Through the Lens of Fairness: A Qualitative Investigation into Co‐workers’ Perceptions of I‐deals

Abstract Amidst the rapidly evolving work environment that increasingly necessitates personalized approaches towards employees, there is a pressing need to broaden our understanding of idiosyncratic deals (i‐deals) and their third‐party implications in the workplace. Although immediate responses to i‐deals often hinge on equity and social comparison, this approach does not fully explain co‐workers’ perceptions of others’ i‐deals. By reconciling various theoretical accounts, we propose that co‐workers’ perceptions of i‐deals largely depend on the implementation of i‐deals and related justice perceptions of co‐workers. However, our understanding of how i‐deal implementation shapes co‐workers’ perceptions of i‐deals from a justice perspective remains limited. Therefore, we conducted an inductive multiple‐case study through 48 in‐depth interviews involving managers, i‐deal receivers (i‐dealers), and co‐workers. Building on our findings, we develop an emergent framework that explains how the implementation of i‐deals, when viewed through the lens of organizational justice, can shape co‐workers’ perceptions of i‐deals. This novel perspective enriches the i‐deal literature by offering a fresh angle on the third‐party implications of i‐deals, emphasizing the significance of their implementation and related fairness perceptions.