The Paradox of Merit Pay in the Public Sector
Authors:
- J. Edward KelloughJKJ. Edward Kellough
- Haoran LuHLHaoran Lu
- 1 April 1993
- journal article
- research article
- Published by SAGE Publications in Review of Public Personnel Administration
- Vol. 13 (2) , 45-64
Abstract
A growing consensus among administrators and academic researchers is that merit pay based on individual performance has failed in the public sector. At the same time, however, governments continue to express support for the merit pay concept. This article reviews the theoretical foundation and proposed advantages of merit pay systems, then identifies the four most critical problems associated with merit pay practices in the public service.Keywords
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