Cambridge Preparation for the TOEFL(R) Test

Fourth Edition, CD-ROM

Test 1 Writing, Question 1

The reading advocates that to recieve remarkable results from employess, business
enterprises should reward the employees for their performance. The lecturer
completely refutes the idea, stating that such rewards rather prove to be setbacks for
the employees and hence the enterprise.
First, the reading says that the promise of such incentives improve employee attitude
and provide motivation. In contrast, the lecturer says that people who experienced
reward system didn't like it. The employees ask for respect, not incentives in return to
their hard work. Furthermore, not getting rewards may lead to broken expectations
which demotivate the employee.
In addition, the reading claims that giving rewards leads to greater productivity. It says
that when behaviour is rewarded, it tends to be repeated. On the other hand, the
lecturer disagrees that giving rewards increases productivity. He rather states that
many studies found out that such rewards lead to less productivity.
Finally, the reading says that such rewards persuade people to perfrom extraordinarily.
It presents the idea that people are like physical bodies and need external motivating
force to be set in motion. Contrastly, the lecturer contends that the rewards rather act
as punishment. Such rewards lead people to think that they are being controlled and
manipulated. Furthermore, the reward scheme may rather affect the realtionsip of a
worker with his supervisor.
The reading claims that a correctly structured reward system motivates the employees
to achieve more productivity and improves employee attitudes. However, the lecturer
claims that such reward schemes may rather degrade the productivity and employee
attitudes and rather prove to be demotivating.

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