important factors in achieving success and sustainable competitive advantage in the organization. One of the main concerns of managers is to motivate employees as strategic assets of the organization. According to Stallard (2010), recent research shows that ninety percent of employees are either not motivated or have no desire, or their behavior is not in line with the goals of the organization. One of the main causes is apathy. Regarding the phenomenon of organizational apathy, various definitions have been provided by experts. Although these definitions refer to different points to some extent, they generally define a certain situation with a set of specific consequences as organizational apathy (Shekari et al, 2016).
Job Satisfaction
Job satisfaction indicates the extent to which people are satisfied with their job and like it. Some people enjoy their work and consider it the main focus of their lives; while some hate their work and do it only because they have to (Izadian Sheyjani & sadoughi, 2022).
In their study titled Analyzing the Effect of Organizational Justice on Employee Commitment: Job Satisfaction as a Key Mediator, Sheikh et al, (2024) concluded that how seafarers' perceptions of equity and fairness in resource distribution, management policies and procedures, and the quality of interpersonal behavior affect job satisfaction and, in turn, their commitment to their employing organizations.
In their study titled Investigating the Relationship between Organizational Justice and Employee Job Satisfaction with Emphasis on Knowledge Management, Sheki & Alizadeh (2024) concluded that there is a positive and significant relationship between the three variables of justice, job satisfaction, and knowledge management; and that organizational justice is able to predict job satisfaction.
Research Methodology
The research method is applicable in terms of its purpose and is quantitative and descriptive-correlational in terms of its implementation method. The statistical population of the study includes 607 employees of the General Directorate of Education of Semnan Province, 242 of whom were selected using the Cochran formula and a multi-stage and stratified proportional sampling method. A standard questionnaire was used to collect data.
Research findings
Data analysis was performed using SPSS software and structural equations. The results of this study showed that the direct effect of organizational justice and job satisfaction is 0.34. Also, the indirect effect of the organizational justice and job satisfaction variable with the effect of the mediating variable of organizational indifference is 0.062. Furthermore, the path coefficient between the two variables of organizational justice and job satisfaction is 0.34; in other words, a degree change in organizational justice caused an increase of 0.34 degrees in job satisfaction. Also, the path coefficient between organizational justice and organizational difference is -0.39, which showed the negative effect of the organizational justice variable on organizational indifference; in other words, a degree change in organizational justice caused a decrease of 0.39 degrees in organizational indifference. This means that organizational justice has an inverse relationship with organizational indifference.
Conclusion
The present study was conducted with the aim of modeling organizational justice and job satisfaction with the mediating role of organizational indifference (case study: General Directorate of Education of Semnan Province). The findings of the present study are consistent with the findings of Sheikh et al, (2024), Sheki & Alizadeh (2024), Banihashemi et al, (2024), Darvishi & Ashrafi (2024), Zahed Babelan & Ahmadi (2022), Izadian Sheyjani & sadoughi (2022), Mehrban (2021), Jafari (2021), and Andam & Taheri (2020). In their study titled Investigating the Relationship between Organizational Justice and Employee Job Satisfaction with Emphasis on Knowledge Management, Sheki & Alizadeh (2024) concluded that there is a positive and significant relationship between the three variables of justice, job satisfaction, and knowledge management; and that organizational justice is able to predict job satisfaction.
It is suggested that education officials should provide organizational justice by considering the following components: Judgment should be based on evidence, which means that standards should be precise, data should be collected, and decisions should be based on this formal process.