Dear Bob ... A question I've often wrestled with: In business, unlike Communism, fairness seldom means equality. So what does it mean? - Fair, but partly cloudy Dear Fair ... I'm not sure fairness means equality, even in Communism. It's just that in any system of government that either practices democracy or aspires to it, egalitarianism is considered a primary virtue. The philosopher John Rawls, I'm told, Dear Bob …A question I’ve often wrestled with: In business, unlike Communism, fairness seldom means equality. So what does it mean?– Fair, but partly cloudy Dear Fair …I’m not sure fairness means equality, even in Communism. It’s just that in any system of government that either practices democracy or aspires to it, egalitarianism is considered a primary virtue. The philosopher John Rawls, I’m told, formalized this, proposing that a fair society is one its members would design without knowing what their station in the society is.Nobody would propose designing a business that way. What’s fair in business? Probably nothing, but the closest manageable virtue is probably to establish a meritocracy, making sure every employee has the same access to opportunity regardless of their managers’ personal likes, dislikes, and biases.– Bob ——– Technology Industry