This research was based on 900 questionnaires (30% response rate) received form IPD members. Questions were asked about the reward strategy within their organisation on a five-point Lickert scale. The findings included the following responses:

■ 63% supported/strongly supported a philosophy of using merit pay in various forms including PRP.

■ 54% supported/strongly supported paying for good customer service and quality.

■ 52% supported/strongly supported paying for innovation and creativity.

■ 48% supported/strongly supported paying for productivity gains.

■ 26% supported/strongly supported a strategy of employees sharing the risks with the organisation.

Interesting features of the findings were the high degree of support for paying for customer service, quality, innovation and creativity, and the lower proportion that supported paying for productivity gains. Support for all these strategies was greater in the private sector than the public sector, in large rather than small organisations and in expanding rather than static or declining organisations. The findings included a degree of scepticism as a proportion of respondents indicated that the actual practice of reward policy differed somewhat to the strategy in place.