Megan graduated from college three years ago and has been working at Sterba Inc. ever since. A conscientious employee, she has consistently received good performance evaluations. She recently found out that a younger colleague, who was just recruited to her team, is drawing a higher salary than she is for doing the same type of work.
-Based on the equity theory, which of the following, if true, would strengthen the argument that Megan is trying to gain a sense of equity by changing her inputs?
A) She asks her boss for a raise, citing her years of experience with the company.
B) She claims that extrinsic rewards make work seem like a chore and less enjoyable.
C) She accepts additional responsibilities but fails to carry them out effectively.
D) She takes long breaks from work and shirks her responsibilities.
E) She constantly interrupts her colleague, refusing to let her get any work done.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Based on equity theory, employees who perceive inequity can change their inputs, i.e., exert less effort if they are underpaid, or exert more effort if they are overpaid. If Megan takes long breaks from work and shirks her responsibilities, then this would mean that she is trying to gain a sense of equity by reducing her inputs. If she asks her boss for a raise by citing her years of experience with the company, then this would mean that she is trying to gain a sense of equity by changing her outcomes. If she constantly interrupts her colleague and refuses to let her get any work done, then this would mean that she is trying to reduce her colleague's inputs. If she claims that extrinsic rewards make work seem like a chore and less enjoyable, then this would imply that she is distorting her perception of herself. The argument is neither strengthened nor weakened by the fact that she accepts additional responsibilities but fails to carry them out effectively.

Megan Graduated from College Three Years Ago and Has Been