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A Faculty Merit Pay Allocation Model

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Abstract

Merit review processes within academic departments usually consist of two parts: a performance review and evaluation step and a monetary calculation step. Of the two, the performance review step is clearly the more important in achieving fairness and equity. However, the monetary calculation step also plays a key role in maintaining the integrity of the overall process. In an attempt to address the issue of salary compression, the principle used by most departments in allocating merit pay is to award comparable percentage increases in salary to faculty members with similar merit ratings. A merit pay allocation model based on this principle is presented in this paper. The model, a major generalization of an earlier one presented by Camp, Gibbs, and Masters (1988), enables users to calculate merit pay amounts for individual faculty members in a systematic and efficient manner. It is also sufficiently flexible to allow for the incorporation of policy directives often contained in pay packages.

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Wenger, R.B., Girard, D.M. A Faculty Merit Pay Allocation Model. Research in Higher Education 41, 195–207 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1007043221237

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1007043221237

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