Title: Performance appraisal in a public sector firm: testing organisational justice theory in an emerging market

Authors: Ali Bin Hussein Bin Ali Al-Yamani; Tahir Masood Qureshi; Irfan Saleem

Addresses: Faculty of Business, Sohar University, P.O. Box 44, PC 311, Suhar, Sultanate of Oman ' School of Business and Quality Management, Hamdan Bin Mohammed Smart University, Dubai P.O. Box 71400, United Arab Emirates ' Faculty of Business, Sohar University, P.O. Box 44, PC 311, Suhar, Sultanate of Oman

Abstract: This study aims to test performance appraisal's role in emerging markets' public sector as a distinct human resource practice using organisational justice and social exchange theories. The primary data was collected electronically during the COVID-19 pandemic through a questionnaire from 417 public sector firm respondents. This study used regression analysis to examine the impact of performance appraisal on job satisfaction and work performance. The result shows that procedural justice, the development use of performance appraisal, and relationship quality in the performance appraisal system positively affects job satisfaction and work performance. However, a negative relationship exists between distributional justice and job satisfaction, which needs further research and development of theory in this area. The study has implications for public sector firms in the Arab culture.

Keywords: organisational justice theory; social exchange theory; performance appraisal; job satisfaction; work performance; Oman.

DOI: 10.1504/IJBEM.2026.154813

International Journal of Business and Emerging Markets, 2026 Vol.18 No.3, pp.271 - 284

Accepted: 12 Apr 2023
Published online: 15 Jul 2026 *

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