The justice literature has coalesced around the notion that actors (e.g., supervisors) tend to utilize the norm of equity for resource allocation decisions because it is generally considered most fair when employees who contribute more to the organization receive more resources. Yet, actors might sometimes utilize a need norm to allocate resources to those most in need. Studies that have addressed need-based resource allocations have assumed a relatively straightforward conceptualization of need. However, research from related areas suggests that multiple characteristics of the need itself could trigger actors’ use of a need norm to allocate resources. We advance a theoretical framework that outlines various need characteristics that drive actors’ use of a need norm. The framework draws on the processes outlined in attribution theory and integrates those with the content domains addressed in fairness theory. A discussion of the implications for justice, attribution, and fairness theory research follows.

正义文献围绕着这样一个概念结合起来，即行为者（例如，主管）倾向于利用公平规范进行资源分配决策，因为当对组织贡献更多的员工获得更多资源时，这通常被认为是最公平的。然而，行动者有时可能会利用需求规范将资源分配给最需要的人。涉及基于需求的资源分配的研究假设了一个相对简单的需求概念化。然而，相关领域的研究表明，需求本身的多种特征可能会触发行为者使用需求规范来分配资源。我们提出了一个理论框架，该框架概述了驱动参与者使用需求规范的各种需求特征。该框架借鉴了归因理论中概述的过程，并将这些过程与公平理论中涉及的内容域相结合。下面讨论对正义、归因和公平理论研究的影响。