title: In need of each other: the moderator of task interdependence between LMX variability and justice.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study examined how leader-member exchange differentiation could affect nurses' perception of organisational justice as well as the moderating effect of task interdependence on this link.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Teams are essential to the health-care industry. However, the perception of injustice may lead to a high level of nurse turnover.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data was collected from 187 nurses distributed in eight units in a mid-western hospital in the USA. Hierarchical linear modeling was used to analyze the cross-level interaction of leader-member exchange variability and task interdependence on individual-level perceptions of justice.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Leader-member exchange variability was significantly related to distributive justice and interactional justice but not significantly related to procedural justice. The interaction term was significantly related to interpersonal justice, but not to procedural justice or distributive justice.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study showed that if leaders demonstrated a variation in treatment of different subordinates, nurses could perceive this as unfair regarding distribution and interaction; when the group was highly task interdependent, this kind of perception of 'unfairness,' particularly regarding interpersonal treatment, became even more salient.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Preferential and inconsistent treatment by them within the work group could introduce nurses' perceptions of unfair treatment. It is of crucial importance to provide training for supervisors on how to display relatively consistent behaviour towards nurses, particularly when the teams are highly task interdependent.
authors.affiliation: Department of Management, Williamson College of Business Administration, Youngstown State University, Youngstown, OH, USA.
authors.forename: Helen Guohong
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Yuntao
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Bai
mesh_terms: D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D007857:Leadership; D009726:Nurses / Q000523:psychology*; D015279:Organizational Culture; D010465:Perception; D010563:Personnel Turnover / Q000639:trends*; D017009:Professional Autonomy; D012935:Social Justice / Q000523:psychology*
keywords: leader-member exchange; organisational justice; task interdependence