Professional identity and emotional labour affect the relationship between perceived organisational justice and job performance among Chinese hospital nurses

Aim: To investigate the influence of perceived organisational justice, professional identity and emotional labour on nurses' job performance. Background: Previous studies have not explored the impact of professional identity and emotional labour on the relationship between perceived organisational justice and job performance. However, how to mobilize the enthusiasm of nurses and improve their job performance is the key for nursing managers to realize the sustainable development of hospitals. Methods: A cross-sectional survey design was conducted. A total of 951 nurses from public hospitals in China participated in the survey from March-June 2021. The descriptive statistical approach, Pearson's correlation analysis and the PROCESS Macro Model 4 and 14 in regression analysis were used to analyse the available data. Results: The results showed that nurses' perceived organisational justice, professional identity, emotional labour and job performance were significantly positive correlations between every two variables, with coefficients ranging between.24 and.75. Professional identity played a whole mediating role in perceived organisational justice and job performance, accounting for 98.04% of the total effect; meanwhile, this process was moderated by emotional labour. Conclusions: Perceived organisational justice positively predicted nurses' job performance; as a mediating mechanism with moderating, professional identity and emotional labour further explained how perceived organisational justice promoted the job performance of nurses. Implications for nursing management: This study highlighted the moderated mediation role of professional identity and emotional labour between nurses' perceived organisational justice and job performance. Understanding this mechanism has guiding significance for nursing managers to improve nurses' job performance.

Automated summary

This study investigated the influence of perceived organisational justice, professional identity, and emotional labour on nurses' job performance. The results showed that professional identity played a mediating role between perceived organisational justice and job performance, moderated by emotional labour. Understanding this mechanism has important implications for nursing managers in improving nurses' job performance.