Publication Type
Journal Article
Version
acceptedVersion
Publication Date
5-2008
Abstract
The authors examined the relationship between the direction of pay comparisons and pay level satisfaction. They hypothesized that upward pay comparisons would significantly predict pay level satisfaction, even when controlling for other comparisons. Results reported in 2 samples (U.S. sample, N = 295; Belgian sample, N = 67) generally supported this hypothesis. Analyses showed that individuals who were paid much less than their upward pay comparison were dissatisfied with their pay level. The highest levels of pay level satisfaction were observed when actual pay was congruent with the upward comparison pay level. There was also evidence that individuals who were paid much more than their upward pay comparison were dissatisfied with their pay level. However, the negative effects of overreward on pay satisfaction were considerably smaller than were those of underreward.
Keywords
Pay level satisfaction, social comparisons, polynomial regression analysis
Discipline
Human Resources Management | Organizational Behavior and Theory
Research Areas
Organisational Behaviour and Human Resources
Publication
Journal of Applied Psychology
Volume
93
Issue
3
First Page
665
Last Page
673
ISSN
0021-9010
Identifier
10.1037/0021-9010.93.3.665
Publisher
American Psychological Association
Citation
HARRIS, Michael M.; ANSEEL, Frederik; and LIEVENS, Filip.
Keeping up with the Joneses: A field study of the relationships among upward, lateral, and downward comparisons and pay level satisfaction. (2008). Journal of Applied Psychology. 93, (3), 665-673.
Available at: https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/lkcsb_research/5643
Copyright Owner and License
Authors
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Additional URL
https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.93.3.665