Virtually Equal: A Theory of Status Leveling in Organizations

Through a qualitative study of 77 full-time technology workers across multiple organizations, we theorize the process of successful status leveling in organizations, in which a dysfunctional status hierarchy is replaced with common perceptions of greater equality. We find that when remote workers’ organizations shifted to a default remote work arrangement during the COVID-19 pandemic, previously high-status in-office workers began to recognize the expertise, challenges, and marginalization experienced by remote workers. Workers collectively adopted practices that enabled more objective and visible work product evaluations, and more equitable distribution of resources, as well as inclusive norms, emerged. In contrast to past research documenting resistance, resentment, skepticism, and defensiveness in response to status hierarchy changes in organizations, our theory explains why this shift was largely accepted and deemed durable by formerly low and high-status workers alike. Therefore, our work suggests how, despite being entrenched and often difficult to change, some dysfunctional status inequalities in organizations can be leveled to shape feelings of inclusivity and greater equity.