Unequal Pay, Unequal Responses? Pay Referents and their Implications for Pay Level Satisfaction
研究公共部门科研人员如何与市场、组织、财务、社会和历史五类参照对象比较薪酬，发现市场参照最重要，且该参照下的薪酬不平等（过高或过低）对薪酬水平满意度影响最大，同时考察了工会身份的影响。
Pay referents are those with whom workers make pay comparisons. The five referents used in this study are: market, organizational, financial, social and historical. Of particular interest is the importance attached to each of these referents and the implications of inequity (under and over) for pay level satisfaction. The study also examines reactions to pay inequity on the basis of union status. The data for the study derive from a survey of 2867 public sector research workers. The study finds that the market referent is the most important to all workers, irrespective of union status; type of inequity (over or under) with this referent has the greatest impact on pay level satisfaction. The paper concludes with an examination of the implications for management, unions and the design of pay systems.