Introduction

Abstract

Managers have always experimented with ways to increase employee motivation and organizational performance, however, judging from the popular business press, it appears that management innovation has accelerated dramatically over the past 20 years. By “management innovation” we refer to changes to work practices (as opposed to work outputs) designed to increase organizational performance, defined broadly to include productivity, profitability, product quality and customer satisfaction. Examples include total quality management (TQM), benchmarking best business practices and reengineering existing processes to reflect best practice and supplier management.