Resource Library - Research

A fundamental premise of Stakeholder Capitalism and Human Capital Management and measurement is that organizations with higher levels of people engagement do better. HCMoneyBall, which created the SaaS platform known as HCMetrix for human capital analytics and benchmarking, provides a free calculator enabling any organization to track its Human Capital ROI (HCROI) and the potential impact on financial performance.... [ read more ]

This is a two-part interview with Michael Mazer, President, Mazer Telecom Advisors LLC, a Denver-based mergers and acquisition firm entering the engagement field... [ read more ]

Even top corporate executives who are aware of engagement practices aren’t always aware of the financial return they can deliver. The Engaged Company Stock Index shows that companies with high levels of employee, customer and community engagement financially outperform ... [ read more ]

The 10018 Guidelines on People Involvement and Competence were created by the ISO (International Organization for Standardization) Technical Committee ISO/TC 176, Quality management and quality assurance, Subcommittee SC 3, Supporting technologies. These standards are based on ... [ read more ]

Social media, blogs, and e-newsletter technology enable almost any organization to become its own media company to generate leads, enhance thought leadership, build relationships and enhance sales ratios. Very few in business implement strategic integrated communications programs, often because they lack the people with the journalistic and other content creation skills needed for effective content marketing or they fail to integrate the communications programs into their sales and support process. ... [ read more ]

Gamification form Badgeville has released the results of an independent survey of over 500 business workers, ranging from entry-level employees to C-level executives, looking at the success of gamification across U.S. organizations. The results: 78% of workers are utilizing games-based motivation at work and nearly all (91%) say these systems improve... [ read more ]

Conceived in the 1990s, the concept of Total Rewards represented a revolution in thinking related to compensation that to this day has not been fulfilled at many organizations, that is: a strategic, holistic approach to compensation that considers every aspect of the employee experience and his or her capabilities and potential contributions to the organization. ... [ read more ]

In this excerpt from his new book, ‘Laddering: Unlocking the Potential of Consumer Behavior,’ PossibleNOW VP Eric Holtzclaw explains how techniques such as laddering, lensing and latticing can radically and permanently change the way you view your products, services, customers and marketing message ... [ read more ]

A common error that frontline managers sometimes make is to focus their performance improvement efforts on employees’ weaknesses, rather than focus on their strengths. But Gallup research shows that the worst thing managers can do is to ignore their employees altogether. According to Gallup researchers Brian Brim and Jim Asplund, “If your manager focuses on your strengths, your chances of being actively disengaged at work are only 1 in 100. If your manager ignores you, however, you are twice as likely to be actively disengaged than if your manager focuses on your weaknesses. Being overlooked, it seems, is more harmful to employees’ engagement than having to discuss their weaknesses with their manager.” This paper offers a summary of their research.... [ read more ]

The 10018 Guidelines on People Involvement and Competence were created by the ISO (International Organization for Standardization) Technical Committee ISO/TC 176, Quality management and quality assurance, Subcommittee SC 3, Supporting technologies. These standards are based on ... [ read more ]

Over the last few years, the recognition field has seen a significant shift from traditional length-of-service awards to programs that focus on supporting critical organizational goals -- quality service to internal or external customers, participation in volunteer initiatives, a willingness to go the extra mile, etc. ... [ read more ]

With an increasing focus on professional program design, return-on-investment management, and effective human capital management and reporting, everyone in business can benefit from the most comprehensive, authoritative knowledge management center in the field of stakeholder engagement.... [ read more ]

A new study by the Incentive Research Foundation, 10 Trends for Merchandise and Gift Card Programs in 2015, notes that retaining top performers and preparing them to take over the reigns during the next decade is a top priority for most organizations. A crucial part of that process will involve Merchandise and Gift Card... [ read more ]

This study delves into the mechanics of sales incentive programs, providing managers with useful information to design successful sales initiatives at their own companies and providing their corporate decision makers with hard evidence. It found that properly structured programs can increase sales by at least 10 percent. ... [ read more ]

This recently conducted analysis by The Incentive Research Foundation (IRF)of one company's long-standing use of travel awards as a motivational tool shows that such incentives have a clear, measurable and positive impact on corporate culture and employee performance, as well as a broader "ripple effect" on the economy of the region where an incentive travel program (ITP) is held.

Overall, the study concluded that the importance of these programs should not be undervalued; their impact and their value reach well beyond the typical event timeline. Earners of the incentive travel program are far from the only beneficiaries of the program. The sponsoring company, the destination and the suppliers all receive significant benefits as well.

A new study by the Incentive Research Foundation, Rebounding the Recession: The Future of Incentive Travel 2014, finds that incentive travel rewards are perfectly matched to the emerging needs of today’s multi-generational workforce and ... [ read more ]

Keeping employees happy, productive and loyal is essential to the long-term health of any company. But generational differences in the workforce tend to complicate matters when it comes to essential elements of employee engagement such as rewards and recognition... [ read more ]

Tom McMullen, writing recently on the Hay Group blog, notes that a recent study of World@Work members found only 11% of organizations conduct a formal ROI assessment of their reward programs. However, 48% of respondents said they planned to more rigorously assess... [ read more ]

Given that the Incentive Research Foundation (IRF) is charged with advancing the science of incentives, it surveyed industry professionals to obtain their opinions about the more salient trends affecting the industry during 2009 and leading into 2010. The IRF asked these professionals questions on trends with regard to incentive travel programs, merchandise non-cash programs, and budget changes forecast for 2010. Findings indicate that the trends are stabilizing for each of the core issues since March 2009. However, the trends remain significantly lower than in 2008. Survey participants expect more domestic than international destinations, "slightly smaller" budgets, and shorter stays for incentive travel in 2010. A majority of participants also expected decreased award values on the merchandise side. ... [ read more ]

The 10018 Guidelines on People Involvement and Competence were created by the ISO (International Organization for Standardization) Technical Committee ISO/TC 176, Quality management and quality assurance, Subcommittee SC 3, Supporting technologies. These standards are based on ... [ read more ]

Employee engagement and recognition: What is the difference and how this affects solution providers and corporate planners. Over the last two decades, the recognition field has become a multi-billion-dollar business with over a dozen leading solution providers and hundreds of smaller ones across the U.S. Companies spend billions on ... [ read more ]

The Incentive Research Foundation (IRF) surveyed industry professionals during the month of April 2010, asking them about incentive travel programs, merchandise/non-cash programs, and ROI/budget considerations. The most promising data show that respondents appear to be more optimistic about the current economic climate than they were in either the Summer or Fall of last year. When asked, "In your opinion, what impact will the economy have on your ability to plan and implement incentive travel programs?" 69% say it will have a positive impact vs. only 33% in the Fall of 2009 and just 24% in the Summer of 2009. Similarly, those who say the economy will have a positive impact on merchandise/non-cash incentive programs increased from 20% (Summer '09) and 26% (Fall '09) to 41% currently. Still, one-third of those surveyed predict that budgets for incentive travel will decrease this year, while 37% say they'll remain unchanged. Things were a little better on the merchandise/non-cash side, where only 22% expect a decline (down from 51%), while 40% predict an increase and 37% say they see no change in budgets. This indicates that although there's an uptick in optimism about the economy in general, it may not translate into more money for programs – at least not in the near term. ... [ read more ]

Are there differences in how a computer manufacturer plans and implements an incentive program versus how a pharmaceutical company or new car dealer does? What about a commercial banking operation, insurance agency or a telecommunications company? Are there processes, types of incentives used, or other nuances that are unique to these markets? Which industries are more likely to develop their programs in-house, as opposed to securing an outside vendor? The Vertical Market Study attempts to answer these and other questions. It provides a full report on how the six specific industries planned and implemented incentive travel, motivational meetings and special events.... [ read more ]

Each year in the United States, organizations spend tens of billions of dollars on cash and non-cash rewards for consumer, distributor, sales and employee incentive programs –merchandise, gift cards, group and individual travel programs, time off, cash, etc. But few organizations invest the necessary time to understand which rewards should be used for which people to encourage what outcomes... [ read more ]

Over the last few years, the recognition field has seen a significant shift from traditional length-of-service awards to programs that focus on supporting critical organizational goals -- quality service to internal or external customers, participation in volunteer initiatives, a willingness to go the extra mile, etc. ... [ read more ]