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Trials & Tribulations of Justice Enactment: Perspectives from Theory and Practice

Semester

Semester 1, 2023-2024

Type of course

Methodological and Practical Courses

Date

November 23, 2023

Location

University of Groningen

Duration

1 day

Maximum number of participants

30

ECTS

0.5 EC will be appointed for participation in the complete course

Staff

Maja Graso (RUG), Jeroen Camps (KU Leuven), Lieven Brebels (KU Leuven)

Content, preparation

In organizations, the pursuit of fairness emerges as a foundational pillar that not only supports ethical judgment but also fosters a sense of trust in decision-makers and the stability of institutions. Yet, while justice enactment is among the most laudable goals, the justice rules are frequently violated. In this course, we seek to understand why; why decision-makers fail to be fair (even when they think they are), why people perceive fairness (when others do not), and when the pursuit of fairness might come at the cost of other values that people hold dear. This course seeks to introduce students to the multifaceted realm of justice enactments, examining both its theoretical underpinnings and the barriers that impede its realization. Moreover, we encourage students to recognize the boundary of empirical evidence when determining fairness and how might the justice enactment challenges manifest in practitioners. 

The majority of our seminar will be structured as engaging discussions encompassing the following core questions:

  1. Why aren’t we more fair? Individual and situational barriers to justice enactment. We will discuss the interplay between individual personalities, biases, and situational contexts that can either fortify or hinder the justice enactment. These factors not only sway individuals away from justice enactment, but also color their perceptions, causing them to perceive more unfairness than might objectively exist. We will discuss how intrinsic cognitive mechanisms can inadvertently lead to discrepancies between intended justice and its actual application.
  2. The Balancing Act of Justice Enactment: Justice enactment is frequently an intricate interplay of competing values systems. Decision-makers must often deal with the challenge of reconciling justice principles (e.g., due process) with other pressing concerns (e.g., ensuring safety). In the second part of the seminar, we will delve into the nuanced intricacies of striking this balance and whether decision-makers can indeed pursue both justice and safety in tandem. By drawing from real-world scenarios, we will unravel the complexities of prioritizing multiple values, seeking a comprehensive understanding of the trade-offs inherent in such decisions.

Throughout our engaging seminar, the core of our discussions will revolve around these paramount themes. Attendees will be actively encouraged to partake in stimulating debates and conversations dealing with the nuances of justice enactment and its obstacles from theoretical and practice perspectives. While justice literature tends to be rooted in organizational psychology, we anticipate the topics will interest all those interested in interdisciplinary issues of decision-making, behavioral ethics, and morality more broadly.

In summary, our workshop will offer a comprehensive exploration of justice enactment and its impediments and serve as a platform for idea generation and intellectual exchange. We invite all participants to actively contribute their insights, share their perspectives, and collectively forge a deeper understanding of the intricate dynamics that shape decision-making.

Learning objectives

By the end of the seminar, participants will be able to:

  1. Understand the Barriers to Justice Enactment: Gain insights into the determinants guiding agents' choices to act fairly or unfairly, appreciating the psychological and social dimensions at play (from both agent and target perspectives).
  2. Seek to Optimize Justice Enactment Processes: Identify enablers and impediments to agents' adherence to justice principles and explore avenues to enhance the overall effectiveness of justice enactment within organizational contexts.
  3. Analyze Complex Trade-offs in Justice Enactment: Understand the limits of justice enactment by dissecting scenarios where trade-offs between competing interests impact justice delivery.

Preliminary program

9:30 AM - 10:00 AM: Coffee, Welcome, and Introductions

10:00 AM - 10:30 AM: Session 1: Introductory Talk: Justice as a Balancing Act

  • Description: In this 25-minute TED-like talk, we will introduce participants to all the ‘moving parts’ of our seminar, presenting a holistic overview that can serve as a foundation for more pointed discussions throughout the day. Specifically, the speakers will address critical issues, present questions, and highlight the inherent trade-offs within the concept of justice. 

10:30 AM - 11:30 AM: Session 2: Nobody Thinks of Themselves as the Bad Guy: Why Can't We Be Fair?

  • Description: This session examines the psychological aspects of justice and why individuals rarely perceive themselves as unjust. The facilitators will discuss the challenges of achieving fairness and the cognitive biases that influence our understanding of fairness and unfairness.

11:30 – 11:45 AM: Break

11:45 AM - 12:30 AM: Session 3: Justice in the Eyes of the Beholder: Why We See Injustices or Justices Everywhere?

  • Description: This session continues the previous section, delving into the subjectivity of justice perception. Facilitators will explore how different cultural, social, and personal lenses affect our interpretations of societal injustices and justice.

12:30 PM - 1:30 PM: Lunch

1:30 PM – 3:00 PM: Session 4: Optimizing Justice Enactment: Is It Possible?

  • Description: Can justice truly be optimized? This session examines the challenges and possibilities of creating systems that maximize just outcomes. The facilitators will encourage students to consider practical approaches and potential limitations.

3:00 – 3:15 PM: BREAK

3:15 – 4:45: Session 5: Unanswered Questions in Justice - Three-Minute Thesis Pitch

  • Description: Attendees can integrate what they have learned and develop ideas about justice in a rapid-fire format. Facilitators will help attendees form around their specific interests and brainstorm the questions that can be pursued. Each presenter will have three minutes to pitch their unanswered questions, fostering diverse perspectives and stimulating further dialogue.

4:45 PM - 5:30 PM: Session 6 - Wrap and Conclusions

  • Description: Reflecting on the day's discussions, this session will summarize key takeaways and insights from the various talks. The facilitator will draw connections between the sessions and highlight potential paths for future exploration.

5:30 PM Onwards: Dinner, Drinks, and socializing