Organisational injustice and impaired cardiovascular regulation among female employees

To examine the relation between perceived organisational justice and cardiovascular reactivity in women.

The participants were 57 women working in long term care homes. Heart rate variability and systolic arterial pressure variability were used as markers of autonomic function. Organisational justice was measured using the scale of Moorman. Data on other risk factors were also collected.

Results from logistic regression models showed that the risk for increased low frequency band systolic arterial pressure variability was 3.8-5.8 times higher in employees with low justice than in employees with high justice. Low perceived justice was also related to an 80% excess risk of reduced high frequency heart rate variability compared to high perceived justice, but this association was not statistically significant.

These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that cardiac dysregulation is one stress mechanism through which a low perceived justice of decision making procedures and interpersonal treatment increases the risk of health problems in personnel.