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Gewollte und ungewollte Anreizwirkungen von variablen Löhnen: Disziplinierung der Agenten oder Crowding-Out?

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Zusammenfassung

Seit längerer Zeit wird kontrovers über die Auswirkung variabler, leistungsbezogener Entlohnung auf das Arbeitsverhalten diskutiert. Wir untersuchen mit einem experimentellen Vignettendesign in einem berufsnahen Kontext, wie variable Löhne die handlungsauslösende Ursachenzuschreibung verschieben und welche Effekte diese Verschiebung auf Verhaltensintentionen ausübt. Unsere Ergebnisse zeigen, dass variable Entlohnung zum einen den gewünschten Preiseffekt erzielt: Sie löst eine Belohnungs- bzw. Bestrafungsorientierung aus und steigert die beabsichtigte Arbeitsanstrengung. Zum anderen führt variable Entlohnung zu einem Verdrängungseffekt: Verinnerlichte Normen oder die Freude an einer Tätigkeit weichen der Belohnungs- und Bestrafungsorientierung. Die beabsichtigte Arbeitsanstrengung sinkt. Wir messen diese nicht beobachtbaren Auswirkungen von Preis- und Verdrängungseffekt auf Arbeitsanstrengungen und diskutieren die Auswirkung leistungsbezogener Entlohnung auf das Arbeitsverhalten als Totaleffekt der beiden gegenläufigen Effekte. Der Beitrag trägt zur aktuellen Diskussion über die Wirkung von variablen Leistungslöhnen auf drei Arten bei. Wir zeigen: (1) Variable Leistungslöhne lösen stets simultan einen Preis- und einen Verdrängungseffekt aus. (2) Das standardökonomische Modell kommt nur dann zu korrekten Verhaltensprognosen, wenn der Preiseffekt Arbeitsanstrengungen stärker beeinflusst als der simultan wirkende Verdrängungseffekt. (3) Die Kosten variabler Löhne sind höher als in der Standardökonomik angenommen: Variable Löhne ziehen stets einen nicht beobachtbaren Verdrängungseffekt nach sich.

Summary

Ever since the first study showing that performance contingent rewards undermine people’s intrinsic motivation was published, there has been a controversy about this frequently replicated finding. The aim of this study is to examine how performance contingent rewards affect motivation and behavioural intentions. With data from a factorial survey simulating a realistic work context, we are able to show that a) performance contingent pay strengthens extrinsic motivation, that is, elicits a price effect. As a result, respondents’ behavioural intentions to perform increase. Simultaneously b) performance contingent pay weakens intrinsic motivation, that is, provokes a crowding-out effect. As a result, respondents’ behavioural intentions to perform decrease. The total effect on behavioural intentions is shown to be composed of the opposing effects of performance contingent rewards on the unobservable construct of motivation.

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  1. Institut für Organisation und Unternehmenstheorien, Universität Zürich, Plattenstrasse 14, CH-8032, Zürich, Schweiz

    Antoinette Weibel (Wissenschaftliche Assistentin),  Katja Rost (Wissenschaftliche Assistentin) &  Margit Osterloh (Ordentliche Professorin und Inhaberin)

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  1. Antoinette Weibel
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  2. Katja Rost
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Correspondence to Antoinette Weibel.

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Wir danken den Teilnehmern der HUI-Tagung 2006 und den anonymen Gutachtern für wertvolle Hinweise.

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Weibel, A., Rost, K. & Osterloh, M. Gewollte und ungewollte Anreizwirkungen von variablen Löhnen: Disziplinierung der Agenten oder Crowding-Out?. Schmalenbachs Z betriebswirtsch Forsch 59, 1029–1054 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03372787

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