Organizations have held on to believe that reward and penalty systems tend to motivate people in all activities. However, various studies around the world revealed contrary effect. Incentives result in good performance in activities that demands mechanical skills, mediocre performance for activities that require rudimentary cognitive skills and worst performance for projects that require creativity and complicated cognitive skills (Park). Rationed incentives have a little effect in manipulating individuals to perform better. Studies have revealed that autonomy, mastery, and purpose are major motivating factors. Employees give better results given purpose, freedom in the workplace and the need to sharpen skills compared to monetary incentives. Nevertheless, less than enough pay can lead to work dissatisfaction and poor motivation (Park).
Incentives in forms of better pay and monetary benefits will turn the workforce to focus primarily on what they can get rather than on fulfilling job requirements. According to Dunbar, employees want more than cash to be motivated. Creativity ceases when profits and incentives become the chief desire. This paper supports autonomy, mastery and purpose as recommendable motivators than the common notion that advocates for monetary incentives because monetary incentives only creates greed. Greed is hard to satisfy. Individuals will always want more and look down upon their current earnings. The race for more profits will leave many individuals to be always frustrated and unsatisfied. However, work purpose, autonomy, and mastery can be fulfilled with ease thus a right way to achieve motivation among the labor force.
Employees require small or little supervision, specific target, freedom in the workplace, encourage to sharpen their abilities and given job purpose. Limited control and work engagement among employees will ensure a committed and motivated workforce thus giving better work output and results. Employees need enough pay and the drive for profits and incentives discouraged at all costs (Dunbar).
Works Cited
Dunbar, Lisa. EMPLOYEE MOTIVATION: The Language of Motivation in the Workplace. New Directions Consulting. 29 Sept. 2011. Web. 26 Jan. 2016.
Park, Andrew. “RSA ANIMATE: Drive: The Surprising truth about what motivates us.” Film & Animation. YouTube, 1 April 2010. Web. 26 Jan. 2016.
