🚀 go-pugleaf

----------------------------Original message----------------------------
> Has anyone noteced the Harvard Business Review Article entitled "Why
> incentive Plans Cannot Work" (Sept-Oct 93, p54). It argues that incentives
> change the focus from intrinsic to extrinsic motivation. People become more
> interested in the process of allocating the reward, than the job itself.
>


Yes.  It was based on Alfie Kohn's work which, in my view (backed by
the megastudies of Locke & Latham (1980-88)), lacks a research basis.
HBR is not, nor has it ever been, more than an avenue for bringing
some academic and psuedo-academic professionals' work to the average
self-perceived intellectual executive.  It often has interesting
ideas, but these are rarely based on sound research.

Kohn's work flies in the face of capitalism and the time-honored and
proven notion that many, if not most, people try much harder and seek
innovative solutions if their compensation is tied directly to their
productivity.  Kohn's premise is closely tied to Marxian philosophy
"from those that can, to those that need".  It's not appropriate in
with reward based capitalism systems.




Charles Barclay                         2404 Maile Way
Dept. of MIR                            Honolulu, HI 96822
U. of Hawaii                            Fax:  808 956-2774
                                        Phone:  808 956-8545
E-mail:    barclay@busadm1.cba.hawaii.edu

Bring Integrity, Valor, Loyalty, and Commitment back in Vogue: hire
Colin Powell in '96!