Incentives to work

John Kay is a columnist for FT and I have read a lot of original pieces from him. In this article he points out the silliness of corporate citizens claiming that all public sector work is "entitlement". He points out that public sector project created things like the computer and the green revolution without a need for financial incentive. He also points to the sense of entitlement exibited by corporate citizens who aparently need bonuses over and above their pay in order to do their jobs.
(The corporate types) explained that in addition to the considerable salaries senior managers receive, large financial incentives were needed to persuade them to perform the duties that were attached to their jobs. In contrast, people who worked in the public sector mostly did so because they were too lazy or ineffective to get jobs in large corporations. They professed surprise that teachers did not relay these opinions to their charges. I understood why, and was relieved they did not.

The complacent sense of personal entitlement these corporate politicians expressed was deeply unattractive: as unattractive as the similar sense of personal entitlement displayed by the lazy teacher who knows he will not be fired. I do not think children should be taught that greed is the most powerful human motivation, because it is not, and if children are taught that greed is the most powerful business motivation we should be pleased, not disappointed, when business does not attract them.


Well said!

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