Case Study

Abstract

Does pay for knowledge really deliver? A research study produces inconclusive results.In the search for more effective compensation systems, a number of companies are experimenting with &dquo;pay for knowledge&dquo; (PFK). Under this system, employees are paid on the basis of the inventory of skills they have to offer, rather than for any particular job performed. Advocates argue that this system can increase worker productivity and product quality and decrease turnover, absenteeism, and accident rates.However, there is little quantitative evidence to support these claims. In this article we report on a study that was specifically designed to test PFK claims. The study compares various outcomes between two similar manufacturing plants belonging to one company, one with a pay-for-knowledge system and one without, over a ten-month period. The study found higher quality as well as lower absenteeism rates and fewer accidents at the PFK plant, as PFK advocates have predicted. In contrast, productivity was higher at the non-PFK facility. However, the findings may have been influenced by gender differences-the PFK plant's workforce was predom-inantly male, the non-PFK predominantly female ; and plant age-the non-PFK facility was less than two years old, the PFK six years old.

Perception Survey of Skill-Based Pay System and Employees Performance in Dormanlong Engineering Company Limited Port-Harcourt

“…This conclusion is supported by the survey study of Jenkins et al (1993) which reported that 98 percent of their respondents indicated that their SBP plans were successful in increasing employees' commitment, level of job satisfaction and lower absent eeism/quit rates. Other studies also showed that SBP resulted in higher levels of commitment and lower turnover and absenteeism rates (Parent & Webber, 1994 Table 3, indicates that a total of 290 i.e. 84.06% of the entire respondents across the three categories of employees were of the opinion that broader employees' role orientation is to a large extent dependent on the implementation of skill-based pay system in their company.…”

A remuneração por competencias

“…A confirmação da aquisição de determinadas habilidades pode estar vinculada ao julgamento do supervisor, à avaliação mediante questionário escritos, ou por meio de pares no grupo (LAWLERIII, 1990:155).Os profissionais devem receber certificações em determinadas habilidades quando demonstram capacidade para sua aplicação sem a necessidade de supervisão, tornando-se elegíveis para aumentos salariais. Podem ser definidos, ainda, o número de habilidades passíveis de serem adquiridas e o tempo mínimo necessário para a aquisição, sendo recomendado que haja constantes revisões da aplicação no dia-a-dia da organização (PARENT;WEBER, 1996).No entanto, a aplicação dos conceitos de recompensas por habilidade tem apresentado problemas para os níveis técnicos e gerenciais em função, principalmente, da dificuldade de se estabelecer uma relação objetiva entre as habilidades desses profissionais e seu potencial para gerar resultados(HIPÓLITO, 2001). Corre-se o risco, portanto, de se construir um sistema de recompensa que motiva a busca de habilidades que não contribuirão, efetivamente, para a produção dos resultados esperados.Outras limitações para aplicação dos conceitos de recompensa por habilidades para os níveis técnico e gerencial são apontadas porHIPÓLITO (2001: 61) das quais podem ser ressaltadas:…”