Merit Pay as a Motivator in the Federal Sector

Abstract

The Civil Service Reform Act of 1978 required the implementation of the Merit Pay System for a portion of the Federal civilian workforce as a means of increasing productivity through the use of monetary incentives. To test the validity of this concept, several theories of worker motivation are reviewed and their relation to money motivation and pay-for-performance is established. These relationships are compared to the results of data gathered from 241 employees affected by the Act. The potential for success or failure of the Merit Pay System is discussed, indicating several problems with the program.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jun 01, 1982
Accession Number
ADA123810

Entities

People

  • James D. Engel

Organizations

  • Naval Postgraduate School

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Human Systems

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Behavior And Behavior Mechanisms
  • Business Administration
  • Employment
  • Governments
  • Human Behavior
  • Management Personnel
  • Motivation
  • Organization Theory
  • Organizational Structure
  • Performance Appraisals
  • Personnel Management
  • Productivity
  • Psychology
  • Social Psychology
  • Supervisors
  • Training
  • United States

Readers

  • Defense Acquisition Program Management
  • Economics
  • Psychometric Testing or Psychological Assessment.