This paper examines how human resource managers are constantly looking for new
ways to motivate
employees and how most companies use reward
systems as a means for
motivation. It attempts to show how, although some employers believe that
rewards are the key to productivity, quality, and a staff of satisfied employees,
reward systems punish employees in a number of ways. It looks at how, according to Alfie Kohn, author of "Punished by Rewards", there are five ways that reward systems work against an employee's intrinsic motivation. Outline Introduction Rewards and Punishment Rewards Rupture Relationships Rewards Ignore Reasons Rewards Discourage Risk-Taking Rewards Reduce Interest Theory X and Theory Y Changing Reward Systems