Any frustrated employee would automatically pin the blame on their managers and supervisors for unfair treatment. But according to UNC Kenan-Flagler professor Elad N. Sherf, the root of the problem could be within the company itself. 

“We might think about managers and supervisors as unfair, or think about them as being mean bosses, or incompetent, etcetera. But we need to think about why the workplace environment can create these types of behaviors.

“Instead of thinking, ‘This is a bad manager because his or her employees are unhappy,’ I would start thinking, ‘What are we asking him or her to do? How is the organization leading him or her to behave in those ways?’”

According to Sherf, most companies place less emphasis on impartial treatment and place more importance on getting work done. 

“Organizations implicitly and explicitly signal to managers that technical tasks are more important than acting fairly. 

“As a result, on average, managers perceive technical tasks—as compared to [relational] tasks—as more important or central to their role … [and] when facing higher workloads, managers tend to prioritize technical tasks at the expense of acting fairly.”

Sherf defined "technical tasks" as "ensuring work units produce desired products or services." These include client interaction, reporting to superiors, and implementing new initiatives. 

Sherf pointed out that managers also face workload stressors. Because they already have much to deal with, addressing employee concerns becomes the least of their priorities. 

“Employees often complain that managers are too busy to meet with them, listen to their concerns, or update them about decisions; similarly, managers often acknowledge that they behave insensitively towards employees or act less fairly because they are overloaded or lack time.”

To address the problem, Sherf offered three possible solutions: allowing managers to choose their own schedules, giving them a role in writing job descriptions, and incorporating fairness in performance evaluations. 

“[Doing so] sends a signal about the importance of these things and the need to deal with them. It also more accurately shows the amount of work being required of people. Otherwise, you’re just ignoring reality.”

In addition to Sherf’s suggestions, UNC Kenan-Flager also shared some tips. Lower-level managers are advised to “be deliberate but creative with your time.” 

“Think whether your time management approach affords time for justice tasks, not only technical ones.”

A 2022 study by MIT Sloan Management Review revealed that toxic culture ignited the Great Resignation. As Sherf pointed out, big corporations are beginning to shift towards an employee-centric approach, and it has so far produced positive results. 

“When Google started directly evaluating managers based on behaviors, busy managers started devoting more time and effort to them at the expense of other technical tasks.”