Relationship between shift assignments, organizational justice, and turnover intention: A cross-sectional survey of Japanese shift-work nurses

The bottom line

Whether shift assignments feel fair predicted turnover intention through perceived organizational justice — and perception, not the objective distribution of shifts, was the operative variable. Leaders should therefore make allocation logic visible and explainable, not merely balanced on paper. Evidence comes from Japanese shift-work nurses, so the mechanism likely generalizes better than the specific magnitudes.

What the source found

Cross-sectional survey of shift-work nurses in Japanese hospitals; perceived fairness in shift assignments was significantly associated with organizational justice scores, which in turn predicted turnover intention; perception of fairness — not just objective distribution — was the key driver.

Limitations and applicability

Japanese hospital context may limit direct generalizability to US anesthesia settings; cross-sectional; nursing population, not anesthesia-specific.

Population and setting

Shift-work nurses in Japanese hospitals

Used in FairShare guides

• Measuring Fairness in Anesthesia Scheduling (Before It Costs You People)

About this evidence

Research question / practical issue

How does this source inform Leadership, Culture, and Fairness and Retention and the Anesthesia Workforce for the population it studied?

Study design, evidence tier, and source class

Peer Reviewed Cross Sectional Survey · primary source · evidence tier 2

Source type: Peer Reviewed Cross Sectional Survey · primary · Evidence tier 2

Topics: Leadership, Culture, and Fairness, Retention and the Anesthesia Workforce

Audience: Department Leaders, Wellness Leaders