Not Just about the Money: Which Job Qualities Compensate for Unjust Pay?

Abstract

Social scientists have documented that perceived underpayment is a chronic stressor that has clear links to job dissatisfaction. However, few have evaluated which job qualities function as alternative compensating rewards that weaken this relationship. Using the job demands–resources model as a guide, the authors investigate the moderating effects of prominent job qualities: support, control, challenge, and advancement opportunities. Analysis of a national sample of Canadian workers confirms that perceived underpayment is associated with job dissatisfaction. The authors elaborate on this relationship by documenting that job qualities located at the organizational and interpersonal levels—advancement opportunities, supervisor support, and schedule flexibility—function as protective buffers, but job qualities located at the individual task level (job autonomy and job challenge) do not. These observations have theoretical and practical implications by specifying the particular job qualities that buffer the effects of perceived underpayment. The authors integrate insights from organizational support theory to interpret the underlying mechanisms.