How rewards fuel or fail innovation

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of our research is to explore how rewards serve to fuel a collaborative culture, energize and motivate team members and nurture innovation.

Design/methodology/approach

In total, 30 in-depth, qualitative interviews were conducted with executives – high-tech, low-tech and no-tech.

Findings

The following findings emerged from the field research: rewards can be both financial, such as bonuses and incentives, and non-financial, such as extra vacations or other gifts. Huge internal personal benefits accrue from setting up a reward structure, including increased pride, peer recognition, higher self-confidence, greater job satisfaction and enhanced self-accomplishment. When we recognize others, it can impact an individual's self-worth on a profound level. It is described as feedback that sinks into the core.

Originality/value

Three milestones have been outlined throughout the innovation process where opportunities for recognition can exist: upon recognizing insights for identifying a problem, after understanding and overcoming difficulties encountered during creative solution generation and when recognizing and activating the benefits accrued from pinpointing solutions to the problem.

Citation

Kuczmarski, S. and Kuczmarski, T. (2019), "How rewards fuel or fail innovation", Strategic HR Review, Vol. 18 No. 1, pp. 8-12. https://doi.org/10.1108/SHR-11-2018-0091