Monetary and Non-Monetary Rewards on Employees’ Job Performance: Exploratory Insights into the Role of Work Experience in East Malaysia’s Automotive Dealerships

This study examines how monetary and non-monetary rewards influence employees’ job performance within East Malaysia’s automotive dealership industry, with exploratory insights into the moderating role of work experience. Monetary rewards include salary, bonuses, and allowances, while non-monetary rewards encompass recognition, work environment, and career development opportunities. Using a quantitative approach, data were collected from 158 employees and analysed via Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM). The results indicate that both monetary and non-monetary rewards have significant positive effects on job performance, with non-monetary rewards emerging as the stronger predictor. In contrast, the moderating effect of work experience on these relationships was found to be statistically insignificant, suggesting only a limited role in shaping reward performance dynamics. These findings highlight the importance of prioritising non-monetary incentives in enhancing job performance, while also encouraging further research to explore contextual or qualitative factors that may better capture the influence of work experience.