Can you pay for quality work? A government case study

Abstract

Recent developments in team performance pay are investigated using a complexity framework. The study challenges W. Edwards Deming's traditional view that encourages competition instead of cooperation. An Australian qualitative study is featured that demonstrates improved corporate performance and greater stakeholder quality alignment when "quality pay" is used as a methodology. Data confirm that employees increasingly share management's strategic goal of achieving quality, and that quality pay leads to increased business process and customer and employee satisfaction. The new synergy of wage and quality systems provides insight for quality researchers and practitioners.