“…like a horse and carriage”

“Economists and workplace consultants regard it as almost unquestioned dogma that people are motivated by rewards, so they don’t feel the need to test this. It has the status more of religious truth than scientific hypothesis.”

“The facts are absolutely clear.
There is no question that in virtually all circumstances in which people are doing things in order to get rewards, extrinsic tangible rewards undermine intrinsic motivation”

New Scientist 9th April 2011 pp 40-43

The news of changes at the top in IBM brought to mind a slide I have been using lately, combining a quote from the New Scientist and a cartoon from Gaping Void. It also activated some old scars, this is probably the most “political” appointment in IBM’s history. In the words of the song …..