Punishment/rewards (introverts vs ext.)

[David Kerridge <dfkerridge@mac.com>]

June Darling in her post of 19/12/00 remarks on research which
appears to show differences between extroverts and introverts in
their response to rewards, and asks :

>.............................................have you heard of this difference
>regarding intro/extroverts; would it matter to Deming?

Everything about people mattered to Deming.

WED's most profound statements often sound trivial, but the first
thing he said about psychology is "People are different." They
learn in different ways, and think in different ways. It is hardly
surprising if they respond to rewards or punishments in different ways.

To me the fact that people are different is yet one more argument
against "pay for performance". I have never heard of an "incentive"
system that treats people differently according to their psychological
type. Whereas intrinsic motivation is flexible. Some people get
satisfaction from solving problems, others by depth of understanding,
and others from innovation. Still others from the fellow-feeling of
contributing to a team. There is room for everyone.

A good manager will look for ways to give each individual the
chance to make the contribution that leads to the greatest benefit
*both* to the individual and to the organisation. Often this can be
achieved by giving people freedom to choose the direction in which
they develop. On the whole, people enjoy most what they are good
at doing.

As far as I understand the results of psychological research, rewards
may produce greater effort if the work is boring, brainless, and
repetitive. They are not successful where the work is intelligent
and creative. The answer is to abolish the boring and repetitive
work, rather than bribe people to do it.

And we must never forget Walter Shewhart's fundamental yet
neglected discovery. If a process is under statistical control,
trying harder cannot produce better results, and often makes things
worse. So if rewards *do* make people try harder, and the results
are better, the process was not under control. Why persist with
a bad system?

-- 
Best wishes

David

dfkerridge@mac.com