Motivate and Reward: Performance Appraisal and Incentive Systems for Business Success

Citation

(2004), "Motivate and Reward: Performance Appraisal and Incentive Systems for Business Success", International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management, Vol. 53 No. 1. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijppm.2004.07953aae.003

Motivate and Reward: Performance Appraisal and Incentive Systems for Business Success

Herwig KresslerPalgraveISBN: 1403903786£30

Recognising a potential for performance and development – and then, crucially, realising that potential – can make the difference between good performance and great or exceptional performance. This book concentrates on potential – and its evaluation in both theoretical and practical terms – much more than most motivational essays. Kressler makes it clear that realising such identified potential involves a range of skills, and the ability to motivate is key amongst them.

This book is a comprehensive review of motivation generally, but more specifically of the motivation to work. It includes an analysis of motivational dimensions of related management tools such as target setting, pay, appraisal and communication.

Importantly, Kressler demonstrates the significance of the link between motivation, assessment of performance and potential, and reward and incentive strategies. These are all inter-related – often in complex and sophisticated ways, but it is only by getting these relationships right that an organisation can maximise its own potential for success.

The author was formerly Head of Management Remuneration, Industrial Relations and Incident Management at Unilever, and this experience shows in the book which should be of interest to theorists but of practical help to those who need to understand how to motivate at a practical level.