favouritism

Favouritism is the practice of giving unfair preferential treatment to a person or group based on personal relationships, tastes, or biases rather than merit or objective criteria. It can be intentional or the result of implicit biases that influence judgments without conscious awareness.

Common forms include nepotism (favouring relatives), cronyism (favouring friends or allies), and patronage (exchanging political support for benefits). Favouritism occurs in many settings, including workplaces in hiring, promotion, assignments, and rewards; in educational settings when teachers or administrators favour certain students; and in public or political spheres through patronage and awarding contracts.

Causes include close personal connections, power dynamics, organizational culture that tolerates bias, reward structures that link advancement to loyalty, and cognitive biases that favour the known over the unknown. Favouritism can arise from both conscious choices and unconscious preferences shaped by social networks and institutional norms.

Consequences can include reduced morale and trust, lower motivation, poorer performance, and a perception or reality of discrimination; it can erode meritocracy, damage diversity objectives, and expose institutions to legal or reputational risks. It may also undermine teamwork and hinder fair access to opportunities.

Detection and response involve audits and data analysis of outcomes, disclosure and complaint mechanisms, anonymized surveys, and independent reviews. Mitigation strategies include clear written criteria and processes for decisions, transparency, regular monitoring and auditing, rotation of duties, diverse decision-making panels, and protections for whistleblowers.

Related concepts include nepotism, cronyism, bias, and discrimination.