Abstract
This conceptual paper revisits the concept of equality as a base of distributive justice and contends that it is underspecified, both theoretically and in terms of its ethical and pragmatic application to human resource management (HRM) within organizations. Prior organizational literature focuses primarily upon distributive equality of remunerative outcomes within small groups and implicitly employs an equity-based conception of inputs to define equality. In contrast, through exposition of the philosophical roots of equality principles, we reconceptualize inputs as de facto equal and consider the systemic application of distributive equality in the form of status leveling practices. Ethical ramifications of distributive equality so viewed are explored. We conclude by arguing that, to implicitly insert a stronger ethics focus into the study and practice of HRM, perhaps there should be “equality theory” competing with equity theory for recognition in managerial and scholarly discourse.
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Notes
Our use of the rather mechanistic “inputs” represents an attempt to be consistent with wider justice literature. Yet, construing “inputs” as existential equality clearly enters into an ethical dimension.
“Enlightenment Philosophy" casts a broad net. While we use Enlightenment philosophy to capture a significant turning point in the history of ideas, it should be noted that Rousseau, Jefferson, and Locke do not hold precisely equivalent views. Moreover, the concept of human equality precedes the Enlightenment in that it is encountered in all major religious traditions.
While allocative equality need not require the existence of a sharp organizational class system, it is often linked to status structures within organizations. For instance, there can be horizontal inequalities. Jack and Jill may be co-workers of equivalent status, and Jill may be provided a large corner office, Jack a smaller office. But this horizontal inequality becomes also a vertical inequality, insofar as one outcome is deemed superior to the other. As soon as one begins to speak of an inequality (a difference) as better or worse, one then becomes superior and the other inferior, and this takes on a verticality that takes us into the realm of status—of prestige systems.
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The authors thank the three editors of this special issue and the anonymous reviewers for their constructive comments on the manuscript.
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Morand, D.A., Merriman, K.K. “Equality Theory” as a Counterbalance to Equity Theory in Human Resource Management. J Bus Ethics 111, 133–144 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-012-1435-y
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-012-1435-y