Other research studies found that important predictors of pay sarisfaction include pay desired versus pay earned; feelings of being entitled or deserving, and the relative deprivation theory. The relative deprivation theory suggests that pay dissatisfaction is a function of six important judgments: (1) a discrepancy between what employees want and what they receive; (2) a discrepancy between a comparison outcome and what they get; (3) past expectations of receiving more rewards; (4) low expectations for the future; (5) a feeling of deserving or being entitled to more than they are getting; and (6) a feeling that they are not personally responsible for poor results.
Herzberg's hygiene theory (discussed earlier) adds another twist. He proposed that the opposite of job satisfaction is not dissatisfaction but just the absence of satisfaction. Nor is the absence of dissatisfaction necessarily positive satisfaction. When applying his theory to pay, he reached the conclusion that pay simply prevents workers from being demotivated.