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Incentive Plans. Pay influences employees through. Reinforcement theory Expectancy theory. Reinforcement Theory. Behavior that is rewarded will be repeated. . Expectancy Theory. Expectancy If I attempt this level of performance, am I likely to succeed?. Motivational Force =
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Pay influences employees through • Reinforcement theory • Expectancy theory
Reinforcement Theory • Behavior that is rewarded will be repeated.
Expectancy Theory Expectancy If I attempt this level of performance, am I likely to succeed? Motivational Force = E * I * V Instrumentality If I achieve this level of performance, am I likely to be rewarded? Valence What value do I place on the rewards available to me?
Incentive Programs • Differ by • payment method • frequency of payout • ways of measuring performance • choice of which employees are covered • Fitting program to situation depends on • organizational structure • management style • type of work
Types of Plans • Merit Pay • Individual Incentives • Profit Sharing • Ownership • Gainsharing • Group Incentives • Alternative Reward Systems
Merit Pay Programs • link performance appraisal ratings to annual pay increases • focus: identifying individual differences in performance • better performance results in higher reward, contingent on position in the range (compra-ratio)
Criticisms of Merit Pay • merit pay systems focusing on individual performance discourage teamwork • if performance is not measured fairly and accurately, the whole process will be contaminated • apparent differences between people arise almost entirely from the system that they work in, not the people themselves • coworkers, job materials, customers, management, supervision
Individual Incentives • reward individual performance • payments are NOT rolled into base pay • performance is usually measured as a physical output rather than subjective ratings
Individual Incentives are rare because • most jobs have no physical output measure • administrative problems of setting and maintaining acceptable standards • plans may be inconsistent with other goals (e.g. acquiring multiple skills, proactive problem solving) • people may focus on what they get paid for and nothing else • plans may reward output at the expense of quality
Profit Sharing • payments are based on a measure of organizational performance (profits) • payments do NOT become a part of base pay • Advantage: may encourage workers to think more like owners • Drawbacks: • workers may perceive their performance has little to do with profit • deferred nature of payouts
Ownership • encourages employees to focus on the success of the organization as a whole but may not result in motivation for high individual performance • gains not realized until stock sold (employees leaving company?) • Methods: • stock options • ESOPs (employee stock ownership plans)
Gainsharing • sharing productivity gains with employees • differs from profit sharing in that instead of using an organization-level performance measure (profits) plans measure group or plant performance • better for motivation • Examples: • Scanlon plan, Rucker plan, Improshare • goes beyond money -- participation in problem solving = key
Conditions for effective Gainsharing • management commitment • need to change or a process of continuous improvement • management acceptance & encouragement of employee input • high levels of cooperation and interaction • employment security • information sharing on all productivity and costs • goal setting • commitment of all involved parties to change and improvement • agreement on a performance standard • calculation that is understandable, perceived as fair, closely related to managerial objectives
Group Incentives • Focus = smaller work groups • While gainsharing typically measures physical output, group incentives tend to measure performance in terms of a broader array such as • cost savings • successful completion of product design • meeting deadlines • Drawback: competition among teams
Alternative Reward Systems • alternatives to cash -- • travel • merchandise • earned time off • symbolic awards • plaques, coffee cups, bananas
Conditions for Effective Incentive Plans • Plan is clearly communicated. • Plan is understood by employees and management. • Bonuses are easy to calculate. • Employees participate in administrating the plan. • Employees believe they are being treated fairly. • Employees believe they can trust the company and that they have security. • Bonuses are awarded as soon as possible after the desired performance.
Conditions for Effective Performance-Based Pay Systems • Pay-performance linkage must be perceived by employees • Pay is valued by employees • Employees must perceive that effort and ability lead to rewarded behavior • Performance measurement must be fair • Employees must trust the organization • Pay program must be understood • Employees must be able to control their performance • Performance appraisal system cannot be biased • There must be enough money to fund incentives • A valid job evaluation must have been conducted