Abstract
This article examines a merit pay model for academic departments designed to reduce anxiety, competition, and perceived unfairness in faculty salary adjustment processes. It describes a three tier system that combines a general salary increase with differentiated merit awards for faculty ranked in upper, middle, and lower performance groups. The article addresses how departments may define valued faculty activity through explicit criteria for teaching, research, publication, and service, while also preserving attention to equity, rank, and length of service. It presents the model as a way to reward exceptional contributions without denying recognition to competent faculty members. The article situates merit pay as an issue in communication administration and departmental leadership, emphasizing transparent evaluation standards, balanced professional expectations, faculty morale, and administrative decision making.
Recommended Citation
Crawford, John E.; Hirsch, Robert O.; and Valentine, Carol A.
(1984)
"Top Third/Bottom Third: A Humane Approach to Merit Pay for Academic Departments,"
Association for Communication Administration Bulletin: Vol. 49, Article 7.
Available at:
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/aca/vol49/iss1/7
