FAVORITISM AND ITS CONSEQUENCES

Favoritism

Favoritism is favoring a person not because he or she is doing the best job but rather because of some extraneous feature-membership in a favored group, personal likes and dislikes, etc.  Cronyism is a more specific form of favoritism, referring to partiality towards friends and associates.  Nepotism is an even narrower form of favoritism.

It’s no secret that the playing field among workers isn’t level in most workplaces.  This widespread practice of favoritism can have a significant impact.  Favoritism in the workplace is a lot more toxic.  Favoritism can be fairly benign at first, and it can be much more serious and develop into a hostile environment.

According to Mark Payleitner, a business career program instructor at Computer Systems Institute, favoritism is human nature.  The difference can be seen when a boss assigns a critical, high-profile project to one individual, the boss hope that he has selected the best person for the job.  But when the boss gives a friend ‘the office’ with the best view based on no other criteria, that crosses into favoritism.

It’s important to distinguish favoritism from performance recognition.  There are many negative consequences.  A sense of resentment can de-motivate and damage team unity when a manager does not treating everyone equally.  It’s easy to overlook growth opportunities and unique skill sets offered by others when attention is focused on a particular employee.

Unearned favoritism can “leads to the unselected believing that others’ efforts will not be recognized fairly; and that the yardstick for success has nothing to do with performance.

Tips if you’re the favored employee

Have a conversation with your boss or with HR to figure out how to correct the situation

Act sooner, share some of the work and glory, make your work life a lot more palatable overall

Whenever possible, share the lime-light

Keep it professional, have their cooperation or trust as you will need each other to succeed

Remain trustworthy

it is important that you understand why you are selected

Ways to navigate through workplace favoritism when you’re the victim

Figure out if you’re really a victim

Do not discuss the favoritism, but ask for opportunities, and offer to help, instead

Continue working hard. Be professional and do your part to show you care about the team, company, and clients

Try and understand the reason for the special attention

As difficult as it might be, maintain a normal professional relationship with the favored worker

Remain positive and proactive

If the favorite is truly undeserving, be patient; the boss will eventually realize that it is in their own best interest to look around for a new go-to person

Meet more regularly, and ask your boss if there are issues regarding your perceived ability to take on new assignments

Consequences of Favoritism

Most discrimination is caused by ordinary favoritism.  In-group favoritism happens at all ages and in different situations.  It is societally important to understand that discrimination can occur without hostility and without any intent to discriminate.  Even though discrimination has decrease, favoritism is still a prominent issue in the workplace.  Many said they believe their own supervisor practices favoritism.

The Merit System Principles (MSPs) provide guidance to federal managers on how to create a fair workplace free of Prohibited Personnel Practices (PPPs).  MSPs do not specifically define favoritism, but they give examples such as

·         asking a human resources staff members to hire a friend into a position for which the person is unqualified, or

·         granting a career ladder promotion to a favorite employee but not to a similar one who performed at the same level.

Favoritism can appear subtly, and some supervisors may not even recognize what they are doing.  Favoritism can have dire consequences for employees.

Consequences of Favoritism

sabotage interpersonal dynamics within the organization

reduced respect for their supervisors

strained relations between colleagues, even resulting in resentment toward the recipient of favoritism

harmed an agency's overall performance

Reduced work satisfaction

Reduced camaraderie

Increase employees leaving organization

Reduced motivation

REFERENCES

1.            http://www.federalnewsradio.com/492/3530979/Favoritism-strains-workplace-morale-harms-agency-performance - Favoritism strains workplace morale, harms agency performance, By Shefali Kapadia, Tuesday - 12/24/2013

2.            http://www.forbes.com/sites/jacquelynsmith/2012/10/26/how-to-deal-with-favoritism-in-the-office/ - How to Deal With Favoritism in the Office, Jacquelyn Smith

3.            http://www.scu.edu/ethics/practicing/focusareas/government_ethics/introduction/cronyism.html - Favoritism, Cronyism, and Nepotism, By Judy Nadler and Miriam Schulman

4.            http://www.washington.edu/news/2014/05/19/favoritism-not-hostility-causes-most-discrimination-says-uw-psychology-professor/ - Favoritism, not hostility, causes most discrimination, says UW psychology professor, Doree Armstrong, May 19, 2014