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There's a classical study from Harvard business review that basically states that incentive and reward schemes don't work. The study found that employees simply
by mixmax 18y ago
There's a classical study from Harvard business review that basically states that incentive and reward schemes don't work. The study found that employees simply focus their effort on the measure of reward instead of trying to do what's best for the company.
If the incentive is measured in turnover sales people will sell at a loss to get their bonus, LOC as an incentive for coders will produce long and crappy code, etc. Whatever the incentive was it turned out that people would game the system and the end result for the company was that compared to a baseline (no compensation besides pay) the results were negative.
http://apj.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/33/2/20 http://apj.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/33/2/20 (exec. summary)
A related study (that I can't find the source for right now) found that when asked employees wanted recognition for their work more than anything else. A simple thank you or wow that's awesome works much better than a monetary reward.
So in answer to Joel's question - the fact that he wrote the article and thereby gave lots and lots of public praise is as good a reward as any.
- Alex3917 18y agoDon't read the article, just read the book. It's called Punished by Rewards, written by Alfie Kohn. Think of it this way: if you're not reading books, you fail. And if you're reading books but not books like this, then you're reading the wrong kinds of books and you also fail. And while you're at it, also read No Contest and The Schools Our Children Deserve. They are three of the most important non-fiction books written within the last 30 years.
- Hates_ 18y agoMore books for my ever growing wish list!
- bluishgreen 18y agoOne more to the list: The tyranny of testing. http://www.amazon.com/Tyranny-Testing-Banesh-Hoffman/dp/048643091X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1231999015&sr=8-1 http://www.amazon.com/Tyranny-Testing-Banesh-Hoffman/dp/0486...
- dgabriel 18y agoStill, I wonder if Alfie Kohn accepts sincere praise as payment for all of his consulting gigs...
- Alex3917 18y agoIf you are going to troll at least read the subtitle of the book: "The Trouble with Gold Stars, Incentive Plans, A's, Praise, and Other Bribes"
- dgabriel 18y agoSorry if that came across as "trollish." It's just that adequate compensation is important, meaningful recognition matters, etc. Being enthusiastic about your job matters, but the big tech companies that recruit the cream of the crop (Google, Amazon, etc.) pay well above market rates, and don't seem to be suffering a lack of quality.
- Alex3917 18y agoAnd nowhere does Kohn say that adequate compensation isn't important.