Drug discovery: are productivity metrics inhibiting motivation and creativity?

With a productivity gap in pharmaceutical research and development, and increased industrialization in both areas, an increased need for precise indicators of productivity has emerged. Measuring scientists’ performance can impact the way the tasks are performed and the level of motivation of an individual. This is a crucial aspect when key performance indices of other performance metrics are to be defined within an organization. Motivation is a main driver of creativity and should, therefore, not be compromized by a need to measure productivity. This paper is based on 120 interviews in over 50 companies from 2005 to 2008. The results suggest that the level of detail at which performance should be measured depends on the level of industrialization that a technology falls within. Performance metrics are a means for feedback to individuals. Furthermore, we show that the level of motivation is not directly correlated to the level of detail that a group's performance is measured at, but instead that it varies from person to person. Consequently, we suggest that the level of detail of performance measurement and the motivation profile of the scientists need to be aligned. This is an important aspect to consider when measuring performance.