A number of prominent theories in economics and psychology imply that it is invaluable (even essential) to differentiate rewards based on effort and performance, and that informing employees about those reward differences is a prerequisite for an organization to have an effective motivational system. Yet when we look at the data, we often see both substantial pay compression and strenuous attempts by firms to conceal whatever differentiation exists in compensation levels. Why? The answer lies in the ways in which people perceive their situation, how they evaluate specific types of treatment and rewards, and what arrangements they view as legitimate.
Relevant concepts from cognitive psychology, social psychology, and sociology are not intended to be anything like comprehensive or exhaustive. Rather, we focus selectively on a few key cognitive and social-psychological processes and benchmarks that influence how people form expectations and make evaluations, which must be understood to craft effective human resources policies.
Cognitive psychologists have demonstrated that individuals attend to many cues and sources of information in forming judgments and making sense of social life (including the employment relationship). Recognizing the benchmarks that employees use in making assessments and forming work-related attitudes is critical to understanding employee satisfaction. leia todo o artigo
