Discuss a time when you’ve seen one of the seven deadly flaws of carrots and
sticks in action. What lessons might you or others learn from the experience?
Have you seen instances when carrots and sticks have been effective.
As
you think about your own best work, what aspect of autonomy has been most
important to you? Autonomy over what you do (task), when you do it (time), how
you do it (technique), or with whom you do it (team)?...
As a reminder, here are the seven deadly flaws of carrots and sticks:
ReplyDelete1.They can extinguish intrinsic motivation
2.They can diminish performance
3.They can crush creativity
4.They can crowd out good behavior
5.They can encourage cheating, shortcuts, and unethical behavior
6.They can become addictive
7.They can foster short-term thinking
While I can think of examples of all of the seven deadly flaws of carrots and sticks in action, I would like to focus on flaw number 5--they encourage cheating, shortcuts, and unethical behavior. I immediatley thought of high-stakes testing and the system of rewards and punishments that are part of No Child Left Behind. We have all read or heard about teachers and principals who have compromised the tests in order to show academic gains for their schools. These individuals, who are probably basically good people, committed unethical acts because of the rewards or punishments that are part of the testing program. They were willing to do things that normally they wouldn't do. If test results were used in ways other than to reward or punish, these situations would never occur.
More to follow in an upcoming comment post.
Thanks for sharing Robert! Do you think that those who act unethically may be unhappy with their work? It's a shame that such unethical behavior is exercised at the risk of gaining incentives. On the other hand, if test scores were not weighted as heavily as they do to signal academic success, maybe we wouldn't have to create NCLB and Race to the Top with heavy incentives. Thanks!
DeleteOne cannot completely discount that sometimes carrots do work. I believe that if carrots are used thoughtfully and with an overall plan in mind, they can be effective. I know that a great body of research has been done in this area showing that carrots are not effective when applied to work involving cognitive tasks. I believe, however, that every situation is slightly different and that one has to consider the social and cultural context under which the studies are taking place. In my workplace, for example, I have noticed that when "carrots" are offered, even if they are small, they are very well appreciated. They seem to motivate people and to create a culture of appreciation and respect. Carrots can come in the form of a gift of a professional book, attendance at a conference, or lunch with one's supervisor. Carrots, given the right circumstances, do have a place in my framework of motivation. More to follow in an upcoming comment post.
ReplyDeleteI am fortunate that in my job, I have a great deal of autonomy over the tasks that I do, the time when I do the tasks, the way I accomplish the tasks, and the people with whom I accomplish the tasks. Of course, there are limits to the degree to which I have control over task, time, technique, and team. For example, sometimes I am given last minute projects that have to be completed "yesterday." I have no control over time in these situations. Also, if I choose to do a task that is outside of my area of responsibility, I need to proceed with caution so that I do not appear to be "stepping on anyone else's toes." For most of my major tasks, however, I can draw upon others in the organization for advice and support. People are usually willing to join a team, unless they are overloaded with work. Having the luxury of choice of task, time, technique, and team makes my job more rewarding and enjoyable.
ReplyDeleteI tend to question if it is the carrot that is actually the cause for the willingness of individuals to cheat on these school issues for the purpose of personal gain as much as an ethical and moral compass that is askew. I tend to believe that with more research we would probably find that the individuals that make these kind of decisions have been making them for years for any host of reasons whether they be monumental of incidental. I greatly appreciate your discussion and thoughts and appreciate your sharing about your position, the autonomy it allows, and your perspective on the rewards you position brings to you and your organization.
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