The Forum is generating a better understanding of how organizations can and should implement award/motivational programs and the extent to which these programs can achieve a broad range of organizational objectives. This white paper provides a benchmark to determine how your company fares when compared to others in the area of employee rewards.

When a participant is deciding whether an award is “worth the effort,” the participant is considering the perceived value of earning the award. Insights into this decision-making process come from expectancy theories, which hold that effort exerted in pursuit of a reward is positively related to the value of the reward offered for performance.

Analysis is from the perspective of what managers perceive is most motivating for the employee and not necessarily what is most efficient for the organization.

The art of reward selection is one of the most important factors in the creation of a successful incentive program, and one that distributors and resellers sometimes overlook as a way to add value to customers. If the rewards or gifts don’t spark the participant’s interest or feelings, and support the program’s objectives, then goals probably won’t be met, and the client likely won’t come back. The right reward will both motivate desired near-term behavior and help achieve a level of engagement necessary to create a long-term effect.

Establishes that in companies where compensation is adequate, recognition programs using tangible awards versus cash awards consistently result in higher levels of performance and a better ROI for the sponsoring company.