This document proposes a research study to analyze the role of procedural justice climate at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. The study would examine how variables like leader power distance values, team power distance, and ethical climate influence employees' perceptions of fairness. Surveys would be administered to all employees in the IT department at three time periods over six months. The results would provide recommendations to management on how to improve workplace fairness. A team including the student researcher, content experts from the lab, and an HR manager would design the study, collect anonymous survey responses, analyze the data, and report the results to management. The goal is to understand how employees view fairness and help create a more effective workplace environment.

1. Procedural Justice Climate Survey
A Research Proposal for the Lawrence Berkeley
National Laboratory
Prepared by,
Devin Campbell
College of Business
University of Nevada, Reno
Fall 2015

2. Purpose of the Study
The purpose of this study is to analyze the role and importance of procedural justice
climate at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory through its variables: (leader power
distance values, team power distance, and ethical climate), in improving the workplace climate.
This study will allow us to see the many different factors that positively or negatively influence
the procedural justice climate that currently resides at the laboratory.
The Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBL) is located at 1 Cyclotron Rd, right
above the University of California, Berkeley campus. The LBL is a national laboratory which
was founded in 1931 and they conduct research for the U.S. Department of Energy. They have
approximately 3,232 employees (About the Lab, 2015) and was originally created as the
Radiation Laboratory of the University of California. The LBL has since become the major
international center for physics research with 13 Nobel Prizes (About the Lab, 2015). They have
also been separated into 14 scientific divisions which are organized within the areas of
Computing Sciences, General Sciences, Energy and Environmental Sciences, Life Sciences, and
Photon Sciences.
The LBL proudly stands out in the world of science and “is synonymous with excellence”
(About the Lab, 2015). Throughout the years, they have had a reputation of being a competitive
place to work. This high level of competition has created a workplace climate where employees
don’t believe that they are being treated fairly. Focusing just on the LBL, the proposed research
looks to address the factors which might influence the employees’ views on fairness in the
workplace. We will seek insight into how leader power distance values, team power distance
values, and ethical climate may predict how employees’ view the amount of fairness in the
workplace. We expect that increasing all three will result in an increased amount of perceived
fairness from employees at the LBL.
Relevance of the Study
Based on the review of scholarly literature, we have selected three variables which might
influence the levels of perceived fairness within an organization: leader power distance values,
team power distance values, and ethical climate.
Past research has found that “congruence between a leader and a team regarding goal
accomplishment and constructive conflict were both positively related to team performance”
(Gibson 2009). In addition to that, when there is incongruence between leaders’ and teams’
power distance values, (Cole, Carter, Zhang 2013) misalignment in either direction yields lower
justice perceptions. Because of this, organizations should encourage individuals in managerial
rolls to become more aware of teams’ power distance preferences in order to adapt their own
behaviors to match those of their subordinates.

3. Along with power distance values, past research has also found that ethical leadership of
top managers has a positive impact on employees’ behaviors through cascading effects (Mayer
2009). If there are none currently present, ethical leadership development programs can help top
managers analyze and develop their own ethical leadership (Shin, Sung, Choi, Kim 2015).
This study is potentially relevant for managers at the LBL. If we find a misalignment
between leaders’ and teams’ power distance values, and an unethical climate predict lower levels
of perceived fairness, then managers at the LBL should institute an ethical leadership program
and managerial training programs. This will allow the managers to lead by example and this
“cascading effect” of ethical leadership will flow throughout the organization. The managerial
training programs will give managers the skills they need in order to modify their own behaviors
to better match those of their subordinates.
ResearchStrategy and Methods
Design team
Principal Investigator: Devin Campbell, University of Nevada, Reno
● Student in a Seminar in Qualitative Management class
● Created surveys and studies for various management classes
Content Expert: Brandon White, IT Supervisor, LBL
● Upper management employee concerned about current workplace situation
● Extensive management knowledge
Content Expert and Statistical Expert: Jacob Miller, IT Support, LBL
● Extensive statistical knowledge
● Can run multiple analysis’ on the data
Human Resources Expert: Karen Wilson, HR Manager, LBL
● Can distribute surveys to all employees and ensure anonymity
● Extensive management knowledge
Timing
I propose a longitudinal study design, using employee surveys to collect measures. By
using the longitudinal design, we will be able to draw conclusions more confidently from the
data collected. I suggest a 6 month study where data will be collected once every 3 months in 3
waves. Wave 1 will be collected 3 months before Wave 2 and 6 months before Wave 3. Dates
are listed below:

4. ● Approval of the final study design: December 21st, 2015
● Final design corrections: January 4th, 2016
● First wave of data collection: January 11th, 2016
● Second wave of data collection: April 11th, 2016
● Third wave of data collection: July 11th, 2016
Respondents
I believe that we should try to gather data from all members of the IT division at the lab.
This is an isolated work group at LBL who provides technical support to all employees.
Employees will be invited to take part in the survey via cover letter (see Appendix 1 for details).
Content
This study being conducted contains variables to measure the procedural justice climate,
including leader power distance, team power distance, and ethical climate. Concluding with a
demographic section at the end of the survey. The survey will be approved by the director of the
department and will meet all guidelines (see Appendix 2 for details).
Data collection methods
The survey will be delivered to the employees of the IT department in three waves, the
first of which is January 11th, 2016, second on April 11th, 2016, and the third on July 11th,
2016. Employees who are not working that day will receive a copy on their desk. All results will
remain completely anonymous and employees will be invited to take the survey via cover letter
(see Appendix 1). By completing the survey, respondents will be implying their consent. Each
person who completes the survey will have a number assigned to them in order to link the data
from each wave.
The survey will take you no more than 20 minutes to complete, which can be done at any
time before the due date. The study is being conducted in the interest of the Lawrence Berkeley
National Laboratory and they are funding the study. It will be distributed and analyzed by the
The College of Business, University of Nevada, Reno. Because of the personal nature of the
survey, respondents can choose to complete it at home and return it to the locked drop box
outside the break room before the end date. Once collected, surveys will be kept in the safe of the
principal investigator. When finalized, the results will be ran with SPSS to obtain information on
how to create a more effective and fair workplace.

5. Reporting of results
Once the analysis is completed, the HR manager will be informed of the results. Because
of the large volume of information being collected, it should take approximately 2-3 months to
have reports ready. When the reports are ready, we will meet with the HR manager and several
other managers to go over ways to improve the situation at hand. We will take into consideration
the findings of past research and make sure that management knows the importance of having a
fair and trusting workplace. From there we will make some recommendations to them about how
they can increase the levels of fairness within the workplace.

6. Reference List
About the Lab. (n.d.). Retrieved December 1, 2015, from http://www.lbl.gov/about/
Al-Zu’bi, Hasan Ali (11/2010). "A Study of Relationship between Organizational Justice and Job
Satisfaction". International journal of business and management (1833-3850), 5 (12), p.
p102
Ambrose, M., Arnaud, A., Schminke, M. (2008). Individual Moral Development
and Ethical Climate: The Influence of Person-Organization Fit on Job Attitudes. Journal
of Business Ethics
Cole, M. S., Carter, M. Z., & Zhang, Z. (2013). Leader–team congruence in power distance
values and team effectiveness: The mediating role of procedural justice climate. Journal
Of Applied Psychology, 98(6), 962-973. doi:10.1037/a0034269
Colquitt, J. A., Noe, R. A., & Jackson, C. L. (2002). Justice In Teams: Antecedents and
Consequences of Procedural Justice Climate. Personnel Psychology, 55(1), 83-109.
Cullen, John B., Victor, B., and Broson J. (1993) The Ethical Climate Questionnaire: An
Assessment of its Development and Validity. Psychological Reports: Volume 73, pp.
667-674. doi: 10.2466/pr0.1993.73.2.667
Dorfman, P. W., Howell, I. P., & Kerr, S. (1986). Moderator Variables in Leadership
Research. Academy Of Management Review, 11(1), 88-102.
doi:10.5465/AMR.1986.4282632
Earley, C.P. and Erez, M. (Eds.) (1997): New Perspectives on International
Industrial/Organizational Psychology (pp.192-242). Frontiers of Industrial &
Organizational Psychology
Hofstede, G. H. (2001). Culture’s consequences: Comparing values, behaviors, institutions, and
organizations across nations (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Mayer, David M. (01/2009). "How low does ethical leadership flow? Test of a trickle-down
model". Organizational behavior and human decision processes (0749-5978), 108 (1), p.
Schaubroeck, J., Lam, S. S. K., & Cha, S. E. (2007). Embracing transformational leadership:
Team values and the impact of leader behavior on team performance. Journal of Applied
Psychology, 92, 1020–1030. doi:10.1037/0021-9010.92.4.1020

7. Shin, Y., Sung, S., Choi, J., & Kim, M. (2015). Top Management Ethical Leadership and Firm
Performance: Mediating Role of Ethical and Procedural Justice Climate. Journal Of
Business Ethics, 129(1), 43-57. doi:10.1007/s10551-014-2144-5
Victor, B. and J. Cullen (1988), The Organizational Bases of Ethical Work Climates,
Administrative Science Quarterly (pp.33, 101–125)

8. Appendix 1
Dear Employees,
My name is Devin Campbell and I am a student in the College of Business at the University of
Nevada, Reno. I am examining the relationship between procedural justice climate, leader power
distance values, team power distance values, and ethical climate. By participating in this survey,
you will help management gain insight into the factors which influence perceived fairness at
work.
The following questionnaire will require approximately 20 minutes to complete. There is no
compensation for completing this survey. In order to ensure that all information will remain
confidential, please do not include your name. If you choose to participate in this project, please
answer all questions as honestly as possible. Participation is strictly voluntary and you may
refuse to participate at any time.
Please return completed surveys to the locked drop box outside of the break room before the due
date. Thank you for taking the time to complete this survey. The data collected will provide
useful information to the management regarding the current workplace environment. If you
require additional information or have any questions, please feel free to contact me at the number
listed below.
Thank you,
Devin Campbell
(510)-685-3579
DGECampbell@gmail.com

9. Appendix 2
Construct Name Construct Definition Scale
Procedural Justice Climate Defined as an emergent
state that reflects “how
fairly the team as a whole is
treated procedurally” by
authority figures (Colquitt,
Noe, & Jackson, 2002, p.
84)
Procedural Justice Climate
Please indicate the extent to
which you agree or disagree with
each statement.
Strongly Disagree: 1
Strongly Agree: 5
1. Job decisions are made by
the manager in a biased
manner.
2. My manager makes sure
that all employee concerns
are heard before job
decisions are made.
3. To make job decisions,
my manager collects
accurate and complete
information.
4. My manager clarifies
decisions and provides
additional information
when requested by
employees.
5. All jobs decisions are
applied consistently to all
affected employees.
6. Employees are allowed to
challenge or appeal job
decisions made by their
managers
(Al-Zu’bi 2010)
Leader Power Distance Power distance values at the
leader level refer to the
extent to which a leader
expects his or her
subordinates to
acknowledge a formal
power relationship and,
therefore, be more obedient
to and accept a leader’s
directive influence
(Hofstede, 2001).
Leader Power Distance
Please indicate the extent to
which you agree or disagree with
each statement.
Strongly Disagree: 1
Strongly Agree: 5
1. In most situations
managers should make
decisions without
consulting their
subordinates

10. 2. In work related matters,
managers have a right to
expect obedience from
their subordinates
3. Employees who often
question authority
sometimes keep their
managers from being
effective
4. Once a decision of a top-
level executive is made,
people working for the
company should not
question it
5. Employees should not
express disagreements
with their managers
6. Managers should be able
to make the right decision
without consulting their
others
7. Managers who let their
employees participate in
decision lose power
8. A company‘s rules should
not be broken – not even
when the employee thinks
it is in the company‘s best
interest.
(Earley & Erez, 1997)
Team Power Distance “Power distance values at
the team level reflect team
members’ shared
preferences regarding the
degree to which their
leader’s directives should be
respected and shown
deference.”
(Schaubroeck, 2007)
Team Power Distance
Please indicate the extent to
which you agree or disagree with
each statement.
Strongly Disagree: 1
Strongly Agree: 5
1. Managers should make
most decisions without
consulting subordinates
2. It is frequently necessary
for a manager to use
authority and power when
dealing with subordinates
3. Managers should seldom
ask for the opinions of
employees

11. 4. Managers should avoid
off-the-job social contacts
with employees
5. Employees should not
disagree with
management decisions
6. Managers should not
delegate important tasks
to employees
(Dorfman & Howell, 1988)
Ethical Climate The organization’s ethical
climate is “the shared
perceptions of what is
ethically correct behavior
and how ethical issues
should be handled (pp. 51-
52).”
(Victor and Cullen 1987)
Ethical Climate
Please indicate whether you
agree with each of the following
statements about your company
Completely False: 0
Completely True: 5
1. In this company, people
are mostly out for
themselves
2. People are expected to do
anything to further the
company’s interests
3. There is no room for one's
own personal morals or
ethics in this company
4. The most important
consideration in this
company is each person's
sense of right and wrong.
5. Everyone is expected to
stick by company rules
and procedures.
6. Successful people in this
company go by the book.
7. In this company, people
are guided by their own
personal ethics.
8. Successful people in this
company strictly obey the
company policies.
9. It is expected that you will
always do what is right for
the customer and public.
(Victor and Cullen 1987)

12. 1. Please indicate the extent to which you agree or disagree with each statement.
Strongly
Disagree
Somewhat
Disagree
Neutral Somewhat
Agree
Strongly
Agree
a. Job decisions are made
by the manager in a biased
manner.
1 2 3 4 5
b. My manager makes sure
that all employee concerns
are heard before job
decisions are made.
1 2 3 4 5
c. To make job decisions,
my manager collects
accurate and complete
information.
1 2 3 4 5
d. My manager clarifies
decisions and provides
additional information
when requested by
employees.
1 2 3 4 5
e. All jobs decisions are
applied consistently to all
affected employees.
1 2 3 4 5
f. Employees are allowed to
challenge or appeal job
decisions made by their
managers
1 2 3 4 5
2. Please indicate the extent to which you agree or disagree with each statement about your
manager at work.
Strongly
Disagree
Somewhat
Disagree
Neutral Somewhat
Agree
Strongly
Agree
a. In most situations
managers should make
decisions without consulting
their subordinates
1 2 3 4 5
b. In work related matters,
managers have a right to
expect obedience from their
subordinates
1 2 3 4 5

13. Strongly
Disagree
Somewhat
Disagree
Neutral Somewhat
Agree
Strongly
Agree
c. Employees who often
question authority
sometimes keeptheir
managers from being
effective
1 2 3 4 5
d. Once a decision of a top-
level executive is made,
people working for the
company should not
question it
1 2 3 4 5
e. Employees should not
express disagreements with
their managers
1 2 3 4 5
f. Managers should be able
to make the right decision
without consulting their
others
1 2 3 4 5
g. Managers who let their
employees participate in
decision lose power
1 2 3 4 5
h. A company‘s rules should
not be broken – not even
when the employee thinks it
is in the company‘s best
interest.
1 2 3 4 5
3. Please indicate the extent to which you agree or disagree with each statement about your
team leader at work.
Strongly
Disagree
Somewhat
Disagree
Neutral Somewhat
Agree
Strongly
Agree
a. Team Leaders should
make most decisions
without consulting
subordinates
1 2 3 4 5
b. It is frequently necessary
for a Team Leader to use
authority and power when
dealing with subordinates
1 2 3 4 5
c. Team Leaders should
seldom ask for the opinions
of employees
1 2 3 4 5

14. Strongly
Disagree
Somewhat
Disagree
Neutral Somewhat
Agree
Strongly
Agree
d. Team Leaders should
avoid off-the-job social
contacts with employees
1 2 3 4 5
e. Employees should not
disagree with management
decisions
1 2 3 4 5
f. Team Leaders should not
delegate important tasks to
employees
1 2 3 4 5
4. Please indicate whether you agree with each of the following statements about your
company.
Completely
False
Usually
False
Sometimes
False
Sometimes
True
Usually
True
Completely
True
a. In this
company,
people are
mostly out for
themselves
0 1 2 3 4 5
b. People are
expected to do
anything to
further the
company’s
interests
0 1 2 3 4 5
c. There is no
room for one's
own personal
morals or
ethics in this
company
0 1 2 3 4 5
d. The most
important
consideration
in this company
is each person's
sense of right
and wrong.
0 1 2 3 4 5

15. Completely
False
Usually
False
Sometimes
False
Sometimes
True
Usually
True
Completely
True
e. Everyone is
expected to
stick by
company rules
and
procedures.
0 1 2 3 4 5
f. Successful
people in this
company go by
the book.
0 1 2 3 4 5
g. In this
company,
people are
guided by their
own personal
ethics.
0 1 2 3 4 5
h. Successful
people in this
company
strictly obey
the company
policies.
0 1 2 3 4 5
i. It is expected
that you will
always do what
is right for the
customer and
public.
0 1 2 3 4 5
5. Demographics
What is your
Age?
25 or Under 26-40 41-55 56 or Older
What is your
Gender?
Male Female
What is your
Employment
Status?
Self-Employed Part-Time
Employed
Full-Time
Employed
Not Currently
Working
What is your
current marital
status?
Divorced Married Single Would Rather
Not Say

16. Citations for Scales
Al-Zu’bi, Hasan Ali (11/2010). "A Study of Relationship between Organizational Justice and Job
Satisfaction". International journal of business and management (1833-3850), 5 (12), p.
p102
Colquitt, J. A., Noe, R. A., & Jackson, C. L. (2002). Justice In Teams: Antecedents and
Consequences of Procedural Justice Climate. Personnel Psychology, 55(1), 83-109.
Cullen, John B., Victor, B., and Broson J. (1993) The Ethical Climate Questionnaire: An
Assessment of its Development and Validity. Psychological Reports: Volume 73, pp.
667-674. doi: 10.2466/pr0.1993.73.2.667
Howell, I. P., Dorfman, P. W., & Kerr, S. (1986). Moderator Variables in Leadership
Research. Academy Of Management Review, 11(1), 88-102.
doi:10.5465/AMR.1986.4282632
Earley, C.P. and Erez, M. (Eds.) (1997): New Perspectives on International
Industrial/Organizational Psychology (pp.192-242). Frontiers of Industrial &
Organizational Psychology
Hofstede, G. H. (2001). Culture’s consequences: Comparing values, behaviors, institutions, and
organizations across nations (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Schaubroeck, J., Lam, S. S. K., & Cha, S. E. (2007). Embracing transformational leadership:
Team values and the impact of leader behavior on team performance. Journal of Applied
Psychology, 92, 1020–1030. doi:10.1037/0021-9010.92.4.1020
Victor, B. and J. Cullen (1988), The Organizational Bases of Ethical Work Climates,
Administrative Science Quarterly (pp.33, 101–125)