831 © 2024 Conscientia Beam. All Rights Reserved. Unlocking employee engagement: Investigating the influence of informational justice in Nigerian banking sector Salau, Odunayo Paul1 Adegoke, Zainab Adeola2+ Onayemi, Oluwakemi Oluwafunmilayo3 Alake, Oluwakemi Rebecca4 1,2,3,4Business, Entrepreneurship and Innovation Cluster, Department of Management, Covenant University, Ota, Ogun State, Nigeria. 1Email: odunayo.salau@covenantuniversity.edu.ng 2Email: zainab.adegokepgs@stu.cu.edu.ng 3Email: oluwakemi.onayemi@covenantuniversity.edu.ng 4Email: oluwakemi.alake@covenantuniversity.edu.ng (+ Corresponding author) ABSTRACT Article History Received: 27 February 2024 Revised: 2 September 2024 Accepted: 18 September 2024 Published: 26 September 2024 Keywords Affective Bank Cognitive Employee engagement Informational justice Organizational justice. This study explores the relationship between informational justice and employee engagement. The objectives of the study are to examine the influence of informational justice on affective engagement, behavioral engagement, cognitive engagement, and physical engagement. To guarantee a representative and varied sample of the Nigerian banking industry, a survey design was used, and participants were chosen using the stratified sampling technique. We collected necessary data from primary sources and deemed 209 copies of the 231 distributed questionnaires valid and suitable for the study. Preliminary findings suggest a strong positive relationship between employee engagement levels and perceptions of informational justice. Workers with higher levels of participation in all four categories—behavioral, cognitive, physical, and affective— tend to perceive a high degree of informational justice, where communication is clear, prompt, and comprehensive. This suggests that employees are more likely to be emotionally committed, display positive work behaviors, be intellectually focused, and be physically present in their tasks when they feel well-informed and sense fairness in the sharing of information. The findings contribute to the literature in several ways, including improving the understanding of informational justice in Nigeria's banking sector. Furthermore, the findings offer practical insights for the bank seeking to enhance employee engagement through improvements in communication processes and transparency. Contribution/Originality: This study examines the relationship between informational justice and employees’ engagement in the Nigerian banking industry. This research, the first in this specific context, underscores the significance of fair, clear, prompt, and comprehensive communication and its impact on employees' engagement in the workplace. 1. INTRODUCTION Globally, organizations have increasingly acknowledged the importance of transparent information sharing and inclusive decision-making, which has led to a broader global trend towards valuing employees as essential contributors to the workplace. Also, there is a growing recognition and focus on fair communication and active participation of employees within the workplace, and organizations are becoming aware of how this can foster a positive work environment. This evolution is helping organizations align with global trends in workplace dynamics and employee well-being. Humanities and Social Sciences Letters 2024 Vol. 12, No. 4, pp. 831-841 ISSN(e): 2312-4318 ISSN(p): 2312-5659 DOI: 10.18488/73.v12i4.3904 © 2024 Conscientia Beam. All Rights Reserved. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9514-9427 https://orcid.org/0009-0000-1908-066X https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1831-3542 https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3724-0898 mailto:odunayo.salau@covenantuniversity.edu.ng mailto:zainab.adegokepgs@stu.cu.edu.ng mailto:oluwakemi.onayemi@covenantuniversity.edu.ng mailto:oluwakemi.alake@covenantuniversity.edu.ng https://www.doi.org/10.18488/73.v12i4.3904 Humanities and Social Sciences Letters, 2024, 12(4): 831-841 832 © 2024 Conscientia Beam. All Rights Reserved. According to research done by Gullup and Murphy (2017) three out of every four employees in Nigeria are disengaged at work, and more than half of Nigeria’s employees are disengaged with their jobs and employers, and only work engagement strategies could help in driving standard work behavior (Falola, Oludayo, Igbinoba, Salau, & Borishade, 2018). In the banking industry in Nigeria, one major problem is the existence of conflicting information. This has affected the performance and progress of the banking industry because having the right and accurate information will help employees perform their jobs better. The study by Salau et al. (2018) defines engaged employees as those who are physically, intellectually, and emotionally committed to their work. Within organizational justice, the ideas of informational justice centers on how fair an organization’s communication procedures are thought to be. It entails how employees perceive the impartiality and openness of information sharing, communication channels, and decision-making procedures. In modern organizational settings, there is a critical gap in knowledge about the relationship between informational justice and employee engagement, where clear communication and information transparency are increasingly recognized as essential components of modern workplace culture. The literature has given significant attention to organizational justice, including distributive and procedural justice, but has not empirically studied its impact on employee engagement levels. Understanding the effect of informational justice on employee engagement is crucial for organizations aiming to foster positive work environments and enhance worker well-being. It is vital that you provide employees with precise and equitable knowledge regarding the organization, including their performance evaluations, job duties, and the organization's norms and protocols. Comprehending the impacts of perceived organizational fairness is crucial for employees in Nigeria's banking sector, as it directly affects their capacity to perform their job effectively and recognize the significance of their work in accomplishing the organization's goals. While distributive justice has been extensively studied, informational justice has received very little attention, despite the research conducted by Alterman et al. (2021). Understanding the relationship between employees' perceptions of informational justice and other factors that impact employee engagement, as well as the ways via which these factors exercise their influence, is crucial. Therefore, greater investigation into the effects of informational justice on many aspects of employee involvement is required. In order to close this gap, this study examines the connection between informational justice and employee engagement in great depth. The following research objectives were aimed at filling the intellectual gap: i. To assess the influence of informational justice on affective engagement; ii. To investigate the role of informational justice on behavioral engagement; iii. To analyze the influence of informational justice on cognitive engagement; iv. To evaluate the impact of informational justice on physical engagement. This approach will yield valuable recommendations for organizations seeking to enhance employee engagement for sustained success, foster a transparent culture, and enhance workplace communication. The structure of this paper comprises the following elements: introduction, literature review, methodology, findings and discussion of findings, conclusions, practical implications, and references. 2. LITERATION REVIEW 2.1. Informational Justice Informational justice, a crucial component of organizational justice, pertains to the transparency and adequacy of information provided during decision-making processes within organizations. An ethical paradigm known as informational justice emphasises fair access to data and information while paying attention to user interaction (Atkins & Mahmud, 2021). It offers a framework for directing information delivery and policy. Although there are many definitions of informational justice, a generally helpful framework centres on the equal participation of individuals, communities, and groups since they actively seek out, process, analyse, and contribute to information as sources of information. Information justice encompasses both the ethical implications and the practical considerations for businesses (Johnson, 2016). Researchers have continued to explore the impact of informational justice on various organizational outcomes. The article by Mathiesen (2015) provides a social justice framework for library and information science (LIS) services, with a focus on informational justice and distributive justice. Informational justice entails treating individuals as information seekers, sources, and subjects. A Distributive just system ensures all persons have sufficient access to information, viewing it as a capability-sensitive resource. A study analysing social media comments from a Reddit work discussion forum found that Informational Justice significantly contributes to more negative sentiment about work-from-home (Lane & Aplin-Houtz, 2022). The Covid-19 pandemic has increased remote working, making it more prominent in the business community. Previous literature suggests that remote working is a precursor to employee perceptions of Organizational Justice. However, in the Covid-19 environment, perceptions have shifted, with more people engaging in work from home. When Distributive, Interpersonal, and Informational Justice interact, sentimental polarity grows more negative for working from home. The study highlights the need for further research to understand the impact of remote working on organizational justice. The relationship between informational justice and employee engagement was investigated by Ouyang and Meng (2018) and was mediated by perceived organizational support. The fact that workers with greater control over their workdays also demonstrate higher levels of organizational support further supports the hypothesis that Humanities and Social Sciences Letters, 2024, 12(4): 831-841 833 © 2024 Conscientia Beam. All Rights Reserved. job autonomy moderates the relationship between informational fairness and perceived management support. The results show that organizations can increase employees' participation in their job and their sense of support from management by offering them more open and honest channels of communication and greater control over their daily responsibilities. The objective of Kim (2009) study was to investigate the impact of employees' experiences following an organization's downsizing on their connections with the organisation and their decisions to stay with the organisation. The study examined how survivors react to downsizing, specifically focusing on the role of informational justice in influencing their intentions to quit the organisation. Additionally, the study proposed that the Organization-Public Relationship (OPR) acts as a mediator between informational justice and turnover intentions. The findings demonstrated notable correlations between informational justice and organisational procedural justice, as well as correlations between organisational procedural justice and turnover intentions within the context of downsizing. Furthermore, research has demonstrated that OPR plays a crucial role in linking views of informational fairness during downsizing with subsequent turnover intentions. The article by Abbas (2018) explores the relationship between informational justice and employee engagement in the banking sector. It examines whether perceived organizational support moderates this relationship. The study, conducted using a Hierarchical regression model, found that perceived organizational support moderates the relationship between informational justice and employee engagement. High perceived organizational support leads to higher engagement. The findings contribute to the understanding of performance appraisal justice in emerging South East Asian countries. Also, the study of Deepa (2022) investigates the impact of interactional justice (interpersonal and informational) on job engagement, as well as the mediation role of job characteristics (physical, cognitive, and emotional) between these factors.. It surveyed 252 employees from South Indian information technology firms using partial least squares-structural equation modelling. Results showed that interpersonal and informational justice positively affect job characteristics, while job characteristics partially mediate the relationship between interactional justice and job engagement. This is a new perspective on job engagement. Bharanitharan, Balaji, and Sivanesan (2020) examined the link between organizational justice dimensions (informational, distributive, procedural, and interpersonal) and employee engagement. It used a cross-sectional approach to survey 291 employees in Indian private sector banks. The data was analyzed using PLS-SEM. We accepted 7 out of 12 hypotheses and rejected 5. The study contributes to the literature by identifying the relationship between organizational justice and employee engagement. Ellis, Reus, and Lamont (2009) conducted a study to investigate the impact of procedural and informational justice on post-deal value creation in large acquisitions. It reveals that procedural justice is crucial for market position improvements post-integration, while informational justice is vital for market position gains and financial return gains. The study suggests that procedural justice reduces the positive effects of informational justice on financial return during integration while enhancing its effects on the combined firms' market position. The study of Mubashar, Musharraf, Khan, and Butt (2022) explored the mediating role of organizational trust in the relationship between perceived organizational justice dimensions (informational, interpersonal, distributive, and procedural) and employee engagement. We collected data from 251 employees from various organizations. Path analysis revealed significant indirect effects of organizational justice on job engagement and organizational engagement through trust. However, the impact of these indirect pathways on job engagement was not as strong as expected. The findings suggest that justice-based dealings can build employee trust, potentially improving job engagement and organizational engagement. The correlation between informational justice and employee engagement was examined by Li, Wu, and Chen (2019) utilizing the concepts of leader-member interaction and confidence in supervisor. Research has shown that when leaders engage in discussions with their team members and inspire confidence in their supervision, it has a positive impact on employee engagement. Informational justice, or the fair and transparent distribution of information within the organization, mediates this effect. According to the research, employees who trust their manager experience greater benefits from the influence of informational justice on participation. Research indicates that in order to maximize the positive effects of informational justice on employee engagement, organizations should promote leader-member communication and supervisor confidence. The study of Schoeffer, Kuehl, and Machowski (2022) examines people's perceptions of informational fairness and trustworthiness of automated decision systems (ADS) when provided with varying types of information. The study focuses on automated loan approval and generates different explanations. Quantitative analyses show that different amounts of information and people's self-assessed AI literacy significantly influence perceived informational fairness, which positively relates to perceived trustworthiness of the ADS. Qualitative feedback analysis reveals people's desires for explanations, including consistency, disclosure of monotonic relationships between features and outcomes, and actionability of recommendations. The study highlights the need for improved understanding of ADS's decision-making processes. Seo and Lee (2019) found a strong relationship between workers' views of informational fairness and supervisor support. This study obtained its data through a cross-sectional survey. Olusanya and Akinnusi (2020) discovered that psychological resources had a role in connecting informational justice with both work satisfaction and employee engagement. Koopman, Scott, Matta, Conlon, and Dennerlein (2019) conducted a study on ethical leadership as a substitute for justice enactment: An information-processing perspective. Employee justice perceptions are not solely based on Humanities and Social Sciences Letters, 2024, 12(4): 831-841 834 © 2024 Conscientia Beam. All Rights Reserved. the supervisor adhering to justice rules. They are also "ethically-laden" and can be formed through automatic processing or systematic processing. Ethical leadership can substitute for the supervisor's enactment of justice. The study supports the interactive effect of supervisor justice enactment and ethical leadership on employee justice perceptions and its consequences for discretionary behaviors like citizenship and counterproductive behaviors. Modern work life demands constant change, reorganization, and efficiency, making resource distribution and decision-making justice crucial. Research on distributive, procedural, and inter-relational (interpersonal and informational) justice evaluates leadership and social relationships in working communities. This review by Virtanen and Elovainio (2018) explores the development of dimensions of organizational justice, highlighting its adverse consequences, including poor team climate, reduced productivity, and work-related illnesses. Xu, Huang, and Huang (2023) investigated the impact of information justice on employee knowledge concealment, focusing on the mediation of organizational identification. Data was collected from 250 Chinese workers via a questionnaire survey. Results showed that informational justice is associated with evasive hiding and playing dumb behaviors, but positively with rationalized hiding behavior through organizational identification. Justice sensitivity moderates the relationship between informational justice and organizational identification. The study suggests managers should deliver informational justice in their workplace interactions to counteract knowledge hiding. Although there is a lack of extensive studies specifically focused on informational justice, studies on related topics indicate that it plays a vital role in work environments. However, research has not yet explored the precise mechanisms through which informational justice influences employee views, engagement, and behavior, nor its impact on organizational performance. It is necessary for employees to receive precise and equitable information regarding the company, including their performance evaluations, job responsibilities, and the organization's rules and processes (De Clercq & Saridakis, 2015). Understanding the impact of perceived fairness in sharing information is crucial for employees in Nigeria's banking sector, as it directly affects their ability to perform their job effectively and recognize the significance of their work in achieving the organization's goals. The goal of this study is to investigate the relationship between informational justice and employee engagement, as well as determine the importance of this component. Li et al. (2019) and Lane and Aplin-Houtz (2022) conducted extensive studies on the concept of informational justice. However, the impact of informational justice on employee engagement in the banking sector has received relatively little attention. This study aims to investigate the impact of informational justice on employee engagement. 3. METHODOLOGY 3.1. Research Design This study aims to investigate the impact of informational justice on employees' involvement using a quantitative research method that includes conducting surveys. We used a descriptive survey research design in this study to accurately define and summarize the traits, tendencies, attitudes, or opinions of the sample, provide detailed information about each variable, and use a quantitative approach to explain the impact of fairness on workers' engagement. The study aims to construct a structured design suitable for statistical analysis using descriptive methodology, which allows for a thorough exploration of the relationship between informational justice and employee engagement. 3.2. Participant Selection The target population of this research consisted of 544 bank workers, with 231 specifically serving as study samples. 3.3. Sampling Method We used stratified sampling techniques for this research. We employed this method to concentrate data gathering efforts on specific subgroups, thereby enhancing the accuracy and effectiveness of the research. Selecting participants from each stratum ensures the adequate capture of important characteristics or variations within the population. This focused strategy; reduces sampling error and enhances the precision of estimates for each subgroup. Given the size of the bank and its relatively large strata, the representation is improved. This method also helps to increase the representativeness of the sample, reduce sampling bias, increase statistical efficiency, and enhance the generalizability of the findings. 3.4. Data Collection We assembled the essential information by organizing a questionnaire based on the research hypothesis and distributing it to respondents to express their perspectives, suppositions, and perceptions. Past studies validated the primary data source's role as the main means of data collection and information gathering for the study. 3.5. Ethical Consideration The Covenant Health Research Ethics Committee (CHREC) at Covenant University in Nigeria provided ethical clearance, guaranteeing compliance with ethical standards. The objectives of this study were fully disclosed Humanities and Social Sciences Letters, 2024, 12(4): 831-841 835 © 2024 Conscientia Beam. All Rights Reserved. to the participants, and their anonymity was protected. All respondents provided informed consent: therefore, the study complied with ethical requirements. 3.6. Validity and Reliability This study employs construct validity to ensure the validity of the research instrument. The research supervisor and other subject matter experts carefully reviewed the questionnaire to assess its appropriateness and alignment with the study objectives. They deemed the research instrument valid for use in this study based on their expert judgment and recommendations. We can calculate the reliability and validity of a scale or questionnaire using Cronbach's alpha. Cronbach's alpha coefficient values vary from 0 to 1, with higher values indicating better reliability and lower or absent values indicating poor reliability. 3.7. Methods of Data Analysis and Presentation The statistical package for social science (SPSS) was employed to organize, code, and analyze the collected data. Specifically, frequency counts and percentages were utilized to analyze the data obtained from the study. Hypotheses testing involved using regression analysis to examine the impact of the independent variable on the dependent variable. The data analysis process was conducted using IBM SPSS version 26 software, contrary to the study of Chen and Lam (2020) where Stata was used. Furthermore, structural equation modelling (SEM) with the aid of Smart_PLS 3.0 software was utilized in this study. SEM involves the establishment and prediction of relationships between the independent variable (informational justice) and the dependent variable (employee engagement). Both the measurement and structural models were employed to evaluate these relationships. This comprehensive analysis allows for a deeper understanding of the interplay between the variables. 4. DATA PRESENTATION This study collected respondent data via a questionnaire. Two components make up the questionnaire. The bio- data section (Section A) consists of questions regarding the respondent’s data, e.g., age, marital status, and educational history. Section B is an attempt to use the 5-likert scale approach. Section B presents participants with a question and requests them to indicate their level of agreement on a scale ranging from "strongly agree" to "strongly disagree." We adapted questions from various sources to develop the research instrument. Table 1 provides a detailed list of the research instrument's sources. Table 1. Items in the questionnaire and their sources. Variables Number of items Sources Procedural justice (Independent variable) 5 Waribo et al. (2020) and Li et al. (2019) Cognitive engagement 3 Osibanjo et al. (2020) and Rasool (2021) Affective engagement 3 Behavioral engagement 3 Physical engagement 3 Table 1 showed that the questionnaire items were taken from the body of existing research and utilized to verify survey responses from earlier researchers. The studies of Waribo et al. (2020) and Li et al. (2019) were incorporated into the items for procedural justice. Also, items pertaining to employees’ engagement (cognitive, affective, behavioral, and physical) were taken from the research of Osibanjo et al. (2020). Table 2. Response frequency. Questionnaire Frequency Valid percentage Valid 209 90.48% Invalid/Unfilled 22 9.52% Total 231 100% 4.1. Results The response rate is detailed in Table 2. The researcher consistently followed up with the respondents, which resulted in a high response rate. We provided an online survey link to bank employees in Nigeria. We sent the link to 231 people, but only 209 completed copies, accounting for 90.48% of the total. Regrettably, incomplete or incorrect completion prevented the inclusion of 22 questionnaires in the analysis. This indicates that 209 copies were reliable, substantial, and usable enough to establish a baseline and derive conclusions. Humanities and Social Sciences Letters, 2024, 12(4): 831-841 836 © 2024 Conscientia Beam. All Rights Reserved. Table 3. Distribution of the respondents based on demographics (n = 209). Items Frequency Percentage Gender Male 76 36.4 Female 133 63.6 Total 209 100.0% Marital status Single 74 35.4 Married 126 60.3 Divorced 7 3.3 widow/er 2 1.0 Total 209 100.0% Highest educational qualification WAEC/O-Level 1 .5 OND/NCE 21 10.0 B.Sc./HND 119 56.9 MBA/MSC 56 26.8 PhD 12 5.7 Total 209 100.0% Age 20-29 85 40.7 30-39 95 45.5 40-49 19 9.1 50-59 and above 10 4.8 Total 209 100.0% Work position Management staff 20 9.6 Senior staff 39 18.7 Junior staff 81 38.8 Contract staff 69 33.0 Total 209 100.0% Number of years spent in organization 0-4 57 27.3 5-9 113 54.1 10-14 22 10.5 15-19 9 4.3 20 year and above 8 3.8 Total 209 100.0% Note: OND/NCE means ordinary national diploma and national certificate in education. WAEC means West Africa examinations council HND means higher national diploma From Table 3, 133 (63.6%) of the participants were females and 76 (36.4%) were males. According to the table, 126 (60.3%) of the respondents were married, 74 (35.4%) were single, 7 (3.3%) were divorced, and 2 (1.0%) were widowers. The data presented in the table above also indicates that 119 (56.9%) of the respondents held a B.Sc./HND degree, 56 (26.8%) possessed an MBA/MSC degree, 12 (5.7%) has a PhD, 21 (10.0%) has an OND/NCE, and 1 (0.5%) has a WAEC/O-Level qualification. The table also shows that 95 (45.5%) of the participants were between the ages of 30-39, 85 (40.7%) were between 20-29 years, 19 (9.1%) were between 40-49 years, and 10 (4.8%) were between 50-59 and above. Additionally, the table shows that 81 (38.8%) of the respondents were junior staff, 69 (33.0%) were contract staff, 39 (18.7%) were senior staff, and 20 (9.6%) were management staff. The table also reveals that 113 (54.1%) of the majority of participants had worked for the organization for a period ranging from 5 to 9 years, 57 (27.3%) for a period ranging from 0-4 years, 22 (10.5%) for 10-14 years, 9 (4.3%) for 15-19 years, and 8 (3.8%) for 20 years and above. Table 4. Factor loading for informational justice and employees’ engagement. Variables Factor loading Error variance Composite reliability AVE Cronbach’s alpha No. of indicators Indicators >0.7 <0.3 ≥0.8 ≥0.5 ≥0.7 Informational justice (IJ) IJ 0.949 0.794 0.948 6 IJi 0.887 0.113 IJii 0.894 0.106 IJiii 0.881 0.119 IJiv 0.896 0.104 IJv 0.880 0.120 IJvi 0.908 0.092 Employees’ engagement Affective 0.922 0.865 0.922 12 Behavioural 0.918 0.860 0.918 12 Cognitive 0.894 0.823 0.892 12 Physical 0.918 0.858 0.917 12 Humanities and Social Sciences Letters, 2024, 12(4): 831-841 837 © 2024 Conscientia Beam. All Rights Reserved. 4.2. Measurement Model and Model Fit Summary Table 4 shows the factor loadings of different measurement items for informational justice and employee engagement. We obtained these factor loadings from the questionnaire that the Bank in Nigeria used to assess its employees. We evaluated the instrument's validity and reliability using composite reliability, average variance extracted (AVE) calculations, and Cronbach's alpha. It is important to note that the factor loadings, composite reliability, AVE, and Cronbach's alpha met the recommended requirements. Therefore, all the items in the measurement for informational justice and employees’ engagement demonstrate a substantial level of shared variation. 4.2.1. Common Method Bias According to Kock (2015) a VIF exceeding 3.3 suggests the influence of common method bias in the model. In the current study, all the VIF values for the items and measurement constructs related to informational justice and employees’ engagement are less than 3.3. This finding indicates that the model depicted in Table 4 is not affected by common method bias. 4.3. Hypotheses Testing and Structural Model The path coefficients in the structural model, both direct and indirect, indicate the statistical significance of the relationships between variables. In evaluating structural models, we frequently employ the coefficient of determination to assess the overall impact of independent variables on dependent variables. Informational justice explains the variation in affective engagement (72%), behavioral engagement (72.5%), cognitive engagement (69.8%), and physical engagement (66%). The dimension of informational justice explains 72.5% more of the variation in behavioral engagement than the other dimensions of employee engagement. To interpret the results, various indicators were considered, including the path coefficients, t-statistics, R- square values, and p-values. Figure 1 illustrates how the path coefficient reflects the strength and degree of association between the observed variables. Conversely, the R-square value signifies the degree to which informational justice explains employees' engagement. In statistics, the p-value indicates the level of probability that needs to be below 0.05 to be considered statistically significant. On the other hand, the t statistics represent the measured differences between variables in terms of standard error units. The figures represent the path coefficients, measurements, and structural models. Figure 1. Path analysis of informational justice and employees’ engagement (Cognitive, affective, behavioral, physical). Figure 1 presents the PLS algorithm model illustrating the relationship between Informational Justice and Employees’ Engagement (Cognitive, Affective, Behavioral, Physical) within the banking sector in Nigeria. The figure displays the loading values of each measurement item for informational justice and employees’ engagement as well as the path coefficient values and R-square values. Humanities and Social Sciences Letters, 2024, 12(4): 831-841 838 © 2024 Conscientia Beam. All Rights Reserved. Figure 2. Path analysis, P values and effect of informational justice on employees’ engagement (Cognitive, affective, behavioral, physical). Figure 2 depicts the PLS Bootstrapping Model, showcasing the B and P values associated with the relationship between Informational Justice and Employees’ Engagement. It also displays the p-value, which indicates the level of probability required for significance. To be considered significant, the p-value must be less than 0.05. All the measurement items related to informational justice and employees’ engagement (Cognitive, Affective, Behavioral, Physical) obtained p-values below 0.05, signifying their significant contributions. This implies that informational justice has a notable impact on employees’ engagement across these dimensions. Figure 3. Path analysis, T values of informational justice on employees’ engagement (Cognitive, affective, behavioral, physical). Note: IJ means informational justice. EEA means employees’ engagement (Affective). EEB means employees’ engagement (Behavioral). EEC means employees’ engagement (Cognitive). EEP means employees’ engagement (Physical). Figure 3 shows the path analysis, and T values of informational justice on employees' engagement (cognitive, affective, behavioral, and physical), which show the differences that were calculated and are shown in terms of standard error units. Humanities and Social Sciences Letters, 2024, 12(4): 831-841 839 © 2024 Conscientia Beam. All Rights Reserved. Table 5. Path coefficients for informational justice and employees’ engagement (Cognitive, affective, behavioral and physical). Path Path coefficient R-square Standard deviation T value P value Decision IJ→EEA 0.849 0.720 0.028 30.226 0.000 Significant IJ→EEB 0.852 0.725 0.029 29.795 0.000 Significant IJ→EEC 0.835 0.698 0.030 27.617 0.000 Significant IJ→EEP 0.813 0.660 0.029 28.470 0.000 Significant Note: IJ means informational justice. EEA means employees’ engagement (Affective). EEB means employees engagement (Behavioral). EEC means employees engagement (Cognitive). EEP means employees’ engagement (Physical). Table 5 reveals the smart partial least squares results for hypothesis two. This hypothesis explores the connection between informational justice and employees’ engagement (cognitive, affective, behavioral, and physical). The result shows that informational justice has an influence on employees’ engagement. The results showed that informational justice has a noteworthy impact on affective engagement at (β = 0.849, R² = 0.720, t-value = 30.226 > 1.96, p value is 0.000 < 0.05). Path coefficient result of 0.849 indicates a strong correlation between informational justice and affective engagement. The R² of 0.720 reveals that 72.0% variance in affective engagement is explained by informational justice. 5. DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS The first hypothesis posits that informational justice significantly influences the engagement of affective employees in the bank. The structural equation modeling analysis revealed a correlation between the engagement of affective employees and informational justice. This indicates that because of the fairness in passing information and communication, employees are more emotionally engaged at their workplace. This encourages bank employees to be emotionally engaged. The second hypothesis postulated that there is a positive influence between informational justice and behavioral engagement. Clear and transparent communication fosters trust, which in turn enhances employees’ positive behavior within the organization. The structural equation modeling study revealed that employees' perception of informational justice influences their behavioral engagement. The study aligns with the research findings of Li et al. (2019). Through exploring the interplay between leader-member exchange and trust in supervisor, they found a correlation between informational justice and employee engagement. Leader-member dialogue and trust in supervision mediate the positive effect of informational justice on employee engagement. They recommended prioritizing accurate information based on fairness to boost workplace morale. To improve workers' feelings of leadership support, managers should convey their intentions clearly. The third hypothesis posited a positive correlation between informational justice and the cognitive engagement of employees. Effective communication in the banking industry can enhance employees' ability to analyze and actively think about their tasks and responsibilities. This supports the study of Salau et al. (2018). The study’s conclusion is that engagements across all hierarchy levels in Nigeria are improved when employers or leaders encourage cognitive stimulation by seeking differing perspectives, getting others to look at problems from differing angles, encouraging non-traditional thinking, suggesting new ways of looking at completing assignments, and re- examine critical assumptions. The fourth hypothesis stated that there would be a significant effect of perceived informational fairness on the level of physical engagement exhibited by staff in Nigerian banks. The examination of the data confirmed the hypothesis, showing that the organization's communication fairness, transparency, and information-sharing have a substantial effect on employee engagement. Fair treatment and regular updates on significant organizational matters increase the likelihood of physical engagement among employees. This increased engagement may manifest in a variety of ways, including an increase in energy, improved productivity, and increased commitment to their tasks. The results emphasize the crucial importance of informational justice in creating a workplace atmosphere where employees feel appreciated and driven, therefore positively impacting the overall performance of the organization. 6. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS The perception of information distribution and sharing within an institution is known as informational justice. Both the actual content and presentation of internal communications receive extra attention. Promoting equitable access to information within an organization has a beneficial effect on employees' level of commitment by establishing trust, openness, and a feeling of inclusion. Effective communication leads to increased engagement, motivation, and commitment. In order to take advantage of these benefits, organizations should give priority to transparent and open communication channels, guarantee accessibility to important information, and continually exhibit impartiality in decision-making. Regular evaluations of communication strategies and active responses to criticism can increase the positive influence of informational fairness on employee engagement, fostering more motivated and dedicated workers. Humanities and Social Sciences Letters, 2024, 12(4): 831-841 840 © 2024 Conscientia Beam. All Rights Reserved. Banks can foster a work environment that encourages employees to be totally committed, motivated, and enthusiastic about their employment by advocating for justice, fairness, and transparency in disseminating information. Informational justice is an ongoing process rather than a final goal. It is crucial for banks to establish and nurture a culture of fairness within the organization. Implementing measures such as regular assessments, feedback systems, and training programs can effectively identify and rectify any potential deficiencies in informational justice and foster a culture of ongoing improvement. Informational justice ultimately drives employee engagement by creating a work environment that motivates individuals to exert effort and take responsibility for the company's productivity. This study breaks down the potential for banks to improve performance, employee well-being, and overall business profitability by prioritizing fairness as one of their fundamental principles. 6.1. Recommendations i. This research explores the correlation between informational justice and employee engagement, providing insights that can be valuable for managers and banks. The findings suggest strategies for creating fair and equitable work environments that can promote higher levels of employee engagement, such as improving communication channels to ensure employees have timely and accurate information. The banking sector needs to encourage a culture of honest and transparent communication among employees and management while also providing them with opportunities to share their opinions and suggestions. Organizations may benefit from using this information to increase productivity, employee satisfaction, and overall organizational performance. ii. The research also establishes a solid groundwork for future research endeavors. It lays the foundation for more advanced research to build upon, enabling them to investigate additional factors or expand theoretical frameworks. 6.2. Limitations/ Further Study Some of the major limitations encountered while conducting this research are as follows: i) The study's results are context-specific and might not apply to other businesses or industries. ii) The research did not consider potential external elements that could affect organizational justice and employee engagement. The study did not investigate other potential influences on the relationship, such as the state of the economy, alterations in organizational structure, or leadership philosophies. Although the researcher worked hard to look at how informational justice affected employee engagement in Bank of Nigeria, it is important to understand that the field of knowledge is large and there are countless options for research. As a result, there is a need for more research in this field. Future research may examine: i) To explore variations in the relationship between informational justice and employee engagement, and to investigate whether this relationship holds across different cultural contexts or organizational settings, researchers can conduct comparative studies by comparing different organizations or industries. ii) Also, future researchers can investigate potential mediating or moderating variables that might have an impact on the connection between employee engagement and informational justice. For instance, explore how organizational culture, leadership philosophies, or individual traits shape this link. iii) To further understand how informational justice and employee engagement change over time, future researchers can do longitudinal studies and give insights on how informational justice practices affect employee engagement that may be gained from this. Funding: This study received no specific financial support. Institutional Review Board Statement: The Ethical Committee of the Covenant University, Nigeria has granted approval for this study (Ref. No. CU/HRE/AZA/429/24). Transparency: The authors state that the manuscript is honest, truthful, and transparent, that no key aspects of the investigation have been omitted, and that any differences from the study as planned have been clarified. This study followed all writing ethics. Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no competing interests. Authors’ Contributions: Conceptualization, O.P.S. and A.Z.A.; validation, O.P.S.; investigation O.P.S. and A.Z.A; writing, review and editing, A.Z.A.; project administration, O.O.O., and A.O.R. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript. REFERENCES Abbas, W. (2018). 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