WELN 660 Debate
Financial incentives and other extrinsic rewards are important motivators
when encouraging employees to make healthy lifestyle changes
April 16th, 2014 at 3:00 PM
Delaware County Wellness Meeting in the BSU Alumni Center
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Debate Agenda
I.
II.
Welcome greeting from Dr. Jane Ellery, Coordinator of the Wellness Management Program at
Ball State University, and instructor of the Wellness class.
Introductions by Michael Bauer, Ball State’s Debate Coach
III.
Affirmative Arguments
a. Positive Claim #1
b. Positive Claim #2
IV.
Introductions by Michael Bauer
V.
Negative Arguments
a. Negative Claim #1
b. Negative Claim #2
VI.
Cross Fire Questioning 1 and 2
VII.
VIII.
IX.
X.
XI.
Affirmative Arguments-Refute and Repair
a. Positive Claim #1
b. Positive Claim #2
Negative Arguments-Refute and Repair
a. Negative Claim #1
b. Negative Claim #2
Introductions by Michael Bauer
Affirmative Arguments
a. Positive Claim #3
b. Positive Claim #4
Introductions by Michael Bauer
XII.
Negative Arguments
a. Negative Claim #3
b. Negative Claim #4
XIII.
Cross Fire Questioning 3 and 4
XIV.
Affirmative Arguments-Refute and Repair
a. Positive Claim #3
b. Positive Claim #4
XV.
Negative Arguments-Refute and Repair
a. Negative Claim #3
b. Negative Claim #4
XVI.
Audience Question and Answer Segment
XVII.
XVIII.
Affirmative Captain Summary
Negative Captain Summary
Approximated 60-Minute Debate
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Participation and Utilization/Pay for Performance
Captains: Bridget Courtney (+) and Brittany Wonnell (-)
III. Affirmative Arguments
1. Sernarra Archie
a. Incentives work to increase participation.
Source: Gneezy, U., Meier, S., & Ray-Biel, P. (2011). When and why incentives (don't) work to modify
behavior. Journal of Economic Perspectives, 25(4), 1-21. Retrieved from
http://pareto.uab.es/~prey/gneezy_254.pdf.
2. Katie Bowers
a. Financial incentives that are utilized throughout the entire duration of
a wellness initiative or wellness program are more effective than no
incentives when encouraging long-term behavior change in employees.
Source: Gneezy, U., Meier, S., & Rey-Biel, P. (2011). When and Why Incentives (Don’t) Work to
Modify Behavior. Journal of Economic Perspectives, 25(4), 191–210. doi:10.1257/jep.25.4.191.
V. Negative Arguments
1. Kyeonghwa Kim
a. Financial participation incentives are good for initial participation in
wellness programs; however, they are not beneficial in long-term
commitment in a wellness program.
Source: Health, T. W. and N. B. G. on. (2011). Pathway to Health and Productivity 2011/2012
Staying@Work Survey Report. Retrieved from http://www.towerswatson.com/en-US/Insights/ICTypes/Survey-Research-Results/2011/12/20112012-StayingWork-Survey-Report--A-Pathway-toEmployee-Health-and-Workplace-Productivity.
2. Kathleen Corcoran
a. Pay for performance schemes may work to change employee
behaviors in the beginning, but they are not sustainable in the long
run.
Source: Gneezy, U., Meier, S., & Rey-Biel, P. (2011). When and Why Incentives (Don’t) Work to
Modify Behavior. Journal of Economic Perspectives, 25(4), 191–210. doi:10.1257/jep.25.4.191.
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VII. Affirmative Arguments-Refute and Repair
1. Sernarra Archie
 Incentives may not work in the long term but they can help to
stimulate intrinsic motivation, which does last well after the incentives
are taken away.
Sources: Gneezy, U., Meier, S., & Ray-Biel, P. (2011). When and why incentives (don't) work to modify
behavior. Journal of Economic Perspectives, 25(4), 1-21. Retrieved from
http://pareto.uab.es/~prey/gneezy_254.pdf.
RAND Employer Survey http://www.dol.gov/ebsa/pdf/workplacewellnessstudyfinal.pdf.
2. Katie Bowers
 Without extrinsic rewards being offered to employees to improve
their lifestyles, employees would not be nearly as interested in
continually participating in wellness initiatives or wellness programs.
Source: Mattke, S., Liu, H., Caloyeras, J. P., Huang, C. Y., Van Busum, K. R., Khodyakov, D., & Shier,
V. (2013). Workplace Wellness Programs Study (pp. 1–20). Santa Monica, CA.
VIII. Negative Arguments-Refute and Repair
1. Kyeonghwa Kim
 When using financial incentives to influence behavior change, people
decrease their effort to change, sometimes below their initial point of
motivation, after incentives are removed.
Source: http://management.ucsd.edu/faculty/directory/gneezy/pub/docs/jep_published.pdf.
2. Kathleen Corcoran
 Payment reduces intrinsic value of tasks.
Source: Gneezy, U., & Rustichini, A. (2000). Pay Enough or Don’t Pay at All. The Quarterly
Journal of Economics, 115(3), 791–810.
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Target/Demographics and Out-Come Based
Captains: Bridget Courtney (+) and Brittany Wonnell (-)
X. Affirmative Arguments
3. Diane Mitchell
 Research shows that incentives increase participation in health
promotion programs when the participants are 30 years of age or
younger.
Source: Churchill, Sarah A., Gillespie, Haley, & Herbold, Nancie H. (2014). The desirability of
wellness program and incentive offerings for employees. Benefits Quarterly, 48-57.
4. Yuki Kurita
 Outcome-based incentives are important factors in making both
organizational culture and individual employees' health status
healthier. People should be rewarded based on achieving a certain
health factor.
Source: Mattke, S., Liu, H., Caloyeras, J. P., Huang, C. Y., Van Busum, K. R., Khodyakov, D.,
Shier, V. (2013). Workplace wellness programs study: Final report. Retrieved
from http://www.dol.gov/ebsa/pdf/workplacewellnessstudyfinal.pdf.
XII. Negative Arguments
3. Laura Lauer
 Incentives are used as a one size fits all solution in a one-size fits one
world.
Sources: Churchill, S. A., Gillespie, H., Herbold, N. H., & Ed, D. (2014). The Desirability of
Wellness Program and Incentive Offerings for Employees, 48–58.
Gneezy, U., Meier, S., & Rey-Biel, P. (2011). When and Why Incentives (Don’t) Work to Modify
Behavior. Journal of Economic Perspectives, 25(4), 191–210. doi:10.1257/jep.25.4.191.
Sutherland, K., Christianson, J. B., & Leatherman, S. (2008). Impact of targeted financial
incentives on personal health behavior: a review of the literature. Medical Care Research and
Review : MCRR, 65(6 Suppl), 36S–78S. doi:10.1177/1077558708324235.
4.
Derek O’Neal
 The government even realizes that it is not appropriate to have
outcome-based incentives in the workplace. This is why HIPPA
requires that there must be an alternative for outcome-based
incentives.
Source: Red Brick Health (2013). Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 (ACA)
Wellness Rules. 1-9. Retrieved from https://home.redbrickhealth.com/wpcontent/uploads/2013/09/ACA-Wellness-Rules-Whitepaper-Single-Pages.pdf.
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XIV. Affirmative Arguments-Refute and Repair
3. Diane Mitchell
 In addition to financial incentives motivating employees under 30 to
take part wellness programs, lower income level does too.
Sources: Sutherland, Kim, Christianson, Jon B., & Leatherman, Sheila. (2008). Impact of targeted
financial incentives on personal health behavior: A review of the literature. Medical Care
Research & Review, 65(6S), 36S-78S. doi: 10.1177/1077558708324235
Churchill, Sarah A., Gillespie, Haley, & Herbold, Nancie H. (2014). The desirability of
wellness program and incentive offerings for employees. Benefits Quarterly, 48-57.
4. Yuki Kurita
 Employers should follow the rules and requirements created by the
U.S. Department of Labor, and make wellness program and its
incentives well designed based on each employees' health assessment,
so that outcome-based incentives can attract lots of employees and
motive them to achieve their health goal.
Source: Miller, S. (2013, March 18). Mayo clinic study: Financial incentives further weight loss.
Retrieved from https://www.shrm.org/hrdisciplines/benefits/articles/pages/weight-lossincentives.aspx.
XV. Negative Arguments-Refute and Repair
3. Laura Lauer
 The effort to tailor incentives to all targets and demographics is a
waste of time, money, and resources.
Source: Gneezy, U., Meier, S., & Rey-Biel, P. (2011). When and Why Incentives (Don’t) Work to
Modify Behavior. Journal of Economic Perspectives, 25(4), 191–210. doi:10.1257/jep.25.4.191.
4. Derek O’Neal
 Outcome based incentives are not beneficial for individuals who are
deemed vulnerable or at risk in the workplace.
Source: Howard, K. Z., (2012). Wellness incentive strategies that work. Benefits Magazine.
Retrieved from http://www.ifebp.org/inforequest/0162686.pdf.
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