Mixed Signals: How Incentives Really Work by Uri Gneezy - Non Fiction - Hardback

Details. Condition: Brand New. Format: Hardback. ISBN: 9780300255539. Publisher: Yale University Press. Overview. Mixed Signals: How Incentives Really Work is a sharp, highly readable dive into why the incentives we design so often backfire. Behavioural economist Uri Gneezy unpacks the gap between what organisations say they want and what their reward systems actually encourage, using vivid, real-world case studies from business, healthcare, education and everyday life. It's essential reading for managers, policymakers, parents, and anyone who has ever wondered why a well-intentioned reward scheme produced exactly the wrong result.. About the Book. Why does a CEO who preaches teamwork reward only individual achievement? Why does a hospital that champions patient care pay doctors for speed? Gneezy argues that every incentive sends a signal, and when that signal contradicts the stated goal, people respond to the signal, not the slogan. Drawing on decades of research in behavioural economics and game theory, alongside field experiments and case studies, Gneezy shows how misaligned incentives quietly sabotage teamwork, innovation, honesty and quality across workplaces, schools, hospitals and governments. He walks readers through famous failures and lesser-known cautionary tales, then builds a practical framework for designing incentives that actually align with the outcomes leaders say they want. Rather than offering a simple checklist, the book trains readers to think diagnostic...