Revisiting the Justice–Deviance Relationship: The Mediating Role of Job Satisfaction within the Social Exchange Framework

Abstract

This study investigates the relationships among procedural justice, distributive justice, job satisfaction, and deviant behavior within the framework of social exchange theory. Using data collected from 150 employees working in pest control company located in West Java, Indonesia, this research applies Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) to examine the mediating role of job satisfaction in the justice–deviance relationship. The findings reveal that both procedural and distributive justice have a positive influence on job satisfaction, indicating that employees who perceive fairness in decision-making and outcome distribution tend to experience greater satisfaction in their work. Procedural justice is also found to reduce deviant behavior directly, while distributive justice does not show a significant direct effect on such behavior. More importantly, job satisfaction functions as a key mediating mechanism that channels the effects of justice perceptions toward reducing deviant acts. These results reinforce the assumptions of social exchange theory, suggesting that employees reciprocate fair treatment with positive attitudes and diminished negative behaviors. Theoretically, the study contributes to a more nuanced understanding of how fairness perceptions shape behavioral outcomes through affective processes. Practically, it emphasizes that fostering procedural and distributive fairness can enhance job satisfaction and minimize deviant behavior, which is particularly relevant for service-based industries in West Java—such as pest control—that rely heavily on employee integrity and cooperation..