5. Discussion
This paper provides a much needed conceptualization of the pay communication construct to not only enhance the academic literature, but to also explain the current pay openness movement in the workplace. A description of pay communication, as well as definitions of the two extremes of pay communication practices, pay secrecy and pay openness, are provided. Based on the literature, two different aspects of pay communication were identified, organizational restriction and employee restriction. Based on these two aspects and the two extremes, a typology of pay communication was developed. The typology demonstrates the various types of pay communication practices (e.g., mild pay secrecy and moderate pay openness) that lie between the two extremes. This typology provides clear direction for future scholars in this area by demonstrating the different forms pay communication can take. A model of pay openness and the anticipated influence on several employee attitudinal and behavioral outcomes that was based on the organizational justice framework was offered. Specifically, informational justice, procedural justice, and distributive justice, as well as social exchange theory and equity theory, provide theoretical support for the propositions. Pay openness is anticipated to enhance perceptions of organizational justice which, in turn, influence workplace deviance and organizational citizenship behaviors. Additionally, negative perceptions of distributive justice (or pay inequity) is expected to moderate the relationship between informational justice or procedural justice and the employee outcomes (e.g., workplace deviance and organizational citizenship behaviors). Arguments were also provided for pay communication practices' (extreme pay openness and extreme pay secrecy) effect on perceived organizational support and organizational commitment. We expect these proposed relationships to help shed light on, and hopefully support, the trend of pay openness in the workplace.
