Rewarding the Right Way: The Effects of Forced Rating Systems on Creative Performance in Groups

Sinnemann, Matthias F.; Brkovic, Patrick; Sabel, Christopher A.; Nüesch, Stephan

Abstract

Subjective performance evaluation (SPE) has become a prevalent method for assessing employee performance in creative group tasks. However, the role of intragroup competition in SPE remains unclear. This study experimentally examines how SPE frameworks impact performance in creative tasks by varying levels of intragroup competition through a forced rating system (FRS), which reflects higher competition, and an unrestricted rating system (URS), which reflects lower competition. Our findings demonstrate that groups operating under an FRS achieve higher creative performance than those under a URS, outperforming them in both idea generation and idea selection. A post-experimental video analysis of collaborative behaviors indicates that heightened competition, as facilitated by an FRS, reduces free riding and increases speaking time and verbal interruptions, thus promoting a more dynamic and productive idea generation and selection process.