Understanding vertical pay dispersion in the public sector: the role of publicness for manager-to-worker pay ratios and interdisciplinary agenda for future research

This study introduces vertical pay dispersion, a prevailing equity issue in discussions of organizations and society, to public management research. Bridging tournament theory with the publicness debate, analyses role dimensions —ownership, funding, control— for manager-to-worker ratios state-owned enterprises (SOEs). The results show that, unique five-year data set, ownership partly affects effects are moderated by city SOE size. enhances understanding dispersion sector offers research agenda regarding determinants.