The 2026 IRF Trends Report highlights how incentive professionals are navigating rising costs, geopolitical uncertainty,...
Research / The Effects of Tangible Rewards Versus Cash Rewards in a Sales Tournament: A Field Experiment
by Khim Kelly, Adam Presslee and Alan Webb
This Academic Research in Action explores how cognitive biases shape the effectiveness of incentive and recognition programs. It highlights why well‑intentioned designs often fall short and emphasizes the need for behaviorally informed approaches that account for how people actually interpret rewards.
The incentives industry is entering 2026 amid persistent cost pressures, geopolitical uncertainty, and evolving participant expectations. At the same time, we are seeing optimism in both North America and Europe as organizations embrace the power of incentives to engage and motivate their workforce. During this IRF webinar, our panel will discuss what lies ahead for the incentives industry as reported in…
