Legitimacy Processes and Emotional Responses to Injustice

Bibliographic Data

ID11325552
AuthorsCathryn Johnson (0000-0003-3435-4774, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA, corresponding author), Karen A Hegtvedt (0000-0002-6984-6181, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA), Nikki Khanna (University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, USA), Heather L Scheuerman (0000-0002-2376-3209, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA, USA)
Year2016
Volume79
Issue2
Pages95-114
Publication date2016-06-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueSocial Psychology Quarterly (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0190-2725 • E-ISSN: 1939-8999
PublisherSAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1177/0190272516645317
OpenAlexW2355383216
LanguageEN
Citations received12
References cited46

People typically respond with negative emotions when they perceive an authority’s outcome distribution to be unjust. We argue, however, that legitimacy of the authority—“what others think” in terms of support coworkers and superiors extend to an individual occupying an authority position—acts as an opposing force, attenuating negative emotions and thus helping to sustain stratified orders. Likewise, legitimacy may stymie intentional displays of felt emotions. Our experiment examines the effects of perceived distributive injustice, legitimacy of the authority, and authority’s procedural fairness on members’ self-reported emotions and likelihood of intended emotional displays toward that authority, a superordinate authority, and coworkers in a work group context. Findings demonstrate that while perceived injustice arouses expected self-reported negative emotions, legitimacy (authorization as support by a superordinate authority and endorsement as support by coworkers) reduces such feelings. Also, strong authorization and endorsement indirectly affect intended emotional displays through self-reported negative emotions

Context (archaeology · Feeling · Injustice · Legitimacy · Moderation · Perception · Political science · Politics · Procedural justice · Superordinate goals · Law · Management and Organizational Studies · Psychology · Social and Intergroup Psychology · Social Power and Status Dynamics · Social Psychology

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