So the one exhibit that was … gathering the most number of people stopping and looking at it [earned] a last place ribbon?

Season 5, Episode 6 — Sidecast for Talking About Organizations Podcast Episode 57, “On the Folly of Rewarding A, While Hoping for B” by Steven Kerr.

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It is a well-known trope that organizational cultures can become so embedded that over time its members can forget why a certain habit was formed or for what purpose do certain rituals play. It gets very problematic when these habits or practices evolve to an extent that they ultimately deviate from or even counter their originally intended purposes. Worse, leaders may not recognize that this is occurring, or maybe they do, but feel compelled to deny it. Should we not instead take steps to confront and alter such practices so they are aligned with their original purposes. But how can one identify when this cultural problem arises in the first place?

In this episode, I further the Talking About Organizations podcast episode on Steven Kerr’s work “On the Folly of Rewarding A, While Hoping for B,” which was a brilliant work that showed how reward systems and incentives can lead people astray. This episode focuses on an activity or cultural artifact whose evolution over time has led to its potential deviation from, even countering, its originally-intended purpose. Using an actual incident from a “science fair,” I examine an instance where the rules were followed and the decision was justifiable, but things did not feel right. In effect, a wonderful demonstration of sustainability in a residential setting turned was rejected by the judges because it was not a proper experiment. But was it a successful way to satisfy the purpose of the fair — to promote interest in science among children?

Works Referenced:

Kerr, S. (1975). On the folly of rewarding A, while hoping for B. Academy of Management Journal, 18(4), 769-783.

From the Talking About Organizations Network:

TAOP Episode 57, “Reward Systems – Steven Kerr“, covering Kerr, S. (1975). On the folly of rewarding A, while hoping for B. Academy of Management Journal, 18(4), 769-783.