Evaluating Comparable Worth: Three Perspectives

Three separate surveys of executives, union officials, and compensation administrators were conducted in order to examine each group's views on comparable worth. Each group was asked questions that included: 1. What are the principal causes of the earnings gap between women and men? 2. Is a major movement toward comparable worth likely to develop in the next few years? 3. Would government intervention be an effective or desirable way to reduce the earnings gap? The results indicate that all 3 groups attribute the earnings gap mainly to discriminatory hiring, pay, and promotion decisions. Union leaders tended to emphasize discrimination as a causing factor. Executives and compensation experts rated voluntary corporate actions as more effective ways to reduce the earnings gap, while union officials viewed government intervention as the more effective strategy. The most common organizational activity to address the problem has been the reexamination of the present salary system.