JUSTICE IN CORPORATE CONTEXTS IS NEW

Abstract

AbstractThe author writes that “Justice is a new term in the diversity lexicon, especially in the corporate world.” She further explains that “while diversity is about increasing the representation of underrepresented groups in the workplace and inclusion is about ensuring that everyone has a voice, equity is about acknowledging different needs, and justice is about correcting past harm.” In defining justice in this context, she notes that many people would call on the term fairness. But the latter “is subjective and is almost always interpreted from an interpersonal lens…you in relation to others.” Justice is “distributive (determining who gets what), procedural (determining how fairly people are treated), retributive (determining how people are punished for wrongdoing), contributive (everyone has the right to contribute to how society operates) and restorative (repairing what is broken and compensating victims for past harm).” For implementing justice‐centered approaches in the workplace, Winters advises: “First, we must acknowledge the existence of a white supremacy culture that minimizes or weaponizes other ways of doing and being. Next, organizations should conduct a comprehensive audit that goes beyond tracking Human Resources/HR metrics like hiring, promotions, and terminations to understand all the underlying systems that uphold the status quo and continue to perpetuate harm.”