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An Experimental Study of Job Evaluation and Comparable Worth

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  • E. Jane Arnault
  • Louis Gordon
  • Douglas H. Joines
  • G. Michael Phillips

Abstract

The doctrine of comparable worth rests on an assumption that each job possesses an inherent worth independent of the market forces of supply and demand. Implementation of comparable worth further requires that inherent job worth be measured with reasonable accuracy. This paper reports the results of an experimental study of comparable worth. Three commercial job evaluation firms rated the same set of 27 jobs in an actual company. Statistical analysis of the experimental data indicates that the three evaluators differed in which job trait, or constellation of traits, they used to evaluate inherent job worth, implying that at least one of them failed to measure inherent job worth accurately. These results suggest that any attempt to implement comparable worth may be quite sensitive to the evaluator chosen to measure job worth.

Suggested Citation

  • E. Jane Arnault & Louis Gordon & Douglas H. Joines & G. Michael Phillips, 2001. "An Experimental Study of Job Evaluation and Comparable Worth," ILR Review, Cornell University, ILR School, vol. 54(4), pages 806-815, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:ilrrev:v:54:y:2001:i:4:p:806-815
    DOI: 10.1177/001979390105400403
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Mark R. Killingsworth, 1987. "Heterogeneous Preferences, Compensating Wage Differentials, and Comparable Worth," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 102(4), pages 727-742.
    2. Sorensen, Elaine, 1986. "Implementing Comparable Worth: A Survey of Recent Job Evaluation Studies," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 76(2), pages 364-367, May.
    3. Macpherson, David A & Hirsch, Barry T, 1995. "Wages and Gender Composition: Why Do Women's Jobs Pay Less?," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 13(3), pages 426-471, July.
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    Cited by:

    1. Martin, Daniel & Wiley, Donna & Legree, Peter, 2006. "Ethnocentrism and Internal Compensation Structuring: An Experimental Examination of Point Factor Job Evaluation," MPRA Paper 28683, University Library of Munich, Germany.

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