The current study utilizes a grounded-theory methodology to examine how tenets of restorative justice and practice influence workplace leadership. The theory of widening circles was coconstructed from the intensive and iterative interviewing of 16 participants until theoretical saturation led to qualitative generalizations. The emerging theory asserts that when leaders model mutual accountability, vulnerability, and engagement, they produce a sense of stewardship, trust, and belonging. While prior workplace applications focus on remedying harm, widening circles focuses on the building of proactive relationships. Specific processes, such as facilitating dialogue in circles, were identified across sectors to create intentional reciprocity and encourage shared learning and decision making. Leaders aspire to create an inclusive work culture that is collectively upheld by a network of relationships and norms rather than shouldered by an individual leader.
TopIntroduction
Leaders in the workplace effectuate culture through their choice of focus, reactions, allocation of resources, coaching behaviors, recruitment efforts, promotion initiatives, and dismissal of employees. This study utilizes a grounded-theory methodology to examine how tenets of restorative justice and practice influence workplace leadership. The theory of widening circles was co-constructed from the intensive and iterative interviewing of 16 participants until theoretical saturation led to qualitative generalizations. The emerging theory asserts that when leaders model mutual accountability, vulnerability, and engagement, they produce a sense of stewardship, trust, and belonging. Specific processes, such as facilitating respectful dialogue in circles, were identified across sectors to create intentional reciprocity and encourage shared learning and decision making.
The practice of restorative justice entails a collection of processes that support redressing harm and promoting social connections within relational frameworks. Conducting dialogues in circle formats, a method used in various cultures over centuries, is a symbolic visual representation of these practices. Circles signify inclusion, participation, and equality (Beck, 2012; Bhandari, 2018; Druskat & Wolff, 2001; Fluker, 2009; Green et al., 2015; Mattaini & Holtschneider, 2017). An object (or talking piece) is usually passed from person to person, indicating who has permission to speak without interruption. Circles are used to express feelings, share insight or knowledge, provide or receive feedback, support group learning, explore problems, or come to a consensus (Kegan & Lahey, 2016; Mattaini & Holtschneider, 2017). In workplaces, when conversation is passed in a sequential circle, people practice and reinforce listening skills and perspective sharing (Mattaini & Holtschneider, 2017; Paul & Riforgiate, 2015).
Early applications of restorative processes first appeared in the workplace after taking their lead from earlier instances that addressed white-collar crime and wrongdoing (Braithwaite, 1989; Lokanan & Singh, 2005). In the workplace, restorative conferencing can be used to address misunderstandings, bias, and crime (Eisenberg, 2016; Fehr & Gelfand, 2012; Luedtke, 2014; Okimoto & Wenzel, 2014; Opie & Roberts, 2017; White, 2017). Conferencing does not aim to argue or prove fact; instead, it develops a shared understanding and agreement as to how to repair relationships and redress harm when possible. When an offending employee can seek redemption, display accountability or empathy, and recognize the importance of relationships, colleagues can more easily forgive and accept the reintegration of the employee (Goodstein & Aquino, 2010).
Some scholars conceived a workplace model centered around restorative conferencing to respond to harm in addition to workplace crime and wrongdoing (Campbell, 2015; Fehr & Gelfand, 2012; Goodstein & Aquino, 2010; Okimoto & Wenzel, 2014). Others have explored the influence of restorative justice to reveal frameworks related to a specific mindset or competencies (Begum Abdul Rahim, 2015; Green et al., 2015; Paul, 2017). In the current study, workplace leaders aspire to create respectful and engaged cultures focused on processes of shared learning in which “[t]he accumulated learning is a pattern or system of beliefs, values, and behavioral norms that come to be taken for granted as basic assumptions” (Schein & Schein, 2017, p. 6). They integrate principles and practices of restorative justice with their employees to achieve business requirements.