A problem with equity theory is that:

worker motivation is based on perceptions of faimess, and the perceptions workers have about their contributions are not always accurate managers have a hard time applying it to real$-$world situations because of its abstract nature

it focuses on providing incentives for the long run when most workers are mainly concerned with incentives that apply to their current situation it is concerned with the nature of the job itself rather than with what motivates the workers who perform the job