Reward strategy : defining, researching and practicing the concept of reward strategy in the UK

Brown, Duncan (2015) Reward strategy : defining, researching and practicing the concept of reward strategy in the UK. (PhD thesis), Kingston University, .


This submission provides more than 25 years of historical context to the concept of reward strategy and its evolution in the UK context, isolating and describing my own part in it, supported by my 16 publications referenced on this subject. As well as researching and re-conceptualising ideas of reward strategy and their importance in the UK context, three other key dimensions which my research has highlighted, have been about: focusing more on reward strategy application and securing line manager and employee engagement; the importance of researching and assessing the effectiveness of reward policies and how this can be done; and the need to adopt an organisation-specific, total rewards perspective on reward strategy. I have adapted the concept and my research in response to economic, social and political developments over that period and, uniquely, integrated academic and practitioner perspectives on this area to promote both the creation and application of new knowledge and evidence-based practice. As I have worked on the cusp of academic enquiry and professional practice, a PhD by Publication is a particularly relevant format in which to submit my work. I have in the process created new knowledge at the forefront of the discipline, for example in redefining the concepts of reward strategy and total rewards in an innovative and more effective manner; demonstrated the acquisition and understanding of knowledge in the field, for example in summarising and relating research literature in the formerly relatively distinct areas of reward management and employee engagement; conceptualised and run major research projects, for example investigating reward effectiveness; and displayed a full range of research methods in my work, including quantitative, qualitative, cross-sectional and longitudinal studies. Collectively, my work through the publications listed has offered a detailed exploration of the concept and application of reward strategy in the UK context, bringing together academic and practitioner perspectives and informed by and influencing leading academics and practitioners in the field. This sustained and coherent body of work makes a significant and original contribution to the present state of knowledge on reward thinking and practice and in related HR and management areas.

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