Abstract

Purpose: This study examines how organizational justice—including distributive, procedural, and interactional dimensions—affects organizational performance through the lens of distribution fairness across generations. It investigates how perceptions of justice and fair distribution influence job satisfaction and organizational commitment as mediators, and how psychological empowerment moderates these distribution-driven relationships among Millennials and Generation Z (MZ) employees. Research design, data and methodology: A total of 300 employees from Korea’s manufacturing and service industries participated. Using a five-point Likert scale, data was analyzed via SPSS 27.0 and PROCESS Macro. Validity and reliability were verified (KMO=.955, Bartlett’s χ²=3531.981, p<.001; Cronbach’s α>.80). Regression analyses tested the direct and indirect distributional effects of justice variables on performance across MZ and non-MZ cohorts. Results: Distributive and procedural justice significantly improved organizational performance for both generations, whereas interactional justice was not significant. The explanatory power of the MZ model (Adj. R²=.559) exceeded that of non-MZ (.454). Distribution-related fairness positively affected satisfaction and commitment, especially for MZ employees, and empowerment amplified these justice–attitude relationships. Conclusions: Distribution fairness within organizational justice systems is central to sustaining high performance. Promoting transparent reward distribution, equitable procedures, and empowerment strengthens satisfaction, commitment, and productivity—particularly for MZ workers who value inclusive and participatory distribution structures.