We examined the effects of communication media on judgments in job interviews. Fifty-nine MBA students (applicants) had mock interviews in face-to-face meetings and either by videoconference or telephone. Results show that interviewers evaluated applicants more favorably in telephone versus face-to-face interviews. This difference was stronger for less physically attractive applicants, which suggests that the telephone filtered negative, visual cues. Although interviewers reported more difficulty regulating and understanding discussions by videoconference versus face-to-face, they did not evaluate applicants less favorably by videoconference. In contrast to interviewers, applicants had less favorable reactions in videoconference versus face-to-face interviews for most measures. Implications for media use in employee selection and recruiting are discussed.

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This work introduces and examines the concept of assignment-the process of determining which individuals will perform as members of a team on a given task. In a laboratory study, four assignment procedures (random, ability, personal influence, and personal influence with justification) were used to formally excuse approximately 30% of 137 undergraduates from participating in a second, longer research study. The random assignment procedure was perceived as most procedurally fair and resulted in the highest level of performance on the task used for the second study (a simple, number-finding task). Unassigned subjects (those excused from task performance) always perceived the assignment procedure to be as fair or fairer than the assigned subjects did in all four assignment conditions. Also, subjects felt it was fair to give an equal reward (extra-credit points) to both assigned and unassigned subjects even though assigned individuals were excused from performing additional tasks in the second research study. The implications of these findings for the group performance and organizational justice literatures, as well as for managers in general, are discussed.

In a study of 195 patients visiting the urgent care department of a hospital in the UK, we examined the effects of three elements of process control on patients' fairness and satisfaction perceptions. Patients who believed they had a voice in the triage process had higher fairness perceptions and waited a shorter period of time than those who believed they did not have a voice in the triage process. In addition, patients who were told the expected waiting time and were kept busy while waiting had higher satisfaction perceptions. We identify implications for hospital employees in managing the patient waiting process.

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