DIS-Incentive Awards: The Failure of Good Intentions

摘要

According to the 1991 Survey of Federal Employees' Attitudes About Work in theFederal Government by the United States Government General Accounting Office (GAO), only 35% of the employees surveyed believed they were treated fairly always, almost always, or most of the time in the area of nonmonetary awards and recognition. Only 40% believed they were treated fairly in the area of monetary awards and bonuses. Empirical evidence indicates that nearly two-thirds of the federal workforce believe they are being treated unfairly in the area of awards and recognition. Meanwhile, the federal sector leadership doctrine emphasizes that awarding and recognizing employees is a critical aspect of effective management, and there are certainly a variety of monetary and nonmonetary tools available to the conscientious supervisor. Ironically, however, the well-intentioned programs designed to improve employee satisfaction may actually be eroding morale and producing the opposite result of what management intends. An analysis of what conditions actually contribute to employee motivation leads to understanding how employee rewards systems can be designed, communicated, and implemented to improve employee satisfaction and contribute to motivation rather than functioning as a disincentive.