Knowledge@wharton

This spring World Bank president Paul Wolfowitz was forced out after being accused of arranging a big raise and promotion for a woman with whom he was having a relationship. As anyone who works in an office knows though favoritism isn’t confined to love and sex: Family relationships and close friendships can upset co-workers’ sense of fairness too and end up undermining an organization’s performance. What’s the solution? There’s no one answer according to Wharton faculty and other experts but companies would be well-advised to keep their rewards systems transparent and to have clear policies regarding conflicts of interest. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.