Gender Effects in Salary Increases: A Shifting Pendulum?

Abstract

A large number of studies suggest that in experimental reward allocation scenarios, females tend to underreward themselves vis‐à‐vis similarly situated males. However, the principal studies date from the 1970s and early 1980s. In the past decade there has been a substantial public policy effort, reflected in employment equity legislation and organization‐level initiatives, targeting direct and systemic gender‐based discriminatory practices. There is some evidence that gender‐based discriminatory employment practices are receding. In this study, involving 127 undergraduate business administration students, the student allocator′s gender was not a significant predictor of reward allocation behaviour. Even more provocative, the results suggest that a reward allocation bias systematically operated in favour of women.

Determinants of Perceived Pay Inequities: The Effects of Comparison Other Characteristics and Pay‐System Communication1

“…We ought to point out that Hypotheses 3a and 3b flow from previous research. However, we find that the supporting research for these two hypotheses is dated and may no longer hold today (Thomicroft, 1993), particularly because of increased awareness of women's issues.…”

New initiative, old problem: classroom assistants and the under‐valuation of women's work

“…As a new occupation, the women who were later employed were in no position to under‐value themselves, as might have been the case for other established occupations (Babcock and Laschever, 2003; Calhoun and Smith, 1999; Thornicroft, 1993). Indeed, as their work expanded beyond the remit developed later by the local authorities, the women were keenly aware of their under‐valuation and were vocal about it (Warhurst et al ., 2009; Equal Opportunities Commission, 2007, respectively).…”

“…Employee relations research, specifically that focused on pay negotiation, has similar strengths and weaknesses: it examines pay determination mechanisms but does not relate the particular processes with specific outcomes. This research suggests that women may under-value themselves and expect less pay (Calhoun and Smith, 1999;Thornicroft, 1993) and may not ask for more pay (Domeyer, 2005;McGregor and Tremaine, 1995). On the one hand, O' Shea and Bush (2002: 367), for example, suggest that men are more likely to engage in 'active negotiation tactics' in order to obtain the salary level that they think they deserve.…”