Fostering Internal Pay Equity Through Gender Neutral Job Evaluations: A Case Study of the Federal Job Evaluation System

• Author: Rashmi Chordiya,Larry Hubbell
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1177/00910260221124866
• Published date: 01 March 2023
• Date: 01 March 2023
• Subject Matter: Articles

https://doi.org/10.1177/00910260221124866

Public Personnel Management

2023, Vol. 52(1) 25 –47

© The Author(s) 2022

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DOI: 10.1177/00910260221124866

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Article

Fostering Internal Pay Equity

Through Gender Neutral Job

Evaluations: A Case Study of

the Federal Job Evaluation

System

Rashmi Chordiya1 and Larry Hubbell1

Abstract

The principle of pay equity implies that work determined to be equally demanding

in terms of skills or qualifications, responsibilities, efforts, and working conditions

should be valued and paid equally. However, prevailing gender-based stereotypes

and prejudices about female-dominated jobs get in the way of achieving pay equity.

Gender biases in compensable job (sub) factors could result in undervaluation and/

or omission of relevant job (sub) factors associated with female-dominated jobs, and/

or unbalanced/biased interpretation of job (sub) factors by associating them mostly

with male-dominated jobs. Using a case study of the Federal job evaluation system for

white-collar, non-supervisory Federal jobs the present article argues for a proactive

and an intentional inclusion of gender-neutral (sub) factors in job evaluation systems

in service of fostering internal pay equity within organizations.

Keywords

compensation, diversity, equity, inclusion, gender pay gap, job evaluation, pay equity

Introduction

Pay inequity is one of the major barriers that gets in the way of institutionalizing

equity, diversity, and inclusion within organizations. Pay inequity is a complex prob-

lem with many contributing factors. These include social injustice issues experienced

1Seattle University, WA, USA

Corresponding Author:

Rashmi Chordiya, Assistant Professor, The Institute of Public Service, Seattle University, 901 12th

Avenue, Seattle, WA 98122, USA.

Email: chordiyarash@seattleu.edu

1124866PPMXXX10.1177/00910260221124866Public Personnel ManagementChordiya and Hubbell

research-article2022

26 Public Personnel Management 52(1)

because of one’s social identity such as disability, racial, and gender identity. Social

and institutional factors contributing toward pay-inequity include occupational segre-

gation, agency segregation, position segregation (e.g., glass-ceiling effects), and

undervaluing or omission of job factors associated with female-dominated jobs in

structural ways, such as, through job evaluations (e.g., Alkadry & Tower, 2006, 2014a,

2014b; Guy, 2017; Guy et al., 2014; Reese, 2019).

Addressing these multiple contributing factors with each one being multi-layered

necessitates an intersectional, multi-dimensional and creative approach to problem-

solving with shared equity leadership. The present article focuses on one of the

approaches namely- the use of gender-neutral job evaluation systems that could struc-

turally foster internal pay equity within organizations. Organizations can integrate the

principle of pay equity, that is, “equal pay for work of equal value,” in their compensa-

tion system through a gender-neutral job evaluation system. The present article dem-

onstrates an application of the pay equity principle in the context of the Federal job

evaluation system (for non-supervisory white-collar jobs).

Based on Eagly’s (1987) social role theory of sex differences, the article describes

how prevailing gender biases and stereotypes contribute toward the undervaluation

and omission of job demands and skills associated with female-dominated jobs.

Moreover, as a means of fostering pay equity, this article offers concrete recommenda-

tions for broadening and updating the list of compensable job (sub) factors to include

specific, objective, gender-neutral criteria while measuring skills, responsibilities,

efforts, and working conditions (Chicha, 2008).

Theoretical Basis: The Social Role Theory of Sex

Differences

Eagly’s (1987) social role theory of sex differences serves as a helpful theoretical basis

to identify major factors contributing to the gender pay gap and potential solutions that

could bring balance to undervaluation, invisibility and, at times, erasure of female-

dominated jobs and skills in compensation systems. Social roles are dominant social

norms and shared expectations about people’s roles based on their social identity cat-

egory (Eagly, 1987; Eagly & Karau, 2002). With respect to gender, social roles are

binary expectations about behavioral and psychological traits of women (femininity)

and men (masculinity) that are socially constructed, and grounded in dominant histori-

cal and cultural norms (Catalano & Griffin, 2016; Harro, 2018). Societies undertake an

in-depth and extensive socialization that contributes toward internalization and pro-

motion of personality traits, behaviors, and skills aligned with the assigned gender role

to facilitate the performance of congruent sex-differentiated gender roles (Eagly &

Wood, 2012; Harro, 2018).

Before diving into social role theory of sex differences, for context, it is important

to acknowledge that deeply embedded in gendered social roles is “genderism” and

“patriarchy.” Genderism is a system of domination that classifies humans into binary

categories of two distinct and opposite sexes- male and female and gender binaries-

masculine and feminine. Conformity with this binary confers privilege and the