Country-Compatible Incentive Design : A Comparison of Employees’ Performance Reward Preferences in Germany and the USA

Today's managers are facing challenges that stem from overseeing a workforce in foreign countries. The question arises how to compensate and motivate employees in different countries effectively and efficiently. Based on an empirical study among employees of a multinational corporation (MNC) in Germany and the USA, Marjaana Gunkel shows that the employees in these countries have different preferences regarding incentives and that incentive plans designed for one country are not always effective in others. Money is an important motivator in both countries, but the motivational effects of non-monetary rewards differ greatly. In addition, the author presents an explorative study of employee groups in China and Japan and gives advice for designing appropriate compensation schemes for employees of MNC in different countries