Isn't one of the reasons why some highly qualified people feel underpaid the fact that in many structures, they feel they have a value that is unacknowledged or unexploited by their hierarchy? This may be particularly true when the hierarchy doesn't grasp the technicalities of the work and/or the far reaching effects that make the work add value, as compared to other works with more immediate effects (sale, finance). Of course, competition among employers will work toward reducing this effect; however, protectionist laws, economic inertia, small market size, information lag in emerging or quickly evolving market, and the general cultural gap between the profession of employers and that of employees work toward increasing it. You'll tell me: in a really free society, such information gaps are an _opportunity_ for someone to come and fill the gap for a fee. Experience seems to show that we (at least in France) are not in a really free society, with that respect. In summary, people are paid according to the value their employer expects them to bring; but their own expectation about that value differs, and they will feel underpaid (and complain) or overpaid (and be happy). [ Fran�ois-Ren� �VB Rideau | Reflection&Cybernethics | http://fare.tunes.org ] [ TUNES project for a Free Reflective Computing System | http://tunes.org ] "No man's life, liberty, or property is safe while the legislature is in session." -- Judge Gideon J. Tucker, 1866.
