Read the article on Incentives (motivation) by S. Kerr titled, “On the folly of

Read the article on Incentives (motivation) by S. Kerr titled, “On the folly of rewarding A, while hoping for B.”
Next, imagine I am a top executive at Best Company Ever (BCE). I have asked you to read “On the folly of rewarding A, while hoping for B” and explain how it can assist BCE in the design (or re-design) of our reward system to increase employee motivation, performance and satisfaction and decrease turnover and absenteeism – we have had some issues lately. I am a busy executive at BCE and I have limited time, so I ask that this report be thorough and informative, and include research findings regarding motivation, compensation, groups & teams, job satisfaction, job design, control mechanisms, employee performance and any other general management principles from the previous chapters that are applicable (the chapters on Motivation will be the most helpful!).
The analysis should:
Start by explaining the situation – this can be creative (i.e., designing new system, revamping old, etc.). BCE is whatever kind of company you want – but first you have to describe it to the reader (me!). What business are they in? Are we in the service industry or do we develop/make/manufacture a product? How many people work there? Where are the headquarters? What is the organizational culture (values) like? What sort of leadership is practiced at BCE? What is our mission/vision? How much money did we make last year? What are our biggest costs? Basically, describe how the organization is designed/structured…
Next, draw the organizational chart and put me (CEO of BCE) at the top and you will be the VP to the CEO (2nd in the hierarchy)…then fill out the rest of the triangle how you want – make sure it reflects the business or industry that you chose. Use a computer to make the chart – do not draw it by hand.
Explain what challenges face managers when designing a reward system (give examples from the Kerr article and our OB textbook – but no quotes or word-for-word account of either – no copy and pasting!!).
Explain the steps that can be taken to meet these challenges. Offer solutions in the form of a NEW (or Re-designed) reward system for the managers that have to implement your ideas. First outline all of your ideas regarding how the reward system will work – how will employees be rewarded (think about the entire compensation & benefits package and even recognition programs that can motivate – get creative, but remember you typically can’t just give everyone a raise & hope things work out). Where do you see problems/challenges in implementing your system? What parts of your plan can you do relatively quickly or easily? What will take more time? How will you communicate these changes up and down the hierarchy? Will there be any employees or groups of employees that do not like this new reward plan? How exactly will your reward system affect employee motivation and performance and other behaviors? …Take time to think about each of the questions above – think, read and then develop your idea by writing…your creative solutions are likely much better than you give yourself credit for – so take your time and think about it before you write… • Lastly, describe your reaction to the article – How did you interpret the article? How did it inform your ideas for this project? Did you know all this beforehand? How do the assumptions of economists (i.e., people do what is rewarded) compare with the rest of the motivational perspectives in our text book? Are you only driven by incentives/rewards (e.g., money, status, recognition) or are their other internal and external motivators that managers (and OB students!) should consider when designing jobs for human resources?
Additionally, this is an opportunity to work on your writing skills…There are guidelines for the assignment, but I want you to do some convincing with your report (remember, I am the CEO that needs to make a decision and I value your input as my VP). That being said, use any evidence from the information obtained in this class that helps your argument – for instance, look up a couple of academic articles and incorporate the results into your paper for a nice grounding in management science (just use the index in our textbook!). Of course some of this convincing will be based on your own good ideas, so I look forward to your insights as well. If I were you, I would have trusted others read it and edit it before you turn it in to me.
Follow these guidelines as well:
12 pt. font (pick a nice font and stay consistent!)
5-9 pages not counting any appendices/references (try 1.5 line spacing – it looks better)
Standard margins (1 inch)
Written well – Correct grammar and sentence structure! (See Writing PPTs)
Pictures, Graphs, Charts, Tables, Figures that help explain your ideas are welcome!
Include a title page with your name (your name should not appear anywhere else in the text)
Write in a language that is appropriate for a report to be distributed in a business setting – that is DO NOT write like you talk out-loud!!!
Do not use slang or apostrophes or contractions (use the Writing PPTs!)
EDIT YOUR WORK. Proofread it before you turn it in!!
Ask me for help.