The Influence of Organizational Trust and Procedural Justice on Affective Commitment

Abstract

This study investigates the influence of procedural justice on affective commitment, with organizational trust serving as a mediating variable. Conducted among 52 civil servants at the Secretariat of the Regional People’s Representative Council (DPRD) in Indragiri Hilir Regency, Indonesia, the research adopts a quantitative, causal-explanatory approach using Structural Equation Modeling-Partial Least Squares (SEM-PLS). The findings reveal that procedural justice significantly and positively affects both organizational trust and affective commitment. Moreover, organizational trust also has a direct and positive effect on affective commitment, and partially mediates the relationship between procedural justice and affective commitment. The model explains 47.1% of the variance in affective commitment, indicating moderate explanatory power. The results confirm that fairness in decision-making processes enhances employee trust and emotional attachment to the organization. Trust acts as a psychological bridge, transforming perceptions of fair treatment into meaningful affective bonds. These findings highlight the importance of ethical leadership, transparent processes, and responsive communication in fostering long-term employee engagement. In practical terms, the study recommends the institutionalization of fair procedures and the cultivation of trust-based leadership behaviors as core strategies to enhance affective commitment in public sector organizations. The study contributes to cross-cultural understandings of workplace justice and engagement dynamics.