Workplace stress and belief in a just world

The concept of Belief in a Just World (BJW) reflects a person's confidence in the idea that everyone gets what they deserve and that good people are rewarded and bad people are punished. Numerous studies have found justice to be a key issue in working life and a survey of 217 workers in Germany looked into the links between a belief in a just world and people's experience of workplace stress and adjustment to it. The researchers found that employees with a strong BJW experienced more organizational commitment and less desire to quit. They thought that they were performing better in their job and took less days sick leave and felt less emotional exhaustion and fewer symptoms of depersonalization.

Otto, Kathleen and Schmidt, Sabine - Dealing with stress in the workplace: compensatory effects of belief in a just world European Psychologist December 2007, 12(4), 272-282