EFFECTS OF BONUSES FOR PUNCTUALITY ON THE TARDINESS OF INDUSTRIAL WORKERS¹

This study evaluated the effectiveness of an incentive procedure designed to increase the punctuality of six workers who were chronically late to work in a manufacturing company. The six workers in the experiment received a 2.00 pesos ($0.16 U.S.) bonus for every day that they arrived on time. A reversal design was used. The contingent bonuses increased the workers' rates of punctuality compared to their baseline rates. A control group of six workers observed during the same 77-week period showed a trend toward decreasing punctuality. These results suggest that the use of small daily bonuses is a practical procedure for modifying chronic tardiness among industrial workers.