Equal Pay for Knowledge Workers in Academia: An Unrealistic Proposition

Abstract

This chapter argues for unequal pay in the cultural context of Norwegian academia. Academia is an interesting case to study, as knowledge workers are often idealistically driven rather than through pay. Contrary to the stereotypical views, the content of knowledge work is rather diverse. It is argued that incentives are indeed necessary for both the individual knowledge worker and the organization. Although incentives can be realized in many forms, it is argued that the incentives rooted in pay are the most pragmatic and realistic ones.