Class Year
2020
Document Type
Student Research Paper
Date of Creation
Spring 2020
Department 1
Management
Abstract
Pay for performance embodies a theory that the more an employee is paid for their work, the more productive they will be. Using an online survey, this paper studies the effect of incentives on college students, specifically, if college students react differently to incentives than employees and to what degree college students can be motivated to increase their performance on assignments. Participants in the bonus contract were awarded one extra piece of candy for each correct answer. Those in the penalty contract are given the maximum ten pieces of candy before the quiz begins, and with every incorrect answer, one piece of candy is removed from the pile. The results of this study show that participants in the bonus and penalty structure did not differ in performance levels or effort exerted. However, students with a higher preference for compensation in candy also had higher performance levels, but did not spend more time on the task. Participants also showed a preference to be compensated with candy.
Copyright Note
This is the author's version of the work. This publication appears in Gettysburg College's institutional repository by permission of the copyright owner for personal use, not for redistribution.
Recommended Citation
Koller, Julia E., "Effects of Incentives on College Student's Performance" (2020). Student Publications. 837.
https://cupola.gettysburg.edu/student_scholarship/837
Included in
Benefits and Compensation Commons, Business Administration, Management, and Operations Commons, Organizational Behavior and Theory Commons
Comments
Written as a Senior Capstone in Organization and Management Studies.