Abstract
This chapter explains why organizations should treat employees fairly and what happens when they do not. In the context of work and organizational psychology, organizational justice typically refers to the perceived fairness of an authority's decision-making. Authority figures like supervisors or managers, who are perceived as behaving fairly, are trusted, which, in turn, can affect performance positively. Conversely, employees who feel treated unfairly are more likely to exhibit behaviours that harm the organization or its members. In this chapter, we explore why justice is important for individuals in general and in the work context, under what circumstances someone is likely to feel fairly, or unfairly, treated, what the characteristics of a fair decision are and the rules managers have to abide by in order to be perceived as fair. Then, we review whether all people are equally impacted by the presence or absence of justice. Finally, we consider how fair organizations can be built.