The Role of Hierarchical Position in the Relationship Between Abusive Leadership and Organizational Justice: Insights from Female Nurses

This study examines whether sharing the same gender is sufficient to create a more equal work environment or whether power differences persist within the group. Focusing on nursing as a female-dominated profession, the study investigates how hierarchical position shapes the relationship between abusive leadership and organizational justice. Using survey data collected from female nurses in Turkey, the study employs partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) and multi-group analysis (MGA). The findings show that abusive leadership negatively affects perceptions of organizational justice, and that this effect is significantly stronger among nurses without managerial authority than among lower-level managers. These results indicate that gender similarity does not eliminate inequality; rather, hierarchical position shapes how individuals experience abusive leadership. Overall, the study shows that power differences within the same gender, rather than gender itself, are central to understanding justice perceptions in organizational settings.