Running head: THE ROLE OF LEADERS IN CREATING TEAM TRUST AND

The role of leaders in creating team trust and social justice Annette Spellman Walden University

THE ROLE OF LEADERS IN CREATING TEAM TRUST AND Abstract

In this paper I will explain the different characteristics of organizational justice, and how a leader can establish justice in the work place. I will explain how diverse teams are affected by organizational culture, how individuals work in an atmosphere of transparency and openness, how procedural justice affects distributive justice, and will explain the connection between trust and fairness.

THE ROLE OF LEADERS IN CREATING TEAM TRUST AND The role of leaders in creating team trust and social justice The Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. said, Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter. We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools. Organizational justice is the degree to which workers believe they are being treated fairly. Procedural justice is a perceived fairness of method used to reach outcome or decision

(process driven). Procedural justice is the study peoples subjective evaluations of the justice of those procedures whether they are fair or unfair, ethical or unethical, and otherwise accord with peoples standards of fair processes for interaction and decision making. (Tyler, 2004) Distributive justice is the fairness of outcomes or results (content driven). It operates on these rules; rewards should match the workers contribution, everyone has equal chance of receiving the reward, and rewards are given on the basis of individual needs. Equity exists when outcomes are proportional to contributions, especially in comparison to another individual. An equal distribution rule, in contract, warrants that all recipients receive the same level of outcomes, and a needs-based distribution principal suggests that outcomes are commensurate with needs. When actual outcomes are congruent with those based on such normative expectations, justice exists. (Hegtvedt, 2004) Interactional justice is the third type of organizational justice, and concerns the perception of fairness in procedural treatment of others. Issues with interactional justice can arise when employees are lied to, judged unfairly and denied privacy and respect. According to Dirks (2000), trust in leadership allows the individuals in the team or organization to suspend their individual doubts and personal motives and direct their efforts toward a common team goal. In summary, trust in leader has two complementary impacts: it

THE ROLE OF LEADERS IN CREATING TEAM TRUST AND

first helps maximize individual efforts and performance and secondly harnesses or focuses those efforts toward a common goal or strategy. (Dirks, 2000, p. 1005) Leadership is always evolving, and plans and actions are constantly shaped by the result of learning, rather than the other way around. Leaders can establish justice in the workplace by reinforcing the culture by communicating to people about the long-term benefits of creating an organization culture that is based on trust. Consistency between the communication and actions of leaders develops their credibility in the eyes of the employees. Practicing fairness as well as communicating their ideas, answering questions and engaging in discussion to insure that employees are knowledgeable about the direction of the organization and able to make a clear, strong commitment to the future. Only when there is high trust in teammates does individual motivation lead to group performance. (Kath, 2006) Cultural diversity does affect the perception of justice. According to Rowney and Taras, (2008), thinking in terms of right and wrong is usually inappropriate when a conflict involves people of different cultural back grounds. What seems wrong in one culture may appear perfectly right in another, not because one culture is wrong and the other one is right, but because they are simply different. (Rowney & Taras, 2008, p. 105) The word transparency means that nothing is being hidden, and the truth is being disclosed. It is value of transparency is that keeps organizations honest by making more members aware of the organizations activities. No matter the official line, true transparency is rare. While we believe leaders must set the example for their organizations by demanding candor and transparency, current leaders have less and less choice in the matter. Todays world, where information travels globally with the click of a mouse, transparency is no longer simply desirable, and is becoming unavoidable. However, the best way for leaders to start information

THE ROLE OF LEADERS IN CREATING TEAM TRUST AND flowing freely in their organizations is to set a good example. They must accept even welcome, unsettling information. If leaders regularly demonstrate that they want to hear more than incessant happy talk, and praise those with the courage to articulate unpleasant truths, then the norm will begin to shift toward transparency. (Bennis, Goleman, & Ward Biederman, 2008) Does procedural justice affect distributive justice? Dr. Ayman states, the distinction between distributive justice and procedural justice, one is the content of the decision and the other is the process of the decision and the relationship between these two aspects of justice is important also because procedural justice can sometimes, I wouldnt say overcome, but can reduce the negative effect of distributive justice. This means that even when the employee is being told something that would normally be viewed negatively, that as long as they understand

the principles on which the decision was made and the principles are clear and fairly stated, then the employee can potentially understand the fairness in the system and would not typically lose loyalty even though the decision was not the most pleasant Distributive justice and procedural justice, why they are different, they are parts of the same component, which is fairness and justice and they have a complimentary relationship with each other to bring about a trusting relationship and the leader that is engages in these behaviors can enhance their trustworthiness. (Ayman, 2009) If employees believe the system is fair for everyone it gives them security in trusting that they will most likely be treated fairly. Fairness perceptions can promote job satisfaction, enhanced commitment, and greater trust and willingness to go beyond the call of duty. Martin Luther King Jr. stated, The measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort, but where he stands in times of challenge and controversy. (King, Jr., n.d.)

THE ROLE OF LEADERS IN CREATING TEAM TRUST AND References Ayman, R. (2009, ). Trust and trustworthiness [Video file]. Retrieved from Bennis, W., Goleman, D., & Ward Biederman, P. (2008, Fall). Creating a transparent culture. Leader to Leader Journal, 50. Dirks, K. T. (2000). Trust in leadership and team performance: Evidence from NCAA. Journal of Applied Psychology, 85, 1004-1012.

Hegtvedt, K. (2004). Distributive Justice. In Distributive Justice. e-references from Sage: SAGE publications. Kath, L. (2006). Trust. In Trust. e-References from Sage: SAGE publications. King, M. L., Jr. (n.d.). quotations. Retrieved from http://www.quotationspage.com/quotes/Martin_Luther_King_Jr. Rowney, J., & Taras, V. (2008, November 3). Crosscultural differences in perceptions of justice: Consequences for academia. ISEA, 36, 104-123. Tyler, T. (2004). . In Procedural Justice. e-references from Sage: SAGE publications.