Multidimensional inputs and reward allocation: an integration-theoretical analysis

Abstract

Many situations require us to distribute rewards and resources between different members of a group. The members are often described with respect to their age, sex, experience, personality, and productivity. Distribution of rewards and resources requires that all these qualitatively different inputs be properly considered. How are multi-dimensional inputs handled in allocations of one-dimensional reward or resource? In Experiments 1-4, the allocation tasks had heterogeneous inputs such as effort on job and actual performance or behaviour toward administration and actual performance and allocators were college students and professional managers. All the four experiments indicated that allocators calculate separate equity ratios for each input of the allocation task and then average the two ratios in determination of reward.