The Subjectivity of Fairness: Managerial Discretion and Work-Life Balance

We use organizational justice theory to examine how perceptions of fairness affect the decision-making process of line managers. In-depth interviews were conducted with 35 Irish managers to explore how managers make organizational allocation decisions in cases where it is impractical to offer work-life balance accommodations to all employees. The findings suggest that firstly, managers construct the 'life' aspect of work-life balance within a heteronormative framework, where the emphasis is on caregiving and most usually parenting. Secondly, managers actively use their decision-making powers around both formal and informal work-life balance supports to minimize injustice within their departments. By bringing together ideas about organizational justice and managerial decision-making, we indicate how managers determine fairness through a decision-making process narrowed by embedded gender role beliefs. Implications for future research and practice are discussed.