Competing rationalities in the diversity project of the UK judiciary: The politics of assessment centres

Abstract

Assessment centres (ACs) are increasingly used to recruit highly qualified staff, yet there are few attempts to appraise their introduction from a diversity perspective. This article addresses this gap by exploring the introduction of ACs as a means of increasing the diversity of the judiciary in the UK. It analyses the underpinning politics guiding the processes and subjective experiences of ACs using Weber’s identification of types of rationality and argues that substantive rationalities drive the formal rationality of the AC. The study demonstrates the theoretical value of incorporating diversity into the rationality framework and shows that the design, management and implementation of ACs are shaped by the competing rationalities that surround and imbue judicial work. While ACs may be introduced to demonstrate fair selection practices and challenge the reproduction of unfair discriminatory practices, such formal interventions are inevitably partial and bound by the distinctive institutional context and the societal context of inequalities.