Editing Equity theory (section)

===Assumptions of equity theory applied to business===
The three primary assumptions applied to most business applications of equity theory can be summarized as follows:

# Employees expect a fair return for what they contribute to their jobs, a concept referred to as the "equity norm".{{Citation needed|date=April 2020}}
# Employees determine what their equitable return should be after comparing their inputs and outcomes with those of their co-workers. This concept is referred to as "social comparison".{{Citation needed|date=April 2020}}
# Employees who perceive themselves as being in an inequitable situation will seek to reduce the inequity either by distorting inputs and/or outcomes in their own minds ("cognitive distortion"), by directly altering inputs and/or outputs, or by leaving the organization.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Carrell |first1=Michael R. |last2=Dittrich |first2=John E. |title=Equity Theory: The Recent Literature, Methodological Considerations, and New Directions |url=https://doi.org/10.5465/amr.1978.4294844 |journal=Academy of Management Review |year=1978 |volume=3 |issue=2 |pages=202–210 |publisher=Academy of Management|doi=10.5465/amr.1978.4294844 |url-access=subscription }}</ref>