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Experimental perspectives on incentives in organisations

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  • Bernd Irlenbusch

Abstract

Controllability is the decisive advantage of experimental research. Therefore this method suggests itself for investigating clear-cut hypothesis regarding the impact of managerial design issues on organisational behaviour. The current paper reviews selective experimental findings on behaviour under various incentives schemes. It is found that the effectiveness of fixed wages is to a large extent determined by social norms like reciprocity. Fixed wages are analysed if effort is intransparent and in the presence of career concerns. Furthermore they are contrasted with piece rate schemes. Different design options of relative compensation, are discussed with a special emphasis on taking sabotage activities into account. Copyright Springer-Verlag 2006

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  • Bernd Irlenbusch, 2006. "Experimental perspectives on incentives in organisations," Central European Journal of Operations Research, Springer;Slovak Society for Operations Research;Hungarian Operational Research Society;Czech Society for Operations Research;Österr. Gesellschaft für Operations Research (ÖGOR);Slovenian Society Informatika - Section for Operational Research;Croatian Operational Research Society, vol. 14(1), pages 1-24, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:cejnor:v:14:y:2006:i:1:p:1-24
    DOI: 10.1007/s10100-006-0157-6
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    2. Cason, Timothy N. & Masters, William A. & Sheremeta, Roman M., 2010. "Entry into winner-take-all and proportional-prize contests: An experimental study," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 94(9-10), pages 604-611, October.
    3. S. Leitner & D.A. Behrens, 2015. "On the efficiency of hurdle rate-based coordination mechanisms," Mathematical and Computer Modelling of Dynamical Systems, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 21(5), pages 413-431, September.
    4. Agnès Festré, 2010. "Incentives And Social Norms: A Motivation‐Based Economic Analysis Of Social Norms," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 24(3), pages 511-538, July.
    5. Alois Surynek, 2008. "Sociological and Social-psychological Research in the Organizations and Its Use [Sociologický a sociálně psychologický výzkum v organizacích a jeho užití]," Acta Oeconomica Pragensia, Prague University of Economics and Business, vol. 2008(5), pages 22-31.
    6. Brueggemann, Julia & Meub, Lukas, 2015. "Experimental evidence on the effects of innovation contests," University of Göttingen Working Papers in Economics 251, University of Goettingen, Department of Economics.

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