Abstract

The aims of this study were (a) to identify the differences of subjects' mood responses to the underpaid inequity, equitable payment and overpaid inequity, (b) to examine the effect of allocator on mood, and (c) to examine the differences of inequity reduction tactics between underpaid and overpaid subjects. The major findings of this experiment were as follows. First, equitably paid subjects were more satisfied and underpaid ones were less satisfied than were overpaid ones. Second, compared with equitably paid subjects, underpaid ones feat more angry and overpaid ones felt more guilty. Third, Subjects felt more guilty when they were overpaid by coworker than they were overpaid by supervisor. Finally, cognitive tactics were more frequently used when subjects were overpaid than were underpaid.