عدالت سازمانی و نتایج کار در منطقه کردستان عراق Organizational justice and work outcomes in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq

Introduction Studies in human resource management and organizational behavior have focused considerable attention on the concept of organizational justice due to its relationship with several work-related outcomes, including job performance, commitment, organizational citizenship behavior (OCB), job satisfaction, perceived organizational support, and turnover (Cohen-Charash and Spector, 2001; Hao et al., 2016; Wei and Lee, 2015). Although the link between components of organizational justice perceptions (distributive, procedural, and interactional justice) and work-related outcomes has been researched by numerous empirical works in western countries (Chien et al., 2010; Garcia-Izquierdo et al., 2012), few empirical studies have looked at organizational justice related to work outcomes in non-western countries, especially in the Middle East (Suliman and Kathairi, 2013). Crucial unanswered questions remain, such as whether the results of studies from western countries can be generalized to eastern countries. Pertinent studies exist indicating that justice influences differ across cultural and national settings (Li and Cropanzano, 2009; Schilpzand et al., 2013). Recently, organizational scholars have suggested that the necessity to extend justice theories to different cultures beyond the boundaries of western countries, and prove their universality and generalizability (Fischer, 2013; Shao et al., 2013). This research addresses the gap between western and eastern settings by conducting an empirical study regarding organizational justice related to two important work outcomes, job satisfaction and job performance, in the context of higher education institutions in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI). Kurdistan is a semi-autonomous region located in the North of Iraq, comprised of the four governorates of Erbil, Slemani, Duhok, and Halabja with a population of over 5.5 million people, mainly comprised of people of Kurdish ethnicity with their own culture and language. The KRI obtained its liberty from the dictatorship regime of Saddam Hussein in 1992. The ruling Kurdistan Regional Government is responsible for regional affairs including security and borders. After the fall of the former regime in 2003, the KRI, in comparison with other parts of Iraq, was able to maintain the stability and security of the region. This stability and peaceful condition in the region positively influenced every aspect of life, and played an important role in boosting its economy, including attracting foreign investors, rebuilding infrastructure, building international airports, and promoting relations with international community members.