Advancing the Science of Motivation
and Incentives Through Research

2012 Trends in Rewards & Recognition

Important Research For Incentive Program Practitioners and Planners

Assessing The Impact of Sales Incentive Programs: A Business Process Perspective

The study focuses on how the impact of sales incentive programs extends beyond the sales function into other functions within the organization.

Como Medir el Rendimiento de la Inversion en los Programas de Incentives de Ventas

Does Incentive Travel Improve Sales Productivity?

Utilizing a case study model, the findings of this study present statistical evidence of the direct link between motivation programs and improved performance. By studying a UK-based insurance company, researchers were able to examine employee attitudes before and after the introduction of a tiered incentive campaign and determine the commercial value of incentive travel within a "live" business environment.

Driving Our Future: The Top 11 Incentive Trends for 2011

The incentive industry has seen extraordinary changes since the 1980s. In this paper the IRF explores the economic, governmental, motivational and technological trends that are shaping the face of incentives. They include: Cautious Optimism, the New Normal, Global, Government Involvement, Necessity, Experience, Non-Cash Recognition, Social Influencers, Social Media, Virtual and Gaming.

Measuring the ROI of Sales Incentive Programs

A series of cases involving companies that implemented sales incentive programs are explored. It is the aspect of causality borne from stringent application of the scientific method that makes this report on ROI measurement unique.

Rewards and Recognition as a Vital Compensation Component

With companies looking for new ways to boost sales and improve their competitive edge in a post-recession economy, comes a new study by the Aberdeen Group and distributed by theIRF that underscores the importance of “Rewards and Recognition as a Vital Compensation Component” and the competitive advantage companies gain when they go outside their organization for assistance in their design and implementation. By examining “Best-in-Class” trends for sales force compensation, the new study finds that top performing companies are twice as likely to use non cash rewards and recognition programs from an external partner. What makes this finding significant is the documented fact that annual corporate revenue year over year for those same companies is 6.6 percent higher than all other companies.

The Use of Awards in Organizations

The Incentive Research Foundation (IRF) and Incentive Federation has just released more results of its comprehensive survey of 170 recognition and rewards administrators that delineates current practices for reward and recognition programs. In an executive briefing of the results, The Use of Reward and Recognition Awards in Organizations, the survey quantifies: Current usage of awards by type --cash, travel, merchandise and pre-paid cards The basis for selecting certain types of awards The targeted value of awards by type How award values are determined The evaluation of awards for achieving objectives