"For decades the principle of advancing and rewarding individuals on the basis of their talents and initiative-on their merit-has been widely accepted as fair and legitimate in private and public sector institutions. Merit is an especially popular concept among the most selective of these institutions-elite universities and professions like law and banking-as a system that is objective and focused on measurable work, eschewing class background and wealth. Yet merit-driven systems have been recognized for paradoxically contributing to inequality and sustaining systemic biases based on implicit demographic traits and personal characteristics. How did meritocracy, once seen as a progressive solution to inherited privilege, gain a reputation for promoting inequality rather than equality? What goes wrong when organizations adopt merit as their guiding principle and how can the shortcomings of meritocracy be addressed? In The Meritocracy Paradox Emilio J. Castilla draws on decades of research to analyze the structure and culture of meritocracy and the many related management processes and decisions made inside organizations. In settings ranging from merit-based bonus systems in large companies to admissions decisions at prestigious universities, Castilla shows how even though most organizational leaders want to attract and retain the best people, personal biases often affect hiring, promotion, and compensation decisions within organizations that distort attempts to build high performing meritocracy. Then, building on tested interventions and collaborations with companies, he offers organizational strategies that will enable leaders who are serious about promoting fairness, diversity, opportunity, and inclusion to improve their organization's hiring, evaluation, and compensation processes"-- Provided by publisher.