Institutional Justice, Psychological Capital, and Sustainable Commitment: A Structural Equation Model with a gender perspective in Higher Education

Abstract

This study examines the relationships between institutional justice, psychological capital, and sustainable commitment in university students, using a gender-differentiated structural equation modeling (SEM) approach. Data from 233 students (131 women, 102 men) were analyzed using maximum likelihood estimation. The results reveal that institutional justice significantly predicts psychological capital (β=0.68, p<0.001) and sustainable commitment (β=0.42, p<0.001). Psychological capital mediates 45.5% of the total effect (VAF=0.455). The multigroup analysis revealed significant gender differences: women showed stronger trajectories from institutional justice to psychological capital (β=0.72 vs β=0.63, Δχ2=5.87, p<0.05) and from psychological capital to sustainable commitment (β=0.55 vs β=0.46, Δχ2=4.32, p<0.05). The model fit indices were excellent (χ2/df=2.15, CFI=0.96, TLI=0.95, RMSEA=0.045, SRMR=0.038). These findings contribute to understanding how perceived equity in academic institutions influences students' psychological resources and pro-environmental behaviors.