Recognition and awards

by | Mar 2, 2025 | Essays

 

There are many ways to retain existing employees through recognition and rewards. Recognizing top performers with cash bonuses and praise can help employees feel appreciated and become loyal to the organization.

Define a spot recognition program and provide an example of an appropriate spot bonus.
Identify at least three potential drawbacks or problems with implementing a spot recognition program.
What are some ways to mitigate the problems identified by implementing a spot recognition program?
Identify at least one recognition or reward that can be used to motivate a millennial but may not be as appealing to a baby boomer; explain your thoughts.
Share your experiences in your narrative.
After reading a few of your classmates’ posts, reply to those from whom you learned something new or posts to which you have something constructive to add. For example:

Discuss what you learned.
Ask probing questions or seek clarification.
Explain why you agree or disagree with your classmate’s main points, assertions, assumptions, or conclusions.

 

Sample solution

Dante Alighieri played a critical role in the literature world through his poem Divine Comedy that was written in the 14th century. The poem contains Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso. The Inferno is a description of the nine circles of torment that are found on the earth. It depicts the realms of the people that have gone against the spiritual values and who, instead, have chosen bestial appetite, violence, or fraud and malice. The nine circles of hell are limbo, lust, gluttony, greed and wrath. Others are heresy, violence, fraud, and treachery. The purpose of this paper is to examine the Dante’s Inferno in the perspective of its portrayal of God’s image and the justification of hell. 

In this epic poem, God is portrayed as a super being guilty of multiple weaknesses including being egotistic, unjust, and hypocritical. Dante, in this poem, depicts God as being more human than divine by challenging God’s omnipotence. Additionally, the manner in which Dante describes Hell is in full contradiction to the morals of God as written in the Bible. When god arranges Hell to flatter Himself, He commits egotism, a sin that is common among human beings (Cheney, 2016). The weakness is depicted in Limbo and on the Gate of Hell where, for instance, God sends those who do not worship Him to Hell. This implies that failure to worship Him is a sin.


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God is also depicted as lacking justice in His actions thus removing the godly image. The injustice is portrayed by the manner in which the sodomites and opportunists are treated. The opportunists are subjected to banner chasing in their lives after death followed by being stung by insects and maggots. They are known to having done neither good nor bad during their lifetimes and, therefore, justice could have demanded that they be granted a neutral punishment having lived a neutral life. The sodomites are also punished unfairly by God when Brunetto Lattini is condemned to hell despite being a good leader (Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). While he commited sodomy, God chooses to ignore all the other good deeds that Brunetto did.

Finally, God is also portrayed as being hypocritical in His actions, a sin that further diminishes His godliness and makes Him more human. A case in point is when God condemns the sin of egotism and goes ahead to commit it repeatedly. Proverbs 29:23 states that “arrogance will bring your downfall, but if you are humble, you will be respected.” When Slattery condemns Dante’s human state as being weak, doubtful, and limited, he is proving God’s hypocrisy because He is also human (Verdicchio, 2015). The actions of God in Hell as portrayed by Dante are inconsistent with the Biblical literature. Both Dante and God are prone to making mistakes, something common among human beings thus making God more human.

To wrap it up, Dante portrays God is more human since He commits the same sins that humans commit: egotism, hypocrisy, and injustice. Hell is justified as being a destination for victims of the mistakes committed by God. The Hell is presented as being a totally different place as compared to what is written about it in the Bible. As a result, reading through the text gives an image of God who is prone to the very mistakes common to humans thus ripping Him off His lofty status of divine and, instead, making Him a mere human. Whether or not Dante did it intentionally is subject to debate but one thing is clear in the poem: the misconstrued notion of God is revealed to future generations.

 

References

Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). Dante’s inferno: Seven deadly sins in scientific publishing and how to avoid them. Addiction Science: A Guide for the Perplexed, 267.

Cheney, L. D. G. (2016). Illustrations for Dante’s Inferno: A Comparative Study of Sandro Botticelli, Giovanni Stradano, and Federico Zuccaro. Cultural and Religious Studies, 4(8), 487.

Verdicchio, M. (2015). Irony and Desire in Dante’s” Inferno” 27. Italica, 285-297.

. Spot Recognition Program and Example:

  • Definition: A spot recognition program is an immediate, on-the-spot method of acknowledging and rewarding employees for exceptional performance, specific achievements, or going above and beyond their regular duties. It’s designed to be timely, specific, and impactful.
  • Example of Spot Bonus: A marketing team member, during a product launch, identifies a critical flaw in the online campaign at the last minute. They work overtime and find a solution, saving the campaign from failure. A manager could award a $250 gift card or a cash bonus of $250 immediately to recognize their swift and crucial action.

. Spot Recognition Program and Example:

  • Definition: A spot recognition program is an immediate, on-the-spot method of acknowledging and rewarding employees for exceptional performance, specific achievements, or going above and beyond their regular duties. It’s designed to be timely, specific, and impactful.
  • Example of Spot Bonus: A marketing team member, during a product launch, identifies a critical flaw in the online campaign at the last minute. They work overtime and find a solution, saving the campaign from failure. A manager could award a $250 gift card or a cash bonus of $250 immediately to recognize their swift and crucial action.

Potential Drawbacks/Problems:

  • Perceived Unfairness/Favoritism: If not implemented transparently, employees may perceive spot bonuses as being given based on favoritism rather than merit, leading to resentment and decreased morale.
  • Lack of Consistency: Without clear guidelines, managers may inconsistently apply the program, leading to confusion about who qualifies and for what.
  • Budgetary Issues: Uncontrolled or frequent spot bonuses can strain the budget, especially if not allocated strategically.

3. Mitigating Problems:

  • Establish Clear Criteria: Develop and communicate clear, objective criteria for awarding spot bonuses. This should include specific examples of behaviors or achievements that qualify.
  • Implement a Nomination Process: Create a system where employees can nominate their peers for spot recognition, promoting peer-to-peer acknowledgment and transparency.
  • Set Budgetary Limits: Allocate a specific budget for spot bonuses and establish guidelines for how often they can be awarded.
  • Provide Manager Training: Train managers on how to effectively use the program, emphasizing fairness, consistency, and the importance of timely recognition.
  • Regularly Review and Evaluate: Periodically review the program’s effectiveness and make adjustments as needed based on feedback and data.

4. Recognition/Reward for Millennials vs. Baby Boomers:

  • Millennial Motivation:
    • Experiential Rewards: Millennials often value experiences over material possessions. Offering opportunities for professional development, such as attending a conference or workshop, or providing flexible work arrangements (e.g., remote work, extra time off) can be highly motivating.
    • Rationale: Millennials tend to prioritize work-life balance and personal growth. They appreciate rewards that contribute to their development and provide meaningful experiences.
  • Baby Boomer Motivation:
    • While not a hard and fast rule, baby boomers tend to value more traditional rewards such as public acknowledgement of their work, and stability.
    • Rationale: Baby boomers have often been in the workforce longer, and have different priorities.

5. Personal Narrative:

In my past experiences, I’ve seen both effective and ineffective recognition programs. In one instance, a company implemented a “shout-out” system where employees could publicly recognize their colleagues’ contributions. This fostered a culture of appreciation and teamwork. However, without clear guidelines, some shout-outs felt superficial, and there was no tangible reward. In another company, spot bonuses were given randomly, leading to widespread dissatisfaction. This highlighted the importance of fairness and transparency in recognition programs.

Reply Example (to a Classmate):

“I learned something new from your post about the importance of peer-to-peer recognition. I agree that it can be a powerful motivator. I was curious, have you seen any specific examples of how peer-to-peer recognition can improve team performance? I am also curious about your thoughts on how to handle the situation where some employees may abuse the nomination process.”

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