Examining the Correlation between Perceived Fairness and Conflict Frequency: The Moderating Role of Group Size in Organizational Settings

Abstract

This study examined the relationship between perceived organizational justice and the frequency of interpersonal conflict in group-based workplace settings, with group size explored as a potential moderating factor. Using a descriptive-correlational design, survey data were collected from 196 full-time employees across the education, healthcare, banking, and business process outsourcing (BPO) sectors in the Philippines. Respondents completed the Organizational Justice Scale (Colquitt, 2001) and the Interpersonal Conflict at Work Scale (Spector & Jex, 1998). Results revealed a significant negative correlation between perceived justice and conflict frequency, with interpersonal and procedural justice showing the strongest associations. Group size, when analyzed as a continuous variable, significantly moderated the justice–conflict relationship, though threshold-based comparisons (small vs. large groups) did not yield significant results. These findings highlight the role of justice perceptions in preventing workplace conflict and underscore the importance of tailoring communication and fairness strategies to team size and sector-specific contexts. The study contributes to local literature by integrating justice and conflict dynamics within the framework of Philippine organizational settings.