In a scenario where two groups have similar performance but receive different pay raises, this illustrates which concept?

• A. Meritocracy myth
• B. Profiling
• C. Performance reward discrimination
• D. Reward bias

Answer: (C)

The main concept here is fairness in compensation and recognizing discrimination in rewards. When two groups perform similarly but receive different pay raises, it shows pay decisions are influenced by group membership rather than actual performance. That is performance reward discrimination—employees are treated differently in rewards based on group identity even though their performance is the same.

This isn’t about an ideal meritocracy where rewards perfectly reflect performance. It also isn’t profiling, which would involve using group characteristics to predict outcomes, not specifically about pay adjustments for equal performance. Reward bias is related but the situation most clearly exemplifies discrimination in how rewards are allocated, since the fairness of the outcome hinges on group-based differences rather than performance.