Process Involvement Raised Acceptance of Team Pay

Hong Kong researchers looked at the conditions that make it easier for workers to accept a system basing at least part of the workers' pay on team successes. They sent questionnaires to employees in Hong Kong and the United States of a petrochemical firm. Whether someone was comfortable with team pay was affected heavily by whether the person thought the process was fair and the team performance goals required to raise their pay could be achieved. Hong Kong workers were generally more receptive to team-based pay. Although the study was small (67 HK and 40 US respondents), its findings are in line with earlier research.

Source: Fong, S., and M. Shaffer (03), "The Dimensionality and Determinants of Pay Satisfaction: A Cross-Cultural Investigation of a Group Incentive Plan," International Journal of Human Resource Management, 14(4):559.