THE SOCIAL-PSYCHOLOGY OF ORGANIZATIONS AND INEQUALITY

Structural explanations of the production of inequality in organizations often mimic economics in their choice of both variables and theoretical accounts. The ''new structuralism'' typically has neglected important social psychological processes such as social comparison, categorization, and interpersonal attraction and affiliation. This paper illustrates how some basic social psychological tenets can substantially enrich the analysis of the division of labor in organizations, the assignment of wages to positions, and the process through which individuals are matched with work roles.