Fairness of Tenure-Track Evaluations: An Interdisciplinary Analysis of Formal Frameworks and Individual Perception

Abstract

This article examines how the formal design and individual perception of the evaluation criteria for tenure-track procedures for university professorships in Germany can be classified in the context of value-based governance. Based on psychological concepts of fairness—distributive, procedural and informational fairness—we analyse how the requirements are structured. The results show that there is considerable room for manoeuvre on the part of the universities, which, in conjunction with normative requirements, contributes to the implementation of fair procedures. At the same time, it becomes clear that existing standardisations alone are not sufficient but should be supplemented by a stronger consideration of further fairness elements.