TOEFL IBT integrated writing practice - Productivity and Rewards

The article claims that productivity increases due to rewards, but the lecturer disputes the claims made in the article. He argues that rewards lead to counterproductivity.

According to the article, the theory is legitimate because the reward system is critical to employee behavior, according to company manuals. In contrast, the lecturer argues that no study explicitly states that rewards increase productivity, and furthermore, research shows that they have counterproductive effects.

Second, the author suggests that employees are influenced by rewards because they provide motivational forces. However, the listening passage mentions that rewards lead to punishment because they are perceived as manipulated and deprived of freedom. Even if they desire rewards, companies are unlikely to act on them, leading to further frustration.

Finally, the reading passage expresses the idea that if the company sets the reward system appropriately, productivity will skyrocket and lead to a remarkable outcome. In contrast, the lecturer states that the reward system alienates the willingness to cooperate. As a result, employees will not ask for support from the upper management team because of the disadvantages of the reward system.