The application of the theory was also found in research on intimate relations (Canary & Stafford, 1992; Sechrist et al., 2014). The balanced exchange of support between family members was confirmed to determine the quality of relations (Sechrist cognitive dissonance and addiction et al., 2014). Equity Theory was adopted to investigate the role of perceived relationship power in dating relations. Particularly, in line with the theory, the equal distribution of power correlated with a stronger feeling of happiness.

Challenge current beliefs

It clarified the conditions that motivate individuals to change their opinions, attitudes, beliefs or behaviours. Festinger (Festinger, 1962) defined the ‘cognition’ as any piece of knowledge that an individual has about https://ecosoberhouse.com/ themself or their environment. The theory was based on the belief that people strive toward consistency within themselves and are driven to make changes to reduce or eliminate an inconsistency (Cooper, 2007).

Control of: behavior, information, thought, emotion

Specified external standards can play a role when an employee in one organisation compares his/her payment to the payment of a specific individual working for another organisation (Shore, Tashchian & Jourdan, 2006). Employees constantly assess the fairness of their work environment by comparing their own inputs and outputs to those of their colleagues. When employees perceive a lack of fairness, it can lead to a range of negative outcomes, such as reduced job satisfaction, decreased motivation, and even higher turnover rates. Managers and organizations need to pay close attention to equity perceptions to foster a positive and productive work environment. In summary, equity theory provides a comprehensive framework for understanding the complexities of motivation in the workplace.

States of Equity and Inequity

Generalised comparison assumes comparing one’s input/output ratio against the commonly accepted standards or predefined social norms (Greenberg, 1987). In addition, specified or generalised others can be external (from different social groups) or internal (people within the same social group) (Scholl, Cooper & McKenna, 1987). The example of generalised internal standards is when employees use referent bonus targets set by the company to evaluate the fairness of bonus payments (Voußem, Kramer & Schäffer, 2016). Specified internal standards are salient for organisational leaders, who base their judgement about reward distribution on personal equity norms (Rus, van Knippenberg & Wisse, 2010).

The Role of Theories in Cognitive Psychology

This disenchantment led industrial and organizational psychologists to follow the lead of social psychologists by broadening their efforts to understand fairness in organizations by focusing on procedural justice. As a result, equity theory is no longer the dominant approach to understanding fairness in the workplace. Instead, it is acknowledged to be only one conceptualization within the broader domain of organizational justice. As an extreme measure, one may redress inequity by terminating the inequitable relationship altogether. On the job, this termination may take such forms as seeking other positions within one’s existing organization or resigning from that organization entirely.

• In ethical therapy, the client is always encouraged to develop an internal locus of control within their authentic — or autonomous — personality.
• Adams then addressed the need for a rigorous definition of inequity, as measured in his theory.1 Influenced by Festinger, inequity was deemed to exist when someone’s perceived job inputs and/or outcomes were opposite to what they perceived another’s inputs and/or outcomes to be.
• As noted by Cooper and Axsom, their dissonance analysis bears considerable similarity to other theoretical conceptions including Bandura’s (1977) view that psychotherapy will be successful to the extent that it enhances people’s feelings of personal efficacy.
• When students perceive inequities in the distribution of resources, such as equal access to educational opportunities or fair grading systems, it can impact their motivation and academic performance.

How to apply the equity theory of motivation in the workplace

• He has been published in peer-reviewed journals, including the Journal of Clinical Psychology.
• Because the emotional reactions to inequity—guilt and anger—are negative in nature, the individuals experiencing them are purported to be motivated to redress them.
• In collectivist cultures, where group harmony is prioritized over individual needs, perceptions of equity may differ from those in individualistic cultures.
• In an intriguing experiment, Festinger and Carlsmith (1959) asked participants to perform a series of dull tasks (such as turning pegs in a peg board for an hour).
• From there, a unitary, discipline-straddling account of inconsistency compensation can uncover the true boundaries of this phenomenon, as well as compensation behaviors that have yet to find a disciplinary label.