BUSINESS RESEARCH

Understand the Perception of Fairness in the Workplace

The concept of organisational justice focuses on the effect that social relationships in the working environment have on performance. The theory behind this is that an individual’s perception of fairness, relating to aspects of their work, influences their behaviour. This, in turn, can lead to either negative or positive outcomes in terms of performance. This means that the adoption of fair principles has potential positive effects on both organisational performance and employees’ wellbeing.

Share
June 2022

Most people prefer to be treated fair rather than equal

Research shows that people care as much about the fairness of the process through which an outcome is produced as they do about the outcome itself.

However, adopting fair process in teams and organisations is remarkably challenging and surprisingly subtle.

A very important thing to understand is that fairness does not mean equality. What one person needs and what someone else needs, to reach the same outcome, may be very different. Fairness is not necessarily about treating people the same.

People, in general, appear to always be making procedural judgements and these judgements tend to be important to them. What research shows is that people’s justice perceptions of what a fair process is are determined by similar principles across cultures. So, what’s the key to fair process?

The three E’s of fair process:
KEYSPROCESS
EngagementThis is about involving people in the decisions that affect them by asking for their input and allowing them to challenge and refute the merits of one another’s ideas and assumptions.
ExplanationIt is important that everyone involved and affected should understand why final decisions are made as they are. This does not mean they necessarily agree with the decision (outcome), but they do understand the process that was used as well as the logic and reasoning that the decision is based on.
ExpectationThis is about clarity. Once a new decision is made, for example about a new procedure, those that made the decision must clearly state the new rules of the game – what is now expected of people that was different from before.

Sources: Kim, W. C. and Mauborgne, R. (2005) Value innovation: a leap into the blue ocean, Emerald Group Publishing Limited/Journal of Business Research, Volume 26, Issue 4; Wilkins, A. (2018) Change and Opportunity: How to Lead and Manage Change in Seven Key Steps, Perspectiv LLP, Jan 2018

Referenced techniques

Technique

Diversity Management

Effective workplace diversity management policies have been demonstrated to aid creative thinking processes and innovation. Case study evidence from a variety of sectors and implementation advice is provided to help managers increase the success of diversity management initiatives.

Technique

Equity Theory

Equity theory, when applied to the workplace, focuses on an employee’s work compensation relationship and an employee’s attempt to reduce any perceived unfairness. Discover strengths and weakness of the theory and implementation advice on the two main processes an individual can use to restore equity.

Technique

British Values

This technique offers a review of Fundamental British Values (FBV), exploring their significance and implications for the modern workplace. It highlights some of the ways in which businesses can exemplify, promote and integrate British values in their practice.

Leaders Edge Magazine Image
Subscribe for free to:

The Leading Edge

Join thousands of leaders benefiting from their bi-monthly copy of The Leading Edge on topics like Understand the Perception of Fairness in the Workplace, to keep themselves at the cutting edge of leadership and management thinking.

Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Your subscription has been successful.
Testimonials

Trusted by over 350 organisations

2000+ people are already learning with KnowledgeBrief

"The apprenticeship with KnowledgeBrief was transformative, improving my leadership, strategic decisions, and confidence. I gained skills in planning, change management, financial acumen, and stakeholder engagement. Completing with distinction, I secured a new contract and expanded my consultancy."

"The coaching course through KnowledgeBrief was well-structured, balancing theoretical knowledge and practical knowledge. The platform is easy to navigate, providing access to support and promoting a solid understanding of coaching fundamentals. The resources provided have been comprehensive."

"Knowledge Brief has great content and is detailed in the area I am developing in. The system is very clear and easy to use and navigate. Thanks to my skills coach, for his support and guidance. I applied my course knowledge and experience, using team performance, leadership styles, and the Eisenhower matrix to manage tasks effectively."

"The apprenticeship has greatly enhanced my understanding of strategic work and how different areas of the organisation operate. It has boosted my confidence to ask questions and take on senior-level tasks. Studying has pushed me out of my comfort zone, showing me my capabilities and improving my overall performance."

"The support has been timely and professional, and since starting, I have increased my knowledge through the online platform and workshops, boosting my confidence and covering subjects like business understanding, communication, and operational plans, and I have thoroughly enjoyed the experience and would recommend it."

"As a result of this apprenticeship, I have gained confidence at work, developed key skills in project management, communication, and technical processes, improved my performance through focused feedback, and am now better prepared to contribute to the team's goals and tackle future challenges."

"I have seen positive work improvements using what I’ve learnt about leadership, communication, and decision-making, and highly recommend the easy-to-use KnowledgeBrief platform with visual progress tracking, extra resources, and valuable information."

"This journey has strengthened my strategic vision, stakeholder management, team and organisational influencing skills, and, most importantly, my confidence in communication, with structured learning and the tailored guidance proving invaluable in giving me direction and purpose as a senior leader."

"This course improved my performance by helping me create strategies, demonstrate values, develop my team, identify growth areas, and gain leadership principles like communication, conflict resolution, and strategic thinking, and I highly recommend it to anyone looking to strengthen their leadership abilities and make an impact."

"We’ve just gone through annual reviews and if I look at ratings from last year to this year, we have more excellent performers in our leadership team."

Equip your employees with the skills to increase results

If you would like to discuss how we can create your Leadership and Management Training Programmes, please get in touch