Beyond parenthood: Anticipatory fairness in work-life balance, career progression, and organizational support

Purpose – This study aims to examine how employees with children, employees without children by choice, and employees without children who wish to have them evaluate fairness in work-life balance, career progression, and perceived organizational support (POS). Drawing on Equity Theory, it considers both current family circumstances and an anticipated transition to parenthood. Design/methodology/approach – The study adopts a qualitative-configurational design based on 65 semistructured interviews with employees from a single Big Four consulting firm. Interview data were thematically coded, calibrated into fuzzy-set membership scores, and analysed using fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA). Findings – Fairness perceptions varied both across and within family-status groups. Employees with children evaluated flexibility positively when accompanied by managerial support, although some reported career disadvantages associated with caregiving. Employees without children by choice perceived inequity when parent-centred arrangements generated additional availability expectations without corresponding recognition; more inclusive configurations were associated with favourable evaluations. Employees who wished to have children assessed current policies prospectively, considering whether support and career opportunities would remain equitable following a transition to parenthood. Originality/value – The study extends Equity Theory by developing anticipatory fairness as a transitionspecific evaluation of expected future equity. It shows that family status provides a context for fairness comparisons without uniformly determining their outcomes and offers a more inclusive, life-course-sensitive understanding of work-life policies, career progression, and organizational support.