Do incentives work? A qualitative study of managers' motivations in hazardous industries

We argue that despite discomfort with the concept that safety decisions might be influenced by money, incentives influence priorities and behaviours because they do not rely for their effect on economic self-interest alone. Instead they tap a number of human motives, among them the need for approval, and the need to be recognised as making a valuable contribution. We conclude that if incentives continue to be used as a motivation strategy for financial and business performance, safety - particularly as it relates to major accident prevention - must also be incentivised in this way.