Equity theory based strategies for students on overcoming problems in Ph.D. dissertation committees

There exists a critical relationship between the professor chairing the Ph.D. dissertation committees and his or her Ph.D. students. When problems arise in a Ph.D. program, issues of fairness based on fundamental principles in equity theory can guide both the professor chairing dissertation committees and the student to a just resolution. This paper proposes equity theory as a guiding aid in Ph.D. program problem resolution. To further illustrate equity theory considerations, a series of actual case applications are presented as suggestions for potential strategies in dealing with problems in Ph.D. dissertation committees. We conclude with recommendations both for Ph.D. students and new or veteran dissertation committee members.