Recipient allocation preferences and organizational choices: a fit perspective

Abstract

The purpose of this dissertation is to understand how individuals’ preferences for resource allocation affect their attitudinal and behavioral responses towards the organization. Building on the three main allocation norms (equity norm, equality norm and need norm) and taking the perspective of the recipient of an allocation, a model that predicts the antecedents of norm preference and consequences of using different allocation norms by the organization is presented and tested with a sample of Turkish registered nurses. Results show that recipients have differential preferences for allocation norms depending on resource type being allocated and characteristics of the environment. Furthermore, the fit or misfit between recipients’ preferred allocation norm and the allocation norm used by the organization affects recipients’ justice perceptions about the organization, their outcome satisfaction and performance.