How much performance pay is there in the public sector and what are its effects?
研究发现英国公共部门绩效薪酬的普及率比私营部门低20个百分点，一半由职业构成差异解释，匹配后差距降至8个百分点；绩效薪酬与私营部门员工积极态度相关，但与公共部门员工无关，且与公共部门工作绩效负相关。
Theory suggests that performance pay (PP) can align employees' interests with those of the employer and attract high‐ability workers and incentivise effort but that it may be less effective in the public sector. However, empirical evidence on its incidence and effects is largely confined to the private sector. We find that half the 20 percentage point gap in PP incidence in Britain between the public and private sectors is accounted for by differences in occupational composition. The gap falls to 8 percentage points when ‘matching’ employees in both sectors on their demographic and job characteristics. PP is linked to positive job attitudes among private sector employees, but not among observationally equivalent public sector employees. Furthermore, PP is negatively correlated with workplace performance in the public sector. These findings raise important questions about public policies promoting PP in the public sector.