Benefits and Compensation Commons^™

Do Rural Areas Gender-Discriminate Wages More Than Metropolitan Areas?, Ali Gonzalez, Michael Montano, Brandon Sacks, Joseph Williams

Undergraduate Economics Working Paper Series

This study analyzes the gender wage gap in metropolitan versus rural areas using U.S. hourly wage data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), for the period 2010-2025. The analysis uses regressions on a semi-log wage model and Blinder-Oaxaca decompositions to compare the gaps and separate the effects attributable to explained (endowment) differences from those attributable to unexplained (coefficient) differences. The semi-log wage model reveals a percentage wage decrease for females of approximately 17.4% in rural areas and 9.9% in metropolitan areas. The Blinder-Oaxaca decompositions further indicate that the unexplained (coefficient) component of the gap is substantially larger in rural …

Labor Market Responses To Ai: Measuring Wage Effects Across U.S. Occupations, Kaitlin Pham, Karla Rodriguez

Undergraduate Economics Working Paper Series

Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly changing economies around the world, with some experts predicting an impact greater than the Industrial Revolution. As AI becomes more common in daily life and business, questions have grown about how it might affect jobs, wages, and inequality. The rise of automation and highly capable AI models has made people wonder which occupations will benefit and which might be at risk. This study looks at how exposure to AI technologies affects wage trajectories in the United States. Using occupational-level data from O*NET and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, we build an AI exposure index …

What Graduates See And What Employers Pay; Reconciling Salary Reporting And Total Compensation In Sales And Marketing, John Ertel, George Talbert Jr.

AMTP Proceedings 2026

College students frequently rely on university career centers for salary information when evaluating early-career opportunities. In sales, however, reported compensation figures often reflect base pay only and exclude performance-based earnings such as commissions and bonuses. This study uses a single-university case study to examine whether university-reported salary data for sales roles accurately represents total compensation. Institutional career center reports and national salary projections were compared with insights from employers, sales professionals, and recent graduates. Findings indicate that performance-based compensation constitutes a substantial portion of total earnings in sales roles but is frequently omitted from reported figures, leading to systematic understatement …

Do Underserved And Underrepresented Minorities Pay A Higher Premium For Employer-Sponsored Coverage?, Willie Reddic, Susan Albring, Patricia Crawford

The Lender Center for Social Justice

Employer-sponsored health insurance covers millions of Americans under 65, yet not all employees share the financial burden equally. This brief explores how underserved communities particularly Black, Hispanic, and American Indian/Alaska Native employees often pay a disproportionately high share of their income toward family coverage premiums. Drawing on national data and recent research, the study highlights systemic disparities in healthcare costs and access, that shows economic, social, and policy factors intersect to create uneven burdens. The importance of clear communication, tailored support tools, and equitable plan design to help employees make informed choices, while offering practical strategies for employers and entrepreneurs …

Beyond The Paycheck: Crafting A Competitive Benefits Package In American For-Profit And Non-Profit Entities, Olufemi C. Akpona

Senior Honors Theses

This thesis explores the changing landscape of employee benefits and theorizes how benefits can further be formulated to appeal to the specific employee base in every for-profit and non-profit organization. An evaluation is given of common benefits offered in the United States as well as an evaluation of the legal, financial, ethical, and psychological dimensions of providing employee benefits. Finally, an example benefits package is presented in order to illustrate how an organization can provide unique benefits to recruit and retain employees in the communities they operate in.

A Strategic Audit: Eli Lilly & Company, Natalie Karrels, Ethan Heinemann, Jonathan Patton, Meg Williams

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

This strategic audit assesses the external and internal forces impacting Eli Lilly & Company’s strategic decision-making strategies. All information has been gathered from industry reports and company reports, including reports for investors, analyst calls, financial statements, and news reports. The report highlights the quantitative, qualitative, performance, strategy, and leadership decisions that have allowed Eli Lilly & Company to succeed for the past 150 years.

Athletic Trainers' Perspectives On Resources And Preparation Needed For Successful Salary Negotiation, Kimberly R. Detwiler, Cailee E. Welch Bacon, Indigo B. White, Leanne E. Jones, Julie M. Cavallario

Rehabilitation Sciences Faculty Publications

Context

Many athletic trainers (ATs) work under high stress, long hours, and low pay. These conditions often lead ATs and athletic training students to leave the profession. Previous studies show that over half of ATs do not negotiate salary, often because they feel the offer is fair or fear losing the job. Additional support is needed to help ATs prepare for negotiations, as current resources are limited.

Objective

This study explored ATs’ views on the resources need to prepare for salary negotiations during the hiring process.

Design

Consensual qualitative research.

Setting

Individual video interviews.

Patients or Other Participants

Twenty-eight participants …

Determinants Of Salary Variation And The Gender Pay Gap: A Survey Of The American Association Of Hip And Knee Surgeons (Aahks) Surgeon Member Workforce, Prem N. Ramkumar, Jenna A. Bernstein, David C. Landy, David E. Demik, Justin T. Deen, Reena J. Olsen, Anna Cohen-Rosenblum

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Background: The increased emphasis on reimbursement, diversity, and burnout in hip and knee arthroplasty necessitates a foundational understanding of the surgeon workforce. The purpose of the study was to cross sectionally survey a representative sample of the AAHKS surgeon membership on the subject of salary, practice patterns, and demographic factors to establish a baseline framework for future advocacy efforts and initiatives. Methods: An online survey was sent to AAHKS members between December 20, 2022 and January 19, 2023. Surgeon demographic data, experience, practice geography and type, and annual case volume were solicited. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to describe …

Cannabis: Its Benefits And Risks, Becca Bischoff

University Honors College

Cannabis is a psychoactive drug that comes from the cannabis plant that has been used medicinally and recreationally for decades. With cannabis becoming legalized in more and more states, it is important to know its e*ects, whether they are good or bad. However, there are most benefits to using cannabis as its properties can help treat various diseases and conditions. Using cannabis can not only be beneficial to the individual who is using it but also to the state that legalized it. Various questions arise from cannabis use, including, how does it help manage pain or other conditions? What makes …

Paying To Reduce Disparity: Financially Incentivizing Workforce Diversity And Its Effects On Managers’ Promotion Decisions And Employees’ Effort, Bret S. Sheeley

College of Business: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Disparities in employee representation persist in higher-level organizational positions despite recent attention to workforce diversity and its associated benefits. In response, companies have begun integrating diversity initiatives with varying degrees of specificity (hereafter, “initiative specificity”) into their managers’ compensation packages to increase underrepresented employees’ representation in higher-level organizational positions. This study uses an experiment to examine how offering managers financial incentives to accomplish diversity initiatives (hereafter, “diversity incentives”) and initiative specificity interact to influence managers’ promotion decisions and employees’ effort choices in a promotion setting.

The results suggest that as underrepresented employees’ pre-promotion efforts increase relative to overrepresented employees’ efforts, …

Athletic Trainers' Perceptions Of Salary Negotiation Decision-Making During The Hiring Process, Julie M. Cavallario, Kim Detwiler, Leanne Jones, Indigo White, Cailee E. Welch

Rehabilitation Sciences Faculty Publications

Context: Appropriate salaries for athletic trainers (ATs) have been a contentious topic for decades. While professional advocacy efforts to increase ATs' salaries have gained traction, little is known about ATs' experiences with negotiation during the hiring process.

Objective: To explore the reasons, influences, and factors influencing ATs' negotiation decisions.

Design: Qualitative study.

Setting: Individual video interviews.

Patients or other participants: 28 ATs who participated in a previous study and indicated a willingness to participate in the qualitative follow-up were interviewed (17 women, 10 men, 1 non-binary individual; age = 37.8±8.9 years; athletic training experience = 15.1±8.3 years). Of the 28 …

Ua25 Salaries, Wku Provost, Wku Strategy, Operations & Finance

WKU Administration Documents

Email to faculty & staff regarding salary increases to be given in 2024.

Negotiation Practices Of Athletic Trainers Employed In The Clinical Setting, Julie M. Cavallario, Brianna L. Campbell, Bailey C. Jones, Cailee E. Welch Bacon

Rehabilitation Sciences Faculty Publications

Context

Athletic trainers (ATs) are comparatively underpaid relative to peer health care professionals. Whereas many factors contribute to the salary and benefits of a given employment position, negotiation is a factor of the final salary and benefits package that is achieved. It is unclear to what extent ATs negotiate salary or other terms of employment during the hiring process.

Objective

To explore the negotiation practices of ATs during the hiring process.

Design

Cross-sectional study.

Setting

Web-based survey.

Patients or other participants

A total of 587 ATs employed in the clinical setting who previously held at least 1 full-time employment position. …

The Online Ordering Behaviors Among Participants In The Oklahoma Women, Infants, And Children Program: A Cross-Sectional Analysis, Qi Zhang, Kayoung Park, Junzhou Zhang, Chuanyi Tang

Department of Marketing Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) is a nutrition assistance program in the United States (U.S.). Participants in the program redeem their prescribed food benefits in WIC-authorized grocery stores. Online ordering is an innovative method being pilot-tested in some stores to facilitate WIC participants’ food benefit redemption, which has become especially important in the COVID-19 pandemic. The present research aimed to examine the online ordering (OO) behaviors among 726 WIC households who adopted WIC OO in a grocery chain, XYZ (anonymous) store, in Oklahoma (OK). These households represented approximately 5% of WIC households who redeemed …

Getting To Yes: The Makings Of Paid Leave In Massachusetts, Christa Kelleher, Laurie Nsiah-Jefferson, Priyanka Kabir, Lillian Hunter, Cassandra M. Porter, Center For Women In Politics And Public Policy, University Of Massachusetts Boston

Publications from the Center for Women in Politics and Public Policy

Considered one of the strongest paid family and medical leave laws in the nation, the paid leave law adopted in Massachusetts in 2018 was notable for the depth and range of robust caregiving supports and protections for workers. But just as notable is how the law came to be. After all, paid leave bills had been filed for years in Massachusetts. Decades in fact. Yet until 2018, there had been limited movement in the legislature to establish a statewide program. What led to the passage of paid leave legislation in Massachusetts with approval from a Republican Governor? What factors influenced …

Comparative Performance Of Cooperative Equity Retirement Plans, Jeffrey S. Royer

Department of Agricultural Economics: Faculty Publications

This paper compares the performance of revolving fund, percentage-of-all-equities, and base capital plans, and special plans for redeeming equity held by estates or based on member age. It also examines how the performance of the base capital plan is affected by changes in the base period, relaxing the equity requirements for underinvested members, and a variable cash patronage refund program. The base capital plan performs better than other systematic plans but places financial burdens on young members. Two modifications can mitigate that problem with only a slight diminution in performance. Special plans benefit cooperatives operating revolving fund plans the most.

Is Classifying Uber Drivers As Independent Contractors Really A Bad Thing?, Kyleigh A. Dinnien

Student Publications

Uber is a part of the gig economy providing individuals with the opportunity to earn cash by completing rides through the Uber platform. These drivers are classified as independent contractors, but there is a discussion on whether they should instead be determined as employees. Employees receive different types of benefits than do independent contractors which is often thought of as a good thing, but this independent contractor classification may be what is saving millions of people from being unemployed. There are reasons why Uber would like to continue classifying drivers as independent contractors and there are consequences to both categories …

Effectiveness Of A Four-Days/Eight Hour Work Week, Mayer Sng, Wei Jian Khor, Toshiaki Oide, Shaen Chatrawit Suchar, Brian Chin Kiat Tan

Introduction to Research Methods RSCH 202

This research paper explores the benefits of a four-day workweek that may affect productivity, self-satisfaction, and life expectancy. We will be using data on a country-wide scale from 25 first world countries over four continents. We will perform regression analysis to investigate the impact of a four-day workweek. The data will be collected using free and public sources published online like Our World In Data and Statista, which include GDP per capita, life satisfaction rate, human development index, and annual working hours. The results of our research and analysis will show how each independent variable will affect the dependent variable …

Managers' Pay Duration And Voluntary Disclosures, Qiang Cheng, Young Jun Cho, Jae B. Kim

Research Collection School Of Accountancy

Given the adverse effect on their welfare, managers are reluctant to disclose bad news in a timely fashion. We examine the effect of managers' pay duration on firms' voluntary disclosures of bad news. Pay duration refers to the average period that it takes for managers' annual compensation to vest. We hypothesize and find that pay durations can incentivize managers to provide more bad news earnings forecasts. This result holds after controlling for the endogeneity of pay duration. In addition, we find that the effect of pay duration is more pronounced for firms with weaker governance and with poorer information environments, …

Faculty Start-Up Negotiations: An Examination Of Gender Differences And Recommendations For Improvement Opportunities At The University Of Dayton, Kathrin Hanek

Reports from the Gender Equity Research Fellowship

Amidst well-documented gender differences in negotiation and gender wage gaps in academia, ensuring gender equity in faculty start-up negotiations is an important part of the University of Dayton’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. The current investigation examined the faculty start-up negotiation process at the University of Dayton from the perspective of department chairs and new tenure-track faculty hires with an emphasis on gender differences in the initiation and outcomes of negotiations as well as potential underlying factors that may contribute to gender disparities.

Data collected from surveys and interviews indicated gender differences primarily in the initiation of negotiations, satisfaction …

Paid Sick Time: An Essential Benefit For All Of Minnesota's Workers, Leah Hanson, Caitlin Kemp, Carrie Leggett

Master of Social Work Student Policy Advocacy Briefs

Paid sick time is an essential benefit for all workers in Minnesota. Paid sick time is an economic issue, a public health issue, and an equity issue. Workers should not have to choose between going to work sick or losing a day of pay. Low wage workers, women, Black, Indigenous, people of color, and people living in rural areas are least likely to work at jobs that provide paid sick time. Three cities in Minnesota have implemented paid sick time for workers, along with twelve States and the District of Columbia. It is time for Minnesota to act now and …

Ua3/1/1 President's Office-Cherry Reports, Wku Archives

WKU Archives Collection Inventories

Reports made by Henry Cherry to the Board of Regents and departmental reports made to Henry Cherry.

تأثير فيروس كورونا على إدارة رأس المال البشري في الشركات الناشئة في مصر, Shahjahan Bhuiyan, Fayrouz El Dabbagh, Mariam Walid, Shorouk Fouda

Papers, Posters, and Presentations

إن الشركات الناشئة شركات تتسم بالهشاشة على المستوى المؤسسي وتتعامل مع درجات عالية من المخاطر وعدم اليقين، وخاصة أثناء الصدمات قصيرة الأجل مثل فيروس كورونا (كوفيد- 19)، ويسعى موجز السياسات هنا إلى تحديد التطور المطلوب في النظام البيئي الداعم للشركات الناشئة في ظل جائحة فيروس كورونا (كوفيد- 19)، مع التركيز بشكل خاص على إدارة رأس المال البشري والعمل اللائق ومرونة سوق العمل في الشركات الناشئة في مصر. والسؤال الأساسي الذي يطرحه الموجز هو: كيف أثرت جائحة فيروس كورونا (كوفيد- 19) على ممارسات إدارة رأس المال البشري في الشركات الناشئة المصرية وما هو المطلوب لي تتعافى الشركات الناشئة في مصر من …

الشركات الناشئة وإدارة رأس المال البشري في مصر: رحلة البحث عن وظائف لائقة, Maryham Madgy Abdelmalak, Fayrouz El Dabbagh, Ibrahem El Sayed Hassan, Laila M. El Baradei

Papers, Posters, and Presentations

تُعد الشركات الناشئة أحد العناصر التي من الممكن أن تساهم في النمو الاقتصادي في مصر، إلا أنها تواجه تحديات عديدة تعرقل قدرتها على تحقيق إمكاناتها، واستدامتها في السوق، وقدرتها على توفير فرص عمل لائقة. وتشمل التحديات: صعوبة تحديد مصدر التمويل، واستدامته وتعقد الإطار القانوني والتنظيمي الذي ينظمها, بالإضافة إلى المعايير الاجتماعية، والثقافة المحافظة، ونقص البيانات والمعلومات المتعلقة بديناميات السوق والفرص المتاحة. وقد أوضحت نتائج البحث أن العديد من الشركات الناشئة تواجه تحديات في إدارة رأس المال البشري لديها فيما يتعلق بمهام التخطيط ،أو اجتذاب الموارد البشرية أو التطوير ،أو الجزاءات. وتتناول هذه الورقة النظام البيئي الحالي للشركات الناشئة في مصر …

Cross-National Attitudes About Paid Parental Leave Offerings For Fathers, Qi Li, Chris Knoester, Richard J. Petts

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

Using cross-national data from the 2012 International Social Survey Programme (N = 33,273), this study considers institutional, self-interest, and ideational factors in analyzing public opinions about the provision, length, and source of paid parental leave offerings for fathers. We find substantial support for generous leave offerings. Multilevel regression results reveal that being a woman, supporting dual-earning expectations, and realizing more family strains lead to support for more generous leave offerings. Endorsing separate spheres and intensive mothering attitudes reduces support for more generous leave offerings; although, gendered attitudes interact with one another in predicting leave preferences, too. Finally, country-level indicators …

Startups And Human Capital Management In Egypt: In Search Of Decent Jobs, Maryham Abdel Malak, Ibrahem El Sayed Hassan, Fayrouz El Dabbagh, Laila M. El Baradei

Papers, Posters, and Presentations

While startups are considered an important potential contributor to Egypt’s economic growth, they encounter myriad challenges that hinder their ability to reach their potential, sustain their market presence, and their capacity to provide decent job opportunities. Challenges include the difficulty of locating and sustaining funding, the complicated legal and regulatory framework that governs them, the conservative social norms and culture, and the lack of data and information regarding market dynamics and existing opportunities. The research findings revealed that many startups face challenges with their Human Capital Management (HCM), in the planning, acquisition, development, or sanction functions. This policy paper examines …

Can The Gender Wage Gap Be Closed Inthe Philippine Manufacturing Sector?, Royanna Patricia H. Martin, Charlene Johannan G. Policarpio, Kath Ryne Y.A. Taburda

Angelo King Institute for Economic and Business Studies (AKI)

In recent years, women in the Philippines have made strides in integrating into formal employment, attaining higher educational status, and claiming their social and economic autonomy. However, the gender wage gap persists in the labor market, especially in the manufacturing sector. This wage gap does not look at their willingness to join the manufacturing sector. The National Economic Development Authority (NEDA, 2019) found that, between the two sexes, the manufacturing and services sectors were highly concentrated with females. For services specifically, they report that the high participation may be linked to “inflexible hours,” or work hours that do not go …

Ua12/2/2 Talisman: Zeitgeist, Wku Student Affairs

WKU Administration Documents

2020 Talisman yearbook:

• Mohr, Olivia. Zeitgeist
• Disrupted – Photo Essay, COVID-19
• Brandt, Jess. Cut Short – Edward Games, Grace Jones, Jarred Corona, Joshua Crask
• Zambrano, Max. Point of No Return? – Stuart Foster, Climate Change
• Francis, Kristina. Weapons Women Carry
• Steele, Emma. Now & Again – Talisman
• Gordon, Zora. Not Just Numbers – Sam Aldrich, Social Media
• Christensen, Nicole. The K-Pop Phenomenon – Music
• Hornsby, Morgan. Everything Starts with Mama – Warren County Regional Jail
• McCormick, Dillon. Evolving Sport – Esports, Video Games
• Sheffield, Catherine. Perfect Match – Travis Hudson, Volleyball
• Dozer, Claire. Follow the Signs – Deafness, American Sign …

Effects Of Incentives On College Student's Performance, Julia E. Koller

Student Publications

Pay for performance embodies a theory that the more an employee is paid for their work, the more productive they will be. Using an online survey, this paper studies the effect of incentives on college students, specifically, if college students react differently to incentives than employees and to what degree college students can be motivated to increase their performance on assignments. Participants in the bonus contract were awarded one extra piece of candy for each correct answer. Those in the penalty contract are given the maximum ten pieces of candy before the quiz begins, and with every incorrect answer, one …

Ua3/10/2 Summer Schedule, Wku President's Office - Caboni

WKU Administration Documents

Email from WKU president Timothy Caboni to faculty & staff.