The purpose of this thesis was to test the theory of wage incentives, as presented in the literature, to determine if the theory is sound when applied to work situations. Data were collected by means of a survey of manufacturing plants within the state of Virginia. Questionnaires were sent to a randomly selected sample of 294 plants from among the 20 manufacturing industry classifications. It was determined that in those manufacturing plants in which wage incentive plans are applicable, they result in increased earnings for hourly workers, increased productivity of these workers, and decreased unit labor costs. It was further determined that unionism has no apparent effect on the use of these plans. / M.S.

We consider the applicability of the Revelation Principle under the possibility of collusive behavior among players in some Bayesian framework. In doing this, since the coalition formation itself suffers information asymmetry problems, we assume that the coalition is formed if the colluding parties can successfully find some coalitional mechanism whose outcome is a set of messages in the original mechanism. Recently Cremer [1986] proposes a coalitional mechanism in the framework of the well known Vickrey-Clark-Groves mechanism. We assume that the agents successfully collude if they can find coalitional a mechanism such that (i) coalitional mechanism is incentive-compatible and (ii) the payoff of this mechanism is strictly Pareto-improving in terms of the agent’s expected utility. Our analysis is undertaken in a one principal/two agent framework. We first ünd that the Revelation Principle is still applicable in the pure adverse selection model. We then extend this result to a model with both adverse selection and moral hazard aspects. Finally, we consider a three-tier principal/supervisor/agent hierarchical organization, as in Tirole (1986). We explicitly present the coalitional mechanism as a side-contract between the supervisor and the agent. We apply the previous result of applicability of the Revelation Principle and characterize the coalition-proof mechanism. We find that the principal can design an optimal collusion free contract with some additional cost by specifying proper individual and coalitional incentive-compatibility conditions and individual rationality conditions. Moreover, we find that the results of Tirole (1986)’s paper hinge on the fact that he considers only “hard,” verifiable, information. / Ph. D.

by Tong Shing, Steve. / Thesis (M.B.A.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1988. / Bibliography: leaves 91-92.

The effect of both public and private verbal recognition on intrinsic motivation and sales performance in fourteen restaurant waitstaff was evaluated using organizational behavior modification techniques. The hypothesis that public recognition would be more effective than private recognition in increasing intrinsic motivation and sales was not supported.

Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2000. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The economic construct within South Africa has been in a state of flux during the last decade. The challenge of meeting the demands placed on this economy by the leading industrialised developed economies, whilst developing human capacity that would meet these demands, is of great importance. Developing human capacity through training is regarded as the key building block in this endeavour. Cost implications associated with training are considered a major stumbling block for many organisations where bottom line margins are under continuous threat. Traditionally, many institutions regarded training as an unnecessary evil and the tendency was to spend as little money as possible on this variable overhead. This short-sighted approach, operating within a political framework where the majority of the workers did not enjoy democratic institutions, compounded the training and skills dilemma facing South Africa. Since 1994 all South Africans have been afforded a new political dispensation. The newly elected government, in an attempt to redress past inadequacy, introduced various labour acts that would meet the development needs of that part of the population that was classified as previously disadvantaged. The Skills Development Act provides guidelines on training and development requirements within the various economic sectors, and is therefore of particular importance. This legislation, which implies that organisations spend a certain percentage of their payroll on training, places new financial demands and obligations on organisations, some of which cannot afford it. A positive alternative associated with training cost is the establishment of Export Processing Zones (EPZs). EPZs offer incentives to lure organisations into moving to a demarcated processing zone where relaxed labour practices are enjoyed, low taxes are paid and incentives for training their workforces are offered. In order to test the perception of employers regarding training incentives as a motivation to consider moving to EPZs, a questionnaire was sent to one hundred organisations. Quantitative and qualitative data was obtained by means of processing the responses to these questionnaires to establish the viability of and demand for the establishment of EPZs. Based on the findings of this study, it is recommended that the development of an EPZ should become a part of the strategic initiative of the South African Department of Trade and Industry whilst ensuring support from other key stakeholders such as the Department of Labour, workers' unions and industrialists. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die ekonomiese konstruk in Suid-Afrika was gedurende die afgelope dekade in 'n toestand van onsekerheid. Die uitdaging om aan die vereistes wat deur die toonaangewende ontwikkelde nywerheidsekonomieë afgedwing word te voldoen, terwyl die menslike kapasiteit terselfdertyd ontwikkel word om aan hierdie vereistes te voldoen, is uiters belangrik. Opleiding word beskou as 'n kern boublok in hierdie strewe om menslike kapasiteit te ontwikkel. Talle maatskappye beskou die koste implikasies wat met opleiding gepaard gaan as 'n reuse struikelblok. Baie instansies het opleiding in die verlede as 'n onnodige euwel beskou en daar was 'n neiging om so min as moontlik aan hierdie veranderlike oorhoofse koste te spandeer. Hierdie kortsigtige benadering het binne 'n politieke raamwerk fungeer waar die meerderheid werkers geen toegang tot demokratiese instellings gehad het nie. Dit het die opleidings- en vaardigheidsdilemma waarmee Suid-Afrika gekonfronteer word, vererger. Alle Suid-Afrikaners geniet egter sedert 1994 'n nuwe politieke bedeling. Ten einde te poog om vroeëre tekortkominge aan te spreek, het die nuut verkose regering verskeie arbeidswetgewings ingestel om aan die ontwikkelingsbehoeftes te voldoen van diegene wat geklassifiseer word as agtergeblewenes. Die Vaardigheidsontwikkelingswetgewing bied riglyne vir opleidings- en ontwikkelingsbehoeftes binne die verskeie ekonomiese sektore en is dus van besondere belang. Hierdie wetgewing bepaal dat 'n maatskappy 'n sekere persentasie van sy betaalrol moet spandeer aan opleiding. Dit plaas addisionele finansiële druk op maatskappye en sommige maatskappye kan dit net eenvoudig nie bekostig nie. Die daarstelling van 'n Uitvoer Verwerkingsone (UVS) is 'n positiewe alternatief wat met opleidingskoste geassosieer kan word. 'n UVS bied insentiewe aan maatskappye om hul te lok om na hierdie afgebakende gebied(e) te beweeg waar verslapte arbeidspraktyke geld, lae belastings betaal word en insentiewe aangebied word vir die opleiding van hul werkersmag. 'n Vraelys is aan een honderd maatskappye gestuur ten einde die persepsies van werkgewers ten opsigte van opleidingsintensiewe as motivering om na 'n UVS te beweeg te toets. Kwantitatiewe en kwalitatiewe data is bekom deur die verwerking van die antwoorde op die vraelys en daardeur die lewensvatbaarheid van en die behoefte aan die daarstelling van 'n UVS te bepaal. Gebaseer op die bevindinge van hierdie studie word daar aanbeveel dat die ontwikkeling van 'n UVS deel moet vorm van die strategiese inisiatief van die Suid-Afrikaanse Departement van Handel en Nywerheid terwyl die ondersteuning van ander sleutel belanghebbendes soos die Departement van Arbeid, werkersunies en nyweraars verseker word.

M.Comm. / In the case of share purchase schemes, the employer assists the employee to buy shares through a trust. If the interest on the loan is at a rate lower than the standard rate for tax purposes, the employee will be taxed on the difference between the standard and actual rate charged. An alternative for buying ordinary shares is to buy convertible preference shares in the Company. A scheme involving convertible debentures has the same basic principles as convertible preference shares, but the South African Revenue Services might use section 8A of the Act as it seems as if only a right to ordinary shares is offered to the employee. If the company does not have the means to administrate any of the schemes summarised above, they can make use of a phantom share scheme. With this scheme there is no actual buying or selling of shares, but "bonuses" are calculated with reference to the movement in the share price. These incentives are treated as normal bonuses for tax purposes in the hands of the employer and employee. To provide the employees with a tax effective scheme is just as important as providing a share incentive scheme. Companies, therefore, have to consider all the schemes available and the tax implications before implementing a share incentive scheme.

Thesis (M.B.A.)-Business Studies Unit, Durban Institute of Technology, 2005 xix, 147 leaves / There is a lack of commitment and participation in productivity initiatives at shop floor level in South Africa and companies are faced with competitive challenges of promoting innovativeness relating to productivity improvement amongst employees. South Africa’s labour productivity in the manufacturing sector is low when compared to Korea, United States of America, Taiwan, Japan, France and the United Kingdom. It has increasingly been recognised in industry that by introducing a carefully crafted incentive scheme, it may be possible to induce South African workers to work both harder and smarter and use existing technologies in new and better ways that enhance their productivity. The study proposes to evaluate to what extent gainsharing can be a solution. / M

Thesis (M.B.A.)-Business Studies Unit, Durban Institute of Technology, 2005 xix, 147 leaves / There is a lack of commitment and participation in productivity initiatives at shop floor level in South Africa and companies are faced with competitive challenges of promoting innovativeness relating to productivity improvement amongst employees. South Africa’s labour productivity in the manufacturing sector is low when compared to Korea, United States of America, Taiwan, Japan, France and the United Kingdom. It has increasingly been recognised in industry that by introducing a carefully crafted incentive scheme, it may be possible to induce South African workers to work both harder and smarter and use existing technologies in new and better ways that enhance their productivity. The study proposes to evaluate to what extent gainsharing can be a solution.

Univ., Fak. für Wirtschaftswiss., Diss.--Magdeburg, 2005.

Thesis (Ph. D. in Management)--Vanderbilt University, Dec. 2005. / Title from title screen. Includes bibliographical references.