Recognizing Good Attendance: A Longitudinal, Quasi‐experimental Field Study

Three motivational theories (need, goal, and reinforcement) suggest that recognition programs should increase employee attendance. A 1‐year, quasi‐experimental field study of absenteeism was conducted at 4 manufacturing plants with a total 1,100 employees. The study compared a public recognition program for improving work attendance with 3 types of controls. The personal recognition treatment showed (a) significant decreases ranging from 29% to 52% for each quarter's baseline assessment, and (b) significant decreases when the control groups showed no decrease. Employees had favorable perceptions of the public recognition program.