Managing Social Equity: Insights from Local Public Managers

Abstract

Since its genesis in public administration, social equity has framed the field’s discussions of fairness in governance and management. Here we explore how local public managers conceptualize and operationalize social equity as a public value in the communities they lead. Based on in-depth interviews with 23 local government leaders, we find that these managers often define social equity in ways that emphasize procedural fairness. In addition, while social equity was a priority among the public managers, several expressed that they often face resistance from their elected officials when attempting to prioritize equity.