Organizational Justice as a Predictor of Work Motivation: A Narrative Review of Recent Empirical Studies

Organizational justice is a central construct in organizational psychology because it shapes workers' perceptions of fairness in decisions, procedures, rewards, and interpersonal treatment. This narrative review analyzes the relationship between organizational justice and work motivation, focusing on recent empirical studies published between 2020 and 2025. Searches were conducted in SciELO, PubMed, PePSIC, and APA PsycNET, complemented by reference-list checking and selected grey literature. Eight studies were retained for the focused synthesis because they directly addressed organizational justice and work motivation or motivational indicators such as engagement, affective commitment, organizational citizenship behavior, performance, and satisfaction. The findings indicate that higher perceptions of justice are associated with more positive motivational outcomes. Procedural justice showed consistent associations with performance and engagement, distributive justice was related to perceptions of fair allocation of rewards and commitment, and interactional justice appeared relevant for intrinsic motivation, recognition, and belonging. The review contributes by systematizing evidence on the motivational role of organizational justice, an aspect often treated indirectly in studies focused on performance or commitment. Practical implications point to the importance of transparent procedures, equitable rewards, and respectful communication as strategies for fostering healthier and more motivating work environments.