Effects of happiness management and organisational justice on organisational commitment

Design/methodology/approach: A quantitative, non-experimental, and cross-sectional design was employed. The sample comprised 295 employees from higher education institutions in Mexico. Covariance-based structural equation modelling (CB-SEM) was applied to test the proposed hypotheses.

Findings: The results reveal that happiness management is positively associated with both organisational justice and commitment, with justice partially mediating this relationship. Originality/value: This study extends Colquitt’s (2001) organisational justice model by introducing happiness management as a strategic psychological antecedent. Despite its conceptual influence, relatively few studies have empirically revisited or expanded Colquitt's framework in the past 24 years, particularly within Latin American contexts; thus, this paper fills a relevant empirical and geographical gap.

Research limitations/implications: The cross-sectional design and non-probabilistic sampling restrict causal inference and generalisability. Future studies should employ longitudinal approaches and test moderators such as leadership style or perceived organisational support. Practical implications: The findings guide higher education leaders to implement emotional and psychological training programmes that foster happiness, fairness, and commitment through transparent workload allocation, fair promotion systems, and participatory decision-making.

Social implications: Promoting organisational cultures grounded in happiness and justice strengthens equity, wellbeing, and institutional resilience, contributing to the Sustainable Development Goals SDG 4 (Quality Education) and SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth). Keywords: happiness management, organisational justice, organisational commitment, positive organisational behaviour.