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Are You Paying Your Employees to Cheat? An Experimental Investigation

Author

Listed:
  • C. Bram Cadsby

    (University of Guelph; Department of Economics)

  • Fei Song

    (Ryerson University)

  • Francis Tapon

    (University of Guelph; Department of Economics)

Abstract

We compare misrepresentations of performance under a target-based compensation system with those under both a linear piece-rate system and a tournament-based bonus system using a laboratory experiment with salient financial incentives. An anagram game was employed as the experimental task. Results show that productivity, defined as the number of correct words a participant created during the seven experimental rounds, was similar and statistically indistinguishable under the three pay-for-performance schemes. In contrast, whether one considers the number of over-claimed words, the number of work/pay periods in which overclaims occur, or the number of participants making an over-claim at least once, target-based compensation produced significantly more cheating than either of the other two systems. Moreover, consistent with Schweitzer et al. (2004), cheating is more likely under a target-based scheme the closer a participant’s actual production is to the target. The larger amounts of cheating under target-based compensation support Jensen’s (2003) argument that such schemes encourage cheating and should be eliminated in favor of other types of performance pay.

Suggested Citation

  • C. Bram Cadsby & Fei Song & Francis Tapon, 2008. "Are You Paying Your Employees to Cheat? An Experimental Investigation," Working Papers 0810, University of Guelph, Department of Economics and Finance.
    • Handle: RePEc:gue:guelph:2008-10
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Misrepresentation; cheating; guilt; experiment; compensation; target; tournament; piece-rate; pay-for-performance.;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C91 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Design of Experiments - - - Laboratory, Individual Behavior
    • J33 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - Compensation Packages; Payment Methods
    • M52 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Personnel Economics - - - Compensation and Compensation Methods and Their Effects

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