Punished by Rewards LO16842

Roxanne Abbas (rabbas@comp-web.com)
Wed, 4 Feb 1998 09:24:28 -0600

I would like to invite any interested LO subscribers to join the Comp-Web
group for an on-line discussion of Alfie Kohn's Punished by Rewards.
Since the Comp-Web is a service for Human Resources practitioners, our
discussion will focus on the use of incentives in the workplace. If you
send me a message identifying yourself as a LO subscriber, I will waive
the subscription fee for the duration of our book discussion. The
discussion begins the first week of February, so just send me a reply and
then go to the web-site, http://www.comp-web.com, click on Forum and join
us.

The basic thesis of Punished by Rewards is that extrinsic motivators kill
or diminish intrinsic motivation. Kohn details the history and effect of
Skinnerian behaviorism on our schools, businesses and child-rearing
techniques and debunks Skinner's assumption that humans should be treated
as lab rats. He points out that the basis of "do this and you'll get
that" is control and manipulation.

Kohn also wrote "No Contest" and has been described as the country's
leading spokesperson against competition, though he admits that there is
little competition for the title. Kohn's recent articles include "Why
Incentive Plans Cannot Work" in the Harvard Business Review and
"Competition versus Excellence" in the New York Times. His work has been
described on the front page of the Wall Street Journal and on NPR's
Marketplace. Kohn has appeared on Good Morning, America and the Oprah
Winfrey Show and soon he will make his debut on The Comp-Web!

Best Regards,

Roxanne

Roxanne Abbas
Rabbas@comp-web.com
http://www.comp-web.com

-- 


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