Incentive Pay - Publications - Faculty & Research

19 Jul 2017
Research & Ideas

Why Government 'Nudges' Motivate Good Citizen Behavior

incentive or an educational campaign,” says Beshears. “But we were surprised to see the extent to which it is true.” According to behavioral scientists, nudges are dollar for dollar a hugely cost-effective way of causing people to change... View Details

Keywords: by Michael Blanding

09 Apr 2019
First Look

New Research and Ideas, April 9, 2019

regulation. Publisher's link: https://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Pages/item.aspx?num=55884 April 2019 Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization Incentives for Public Goods Inside Organizations: Field Experimental Evidence By: Blasco,... View Details

Keywords: Dina Gerdeman

08 Oct 2020
Research & Ideas

Keep Your Weary Workers Engaged and Motivated

executives motivated who were asked to take a 50% salary reduction. Because we are now closed and have no revenue, we asked senior staff to take a 50% pay reduction until we reopen. Our CEO took a 100% pay... View Details

Keywords: by Boris Groysberg and Robin Abrahams

05 Dec 2017
First Look

First Look at New Research and Ideas, December 5, 2017

forthcoming New York: Dey Street Books Rebel Talent: Why It Pays to Break the Rules at Work and Life By: Gino, F. Abstract—The world’s best chef. An airline captain who brought his flight to safety in a daring water landing. A magician... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

05 Mar 2019
First Look

New Research and Ideas, March 5, 2019

structures such as codes are associated with improvements in supplier labor practices, especially in organizations in which they compete with productivity-driving incentive structures. We investigate under what internal structural... View Details

Keywords: Dina Gerdeman

29 Nov 2022
Research & Ideas

Is There a Method to Musk’s Madness on Twitter?

structure is a bit out of hand and, by any metric, above comparable social media companies. And so, there is definitely an incentive here for them to try to get that in line sooner rather than later. If you compare Meta/Facebook to... View Details

Keywords: by Christina Pazzanese, Harvard Gazette; Technology

Web

Human Behavior & Decision-Making - Faculty & Research

cheat more when cheating is more lucrative, but we find that the effect of performance-based pay rates on dishonesty depends on how readily people can compare their pay rate to that of others. In Experiment... View Details

08 Oct 2018
Research & Ideas

Knowing What Your Boss Earns Can Make You Work Harder

employers, underscoring how changing the salary of one worker can affect the behavior of other employees. “These externalities can have important implications for the provision of incentives within the firm and for View Details

Keywords: by Rachel Layne

02 Mar 2010
First Look

First Look: March 2

corporate directors' fiduciary duties in that state. This change limited incentives to take actions favoring equity over debt. We show that, as predicted, this increased the likelihood of equity issues, increased investment, and reduced... View Details

Keywords: Martha Lagace

27 Jul 2021
Op-Ed

What Pirates Can Teach Us About Leadership

In the deep heat of an 18th-century summer, a crew of pirates was sailing off the Virginia coast when a lookout spotted a merchant ship to the south. Springing into action, the pirates launched an attack, rocking the merchant ship with a cascade of musket balls and... View Details

Keywords: by Francesca Gino

28 Jul 2015
First Look

First Look: July 28, 2015

credibility of these reviews is fundamentally undermined when businesses commit review fraud, creating fake reviews for themselves or their competitors. We investigate the economic incentives to commit review fraud on the popular review... View Details

Keywords: Carmen Nobel

06 Jun 2018
Research & Ideas

Cut Salaries or Cut People? The Best Way to Survive a Downturn

eugeniek Companies looking to shed costs in an economic downturn rarely cut compensation—typically, they slash jobs instead. New research confirms the wisdom of that decision. The study concludes that when a company cuts employee pay the... View Details

Keywords: by Rachel Layne

Web

Entrepreneurship - Faculty & Research

108–117. Redefining the Edge: Jahez’s Strategic Pivot in Saudi Arabia’s Food Delivery Battle By: Krishna G. Palepu and Ahmed Dahawy June 2025 | Case | Faculty Research Jahez made its mark in Saudi Arabia’s food delivery market by serving customers willing to View Details

26 Mar 2018
Research & Ideas

To Motivate Employees, Give an Unexpected Bonus (or Penalty)

organization. “If you feel you are being given a little more that you thought you would earn, then you tend to go above and beyond to restore this balance” Incentive mechanisms to motivate employees can take many forms, whether it’s... View Details

Keywords: by Michael Blanding; Manufacturing

16 Apr 2001
Research & Ideas

Breaking the Code of Change

strategy and to learn from actions taken about the effectiveness of changes made. Its focus is on the development of a high-commitment culture. Its means consist of high involvement, and consultants and incentives are relied on far less... View Details

Keywords: by Michael Beer & Nitin Nohria

01 Dec 2023
News

Thinking Ahead

As we wind down 2023, there’s talk everywhere of generative AI and how it will fundamentally alter the world as we know it; but how does that translate for your corner of the business world? Is TikTok something you need to take seriously? (Is it time to dance?) We... View Details

Keywords: Julia Hanna; Illustrations by Chris Gash; News, Library, Internet, and Other Services; Information

30 Mar 2021
Research & Ideas

Commuting Hurts Productivity and Your Best Talent Suffers Most

they work,” either by allowing them to work remotely or by providing incentives to move closer to offices, Wu says. The highest performers suffer the most While previous studies have shown that long commutes can affect a worker’s mental... View Details

Keywords: by Lane Lambert

13 Sep 2011
First Look

First Look: September 13

and increase earnings management and CEO compensation following these board appointments. Read the paper: http://www.people.hbs.edu/lcohen/pdffiles/malcofrazIII.pdf Paying to Be Nice: Consistency and Costly Prosocial Behavior... View Details