Timothy P. Summers

In Search of Adams' Other: Reexamination of Referents Used in the Evaluation of Pay

The paper provides a reexamination of Goodmans (1974) study of the referents used in evaluating pay. The present field research, largely in corroboration of Goodman (1974), found that perceptions of pay equity with respect to three classes of referents are strongly associated with pay satisfaction. In addition, pay valence was found to be associated with perceptions of equity vis-a-vis referent classes. This research was generally not supportive of Goodmans identification of factors affecting the selection of referents. Implications for future research are discussed.

Short Research Note: Using the group-value model to explain the role of noninstrumental justice in distinguishing the effects of distributive and procedural justice

The purpose of this study was to distinguish the effects of distributive, instrumental procedural, and noninstrumental (i.e. group-value effects) procedural justice in a field study. As predicted by the group-value model (Lind & Tyler, 1988), noninstrumental procedural justice captured unique variance in organizational commitment, turnover intentions, as well as both individual and group performance. Furthermore, noninstrumental justice explained more unique variance in commitment and performance than did distributive justice or instrumental procedural justice. These findings provide a greater understanding of why procedural justice, as a whole, has been found to be more predictive of these outcomes in prior research.

Intra- and inter-justice relationships: Assessing the direction

This field study used structural equation modeling to investigate the relationships among: (1) distributive and procedural justice; (2) justice components and organizational commitment; and (3) justice components and behaviors/behavioral intentions. The results suggest that, over time, procedural justice judgments are likely to influence perceptions of distributive justice, but not vice versa. In addition, the results suggest that both distributive justice and procedural justice have reciprocal relationships with commitment and turnover intentions, although in some cases they are contingent on lagged effects. Relationships between procedural justice and behaviors (i.e. compliance, performance) were unidirectional, significant only in the justice-to-behavior direction.

Human Capital and Strategic Competitiveness in the 1990s

The development of human capital is critical for firms to gain competitive advantage. However, short‐term, risk‐averse managerial behaviour often produces lower investments in the development of human capital. Short‐term risk‐averse managerial behaviour is often the result of managerial energy absorption in mergers and acquisitions, higher debt levels, increasing diversification and size, inappropriate downsizing and lack of managerial vision. Such problems can be reversed through downscoping, retaining valuable employees during restructuring, emphasizing the importance of human capital, cultivating an effective learning‐oriented corporate culture, developing an entrepreneurial spirit, promoting a long‐term focus, and promoting high‐quality products and services. With these changes, a strategically targeted human resource development programme can be established.

Development of a turnover model that incorporates a matrix measure of valence-instrumentality-expectancy perceptions

A sample of 365 managers of a full service U.S. restaurant chain was used to test a model incorporating a matrix measure of valence-instrumentality-expectancy (VIE) perceptions leading to the outcomes of job performance and turnover. This study used Hollenbacks (1979) method of computing motivational force scores deriving from VIE perceptions. The model hypothesized one path from VIE to pay satisfaction, another from VIE to job performance, and a third set of links from job satisfaction to intentions to leave the organization to voluntary turnover. The results supported a revised model including the major hypothesized path from VIE perceptions to pay satisfaction to job satisfaction to intent to leave to voluntary turnover. In addition, the job performance to turnover paths were supported. The most noteworthy paths not receiving support were from VIE perceptions to job performance; however, there was an unhypothesized, indirect effect of VIE perceptions on job performance through pay satisfaction.

Examination of Sex Differences in Expectations of Pay and Perceptions of Equity in Pay

A sample of 72 undergraduate business students was tested to examine the effects of sex on expectations of pay and perceptions of equity in pay. The respondents completed a questionnaire which assessed their expectations for the range of starting salaries for 1988 graduates in their own major, and the salary levels which would make them feel overrewarded and underrewarded. Multivariate analyses of variance performed upon six dependent variables related to perception of pay gave significant over-all main effects for sex. Specifically, men, relative to women, had lower tolerance for underpayment and expected higher starting salaries at the lowest and next lowest points on a salary range which they expected to apply to 1988 graduates in their major fields. No differences were found in tolerance for overpayment or for the two high end-points of the salary range.