Prosocial bonuses increase employee satisfaction and team performance
By: Lalin Anik, Michael I. Norton, Jordi Quoidbach, Lara B. Aknin, Elizabeth W. Dunn
Contributors: Norton, Michael I.; Quoidbach, Jordi; Aknin, Lara B.; Dunn, Elizabeth W.; Harvard Business School
Series: Working paper / Harvard Business School -- 13-095; Working paper (Harvard Business School) -- 13-095
Publisher: Harvard Business School
Published: 2013
Place of publication: Boston]
Language: eng
Description: In two field studies, we explore the impact of providing employees and teammates with prosocial bonuses, a novel type of bonus spent on others rather than on oneself. In Experiment 1, we show that prosocial bonuses in the form of donations to charity lead to happier and more satisfied employees at an Australian bank. In Experiment 2, we show that prosocial bonuses in the form of expenditures on teammates lead to better performance in both pharmaceutical sales teams in Belgium and sports teams in Canada. These results suggest that a minor adjustment to employee bonuses - shifting the focus from the self to others - can produce measurable benefits for employees and organizations.
Notes: "May 2013."--Publisher's Web site.

Includes bibliographical references.