Be Careful With Rewards

Can $5 screw up an idea system?

Recently we visited a company known for its creative products in order to study its idea system and innovation processes. The company is well-managed, the leader in its field in North America with every Fortune 500 company as a customer, and a significant player in several international markets.

While its employee idea system was getting some good ideas, the company’s managers believed that it should be performing much better. We confirmed this concern. During ou...