Other Titles
Organizational Structure, Worker Participation, and Health Among Japanese Hospital Employees [Title Slide]
Other Titles
Rapid Presentation Round
Abstract
Purpose: To examine the effects of organizational justice (OJ) on work engagement (WE) and burnout (BO) among hospital nurses in Japan, and to test whether job satisfaction (JS) moderates these relationships.
Background: Nurse WE and BO affect individual wellbeing, workforce resilience, and healthcare quality and safety.1,2 OJ, representing workplace fairness and equality, is a key job resource that impacts employee performance and wellbeing.3,4 In Japan, where WE is relatively low,5 the effects of OJ on nurse WE and BO – and how OJ interacts with JS, a salient correlate of WE and BO –4,6 remain unexplored.
Methods: Using survey data from 2,773 nurses across 10 Japanese hospitals, we tested a structural equation model based on a culturally adapted Job Demands-Resources model. We examined direct and moderated pathways between OJ and WE and BO.
Results: OJ was associated with higher WE (β = 0.28, p < .001) and lower BO (β = -0.28, p < .001). The interaction between OJ and JS was not significant in predicting either WE (β = 0.08; p = .38) or BO (β = 0.22; p = .15).
Conclusion: Fair, equal work environments support nurse wellbeing regardless of JS. OJ is a fundamental job resource and key feature of healthy nursing work environments.
Implications: OJ is a strategic lever for promoting WE and reducing BO. Embedding fair, equal workplace processes and practices could yield benefits for nurses and other providers, as well as patients and healthcare systems.
Notes
Presenter notes available in attached slide deck.
References:
1. Janes G, Mills T, Budworth L, Johnson J, Lawton R. The association between health care staff engagement and patient safety outcomes: A systematic review and meta-analysis. J Patient Saf. 2021;17(3):207-216. doi:10.1097/PTS.0000000000000807
2. Mossburg SE, Dennison Himmelfarb C. The association between professional burnout and engagement with patient safety culture and outcomes: A systematic review. J Patient Saf. 2021;17(8):e1307-e1319. doi:10.1097/PTS.0000000000000519
3. Yean TF, Yusof AA. Organizational justice: A conceptual discussion. Procedia Soc Behav Sci. 2016;219:798-803. doi:10.1016/j.sbspro.2016.05.082
4. Lönnqvist K, Flinkman M, Vehviläinen-Julkunen K, Elovainio M. Organizational justice among registered nurses: A scoping review. Int J Nurs Pract. 2022;28(1):e12983. doi:10.1111/ijn.12983
5. Shimazu A, Schaufeli WB, Miyanaka D, Iwata N. Why Japanese workers show low work engagement: An item response theory analysis of the Utrecht Work Engagement scale. Biopsychosoc Med. 2010;4(1):17. doi:10.1186/1751-0759-4-17
6. Chiminelli-Tomás V, Tutte-Vallarino V, Ferreira-Umpiérrez A, Hernández-Morante JJ, Reche-García C. Impact of nursing practice environments in work engagement and burnout: A systematic review. Healthcare. 2025;13(7):779. doi:10.3390/healthcare13070779
Sigma Membership
Alpha Chi
Type
Presentation
Format Type
Text-based Document
Study Design/Type
Other
Research Approach
Other
Keywords:
Workforce, Equity, Bias, Inclusivity, Work Environment, Work Engagement, Professional Burnout, Occupational Justice, Hospital Nursing Staff, Japan
Recommended Citation
Raposo, Nicholas M.; Vamstad, Johan; Hwang, Dabin; Saito, Yayoi; and Klarare, Anna, "The Effect of Organizational Justice on Work Engagement and Burnout Among Hospital Nurses in Japan" (2026). Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE). 72.
https://www.sigmarepository.org/chwe/2026/presentations_2026/72
Conference Name
Creating Healthy Work Environments
Conference Host
Sigma Theta Tau International
Conference Location
Washington, DC, USA
Conference Year
2026
Rights Holder
All rights reserved by the author(s) and/or publisher(s) listed in this item record unless relinquished in whole or part by a rights notation or a Creative Commons License present in this item record. All permission requests should be directed accordingly and not to the Sigma Repository. All submitting authors or publishers have affirmed that when using material in their work where they do not own copyright, they have obtained permission of the copyright holder prior to submission and the rights holder has been acknowledged as necessary.
Review Type
Abstract Review Only: Reviewed by Event Host
Acquisition
Proxy-submission
Date of Issue
2026-05-03
Funder
Japanese Society for the Promotion of Science
Second Funder
Mitsubishi Foundation
Third Funder
Osaka University
The Effect of Organizational Justice on Work Engagement and Burnout Among Hospital Nurses in Japan
Washington, DC, USA
Purpose: To examine the effects of organizational justice (OJ) on work engagement (WE) and burnout (BO) among hospital nurses in Japan, and to test whether job satisfaction (JS) moderates these relationships.
Background: Nurse WE and BO affect individual wellbeing, workforce resilience, and healthcare quality and safety.1,2 OJ, representing workplace fairness and equality, is a key job resource that impacts employee performance and wellbeing.3,4 In Japan, where WE is relatively low,5 the effects of OJ on nurse WE and BO – and how OJ interacts with JS, a salient correlate of WE and BO –4,6 remain unexplored.
Methods: Using survey data from 2,773 nurses across 10 Japanese hospitals, we tested a structural equation model based on a culturally adapted Job Demands-Resources model. We examined direct and moderated pathways between OJ and WE and BO.
Results: OJ was associated with higher WE (β = 0.28, p < .001) and lower BO (β = -0.28, p < .001). The interaction between OJ and JS was not significant in predicting either WE (β = 0.08; p = .38) or BO (β = 0.22; p = .15).
Conclusion: Fair, equal work environments support nurse wellbeing regardless of JS. OJ is a fundamental job resource and key feature of healthy nursing work environments.
Implications: OJ is a strategic lever for promoting WE and reducing BO. Embedding fair, equal workplace processes and practices could yield benefits for nurses and other providers, as well as patients and healthcare systems.
Description
Discover how organizational justice can boost engagement and reduce burnout among hospital nurses in Japan. We discuss why workplace fairness and equality are vital for individual wellbeing, workforce resilience, and healthcare quality.