Instructions for Satisfaction with Salary and Job Acceptance: Part A


This is a study of judgments and decisions about salaries that you might be paid in the context of salaries paid to others working at the same job. Imagine two scenarios:

First: Imagine that you work at a job and you find out what others are paid who are doing the same work as you and who are equally experienced, qualified and productive.

Second: Imagine that you have applied for a job and received a salary offer. Imagine another employee told you what others are paid who are doing the same work at the firm, and who are equally experienced, qualified, and productive as you. Assume that if you accept a job, you will stay at that job for a number of years, and that the relative salaries will remain the same; that is, even if you get raises, the raises given others will be the same, so differences in pay among co-workers will not change.

For example, here are the yearly salaries at two companies, where there are 5 people doing the same type of work:

Company 1: $20,000; $40,000; $46,000; $48,000; $50,000
Company 2: $40,000; $50,000; $52,000, $70,000; $72,000

There are two questions we ask you to consider:

Imagine that you work for Company 1 and are the one who is paid $20,000. How would you feel? Next, imagine that you are paid $50,000 per year. How happy would you be with your salary in that case? Please look again at the list for Company 1, and imagine yourself earning each of the different amounts.

Now imagine that you work for Company 2 and are the one earning $72,000. How would you feel? Next, imagine that you are paid $50,000 per year at Company 2. How would you feel in that case? If you were paid $50,000, would you be happier at Company 1 or Company 2?

Finally, imagine you are offered a salary of $50,000 from BOTH companies; how likely would you be to accept the job, if you had a choice between Company 1 and Company 2? Assume that both companies have the same resources so that raises (and everything else) would be the same at both companies and stay the same over time.

Your tasks will be (1) to rate how dissatisfied or satisfied (how happy or unhappy), you would be if you received each of the salaries at each of the companies, and (2) to rate how likely you would be to accept a job offer (of a given salary) at each company, given the salary offer and the amounts paid to others doing the same work who are equally qualified, experienced, and productive.

You should assume that all other aspects of the companies are the same; that is, assume that they have equal resources, that raises will be the same at any of the companies, and that the gaps in salaries between people who work there will remain the same. In other words, please do not imagine that things will change over time or imagine other differences among the companies aside from what is written here.

* Please make your ratings on the 7 point scales by clicking buttons to indicate how satisfied or dissatisfied you would feel about your salary if you worked there, and how likely or unlikely you would be to take a job offer.


  1. How happy would you be to be paid $40,000 at Company 1?

        Not at all Happy Extremely Happy

  2. How happy would you be to be paid $50,000 at Company 1?

        Not at all Happy Extremely Happy

  3. How happy would you be to be paid $40,000 at Company 2?

        Not at all Happy Extremely Happy

  4. How happy would you be to be paid $50,000 at Company 2?

        Not at all Happy Extremely Happy

  5. How likely would you be to accept a job offer of $50,000 from Company 1?

        Very Unlikely Very Likely

  6. How likely would you be to accept a job offer of $50,000 from Company 2?

        Very Unlikely Very Likely

  7a. Suppose Company 1 offered you $50,000 and Company 2 both offered to hire you for $50,000: Which company's job offer would you choose? Remember, assume all other aspects of the companies are the same: they have equal resources; raises will be the same at either company; and gaps in salaries between people will stay the same.

        Company 1 Company 2

7b. Why did you make the choice you did in 7a?


CSUF students: To receive credit in your SONA account, please complete the following items. The following will be used only for the purposes of giving you credit toward the research requirement assignment.

8. LAST NAME:

9. FIRST NAME:

10. CWID (CSUF ID):

11. EMAIL (CSUF email):


12. Are you Male or Female?
Female
Male

13. What is your age? years.

14. What is the highest level of education you have completed?

15. Nationality (e.g., USA, UK, France,):

16. How many hours per week do you work for pay? (if full-time, put 40).
Hours/week

17. What is your yearly income (in $USD), rounded to the nearest $1000? (e.g., for $41,120, type 41).
$ Thousand USD

18. COMMENTS:

Please check your answers. When you are done, push the button below.

Thank You!