Research Proposal: Effects of Pay Transparency and Secrecy 

In a society where the generation of value is constantly being assessed and reassessed, corporate entities are constantly looking for ways to maximize their value generation, even if that is at the cost of their employees. As a result, topics such as job satisfaction and equal pay for equal work are increasingly popular concerns among workplace professionals. For this research project, we will explore the following questions: What are the differences between pay transparency and pay secrecy, what are its effects on an employer and its employees? To answer these questions we will be looking at academic papers, mainly, from business professors such as Adrienne Colella, Business Management professor at Tulane University, who discusses the negative aspects of pay secrecy and Frank Hartmann and Sergeja Slapnicar, professors at Erasmus University and University of Ljubljana respectively, who discuss the role of pay transparency in order to achieve fair managerial pay systems. In addition to these scholarly sources, I will be looking at articles from the World Economic Forum and Time Magazine as these are the sources professionals in creative fields would likely be reading. I decided to delve into this subject because the topic of gender pay gaps came up as a topic in class, and I believe the root of the problem comes from pay secrecy. As a creative who has worked and is planning to continue to work in a creative and professional environment, knowing the true value of my work is of paramount importance in knowing how to communicate value to clients, quote creative work and make sure I am not being undercut for my work.