Title: The impact of monetary and non-monetary reward systems upon creativity: how rational are Saudi professional employees?

Authors: Sanawi M. Sharahiley; Vinay Kandpal

Addresses: Community College, Jazan University, Jazan Province, Saudi Arabia ' Department of Management Studies, Graphic Era Deemed to be University, Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India

Abstract: This study examines three fundamental aspects: impact of monetary and non-monetary reward systems on Saudi professional employees' creativity, the degree to which Saudi professional employees are rational in preferring rewards, and common reward systems primarily used in the three selected Saudi sectors. Qualitative research method was used to collect data through semi-structured interviews. A total of 72 interviews were conducted, recording their responses with an average duration of 68 hours. Rational choice theory (RCT) was applied to interpret the findings. It was found that 65% of professional employees were rational in choosing either type of reward before performing their creativities, and the rest rejected it. The reward systems were missing in some of the selected organisations or evasive in others due to some factors: inadequacy of crystal national strategy of creativity's rewarding systems and the absence of National Creativity's Key Performance Indicators (NCKPIs). Some employees migrate from one organisation to another for fair reward systems. The study exerts that there is no valuable creativity without reward systems. The study highlights critical recommendations and implications for relevant Saudi governmental agencies and for further research. It is the first study that measures the effect of professional employees' rationality on creativity.

Keywords: creativity; national creativity's key performance indicators; NCKPIs; innovation; professional employees; global innovation index; GII.

DOI: 10.1504/IJWOE.2023.136599

International Journal of Work Organisation and Emotion, 2023 Vol.14 No.4, pp.339 - 358

Received: 22 Aug 2022
Accepted: 05 Apr 2023
Published online: 08 Feb 2024 *

Full-text access for editors Full-text access for subscribers Purchase this article Comment on this article