Forming Effective Employee Information and Consultation: A Five-Stage Trust and Justice Process

In this paper we show how trust and justice influence the efficacy of employee information and consultation (I&C) bodies. Evidence is drawn from a 2-year qualitative study of I&C participants in two organizations in the UK. The research builds on Dietz and Fortin's conceptual five-stage model of the I&C process to provide a more nuanced understanding of I&C trust and justice outcomes. In particular, we point to crucial stages in the process, and how these influence the effectiveness of I&C mechanisms. Implications for theory and practice are discussed.