Interactions between procedural fairness and outcome favorability in conflict situations

Kurzfassung/Abstract

Procedural fairness has been reported to be an important factor for enhancing cooperative behavior in interpersonal conflicts. Based on the procedural justice and social conflict literature, the current study examined the effects of procedural fairness and outcome favorability on conflict resolution strategies in a local planning conflict. By means of a crosssectional questionnaire study, it was shown that high procedural fairness can compensate for expected losses by attenuating the readiness for hard negotiating. However, if accompanied by expected gains, high procedural fairness can also augment hardness of negotiation, resulting in more self-centered negotiating behavior. The implications of the findings for further research on procedural justice are discussed.