Oral Presentations
Location
Room 208, Schewel Hall
Access Type
Open Access
Entry Number
22
Start Date
4-10-2019 4:30 PM
End Date
4-10-2019 4:45 PM
College
College of Business
Abstract
In the workplace, managers often offer monetary rewards or incentives as instantaneous motivators in hopes that it will alter employee behavior. Unfortunately, although these rewards have been proven to yield desired outcomes, their impacts are short lived as managers create an environment based on extrinsic motivation. When an employee works solely to receive a paycheck it is already challenging to keep them, as other companies can offer them comparable, if not better, salaries. It is even harder to retain an employee who is accustomed to receiving an incentive with a particular behavior when the reward is no longer an option, but the behavior remains expected.
The purpose of this thesis is prove to how incentives are merely a tool for temporary compliance rather than a strategy to permanently change behavior and motivation. Instead of fostering a token economy, which is typically used in children, the research will encourage managers to cultivate an intrinsically motivated workforce through three categories of building community, encouraging growth, and showing respect. Through a literature review of research and motivational theories regarding the correlation of rewards on employee motivation and retention, the negative implications of incentivizing employees will be evident.
Faculty Mentor(s)
Dr. Lee Schimmoeller Dr. Maria Nathan Dr. Laura Kicklighter
Rights Statement
The right to download or print any portion of this material is granted by the copyright owner only for personal or educational use. The author/creator retains all proprietary rights, including copyright ownership. Any editing, other reproduction or other use of this material by any means requires the express written permission of the copyright owner. Except as provided above, or for any other use that is allowed by fair use (Title 17, §107 U.S.C.), you may not reproduce, republish, post, transmit or distribute any material from this web site in any physical or digital form without the permission of the copyright owner of the material.
Included in
Benefits and Compensation Commons, Business Administration, Management, and Operations Commons, Organizational Behavior and Theory Commons, Performance Management Commons, Training and Development Commons
Unretentive Incentives
Room 208, Schewel Hall
In the workplace, managers often offer monetary rewards or incentives as instantaneous motivators in hopes that it will alter employee behavior. Unfortunately, although these rewards have been proven to yield desired outcomes, their impacts are short lived as managers create an environment based on extrinsic motivation. When an employee works solely to receive a paycheck it is already challenging to keep them, as other companies can offer them comparable, if not better, salaries. It is even harder to retain an employee who is accustomed to receiving an incentive with a particular behavior when the reward is no longer an option, but the behavior remains expected.
The purpose of this thesis is prove to how incentives are merely a tool for temporary compliance rather than a strategy to permanently change behavior and motivation. Instead of fostering a token economy, which is typically used in children, the research will encourage managers to cultivate an intrinsically motivated workforce through three categories of building community, encouraging growth, and showing respect. Through a literature review of research and motivational theories regarding the correlation of rewards on employee motivation and retention, the negative implications of incentivizing employees will be evident.