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<p>Employee rewards are powerful tools for motivating and retaining employees. However, the perceived value by employees can often differ from the original intent, leading to dissatisfied recipients. This conceptual paper operationalizes symbolic interactionism theory to bridge the gap between intended and perceived meanings of non-monetary rewards and introduces the Meaningful Employee Reward Framework (MERF). MERF is iterative and consists of four stages to analyze rewards and their symbolic meanings: identification, contextualization, communication, and evaluation. MERF is a tool to engage employees in co-constructing shared understanding about the value of employee rewards, resulting in aligned value perception and enhanced appreciation and motivational impact. This paper discusses MERF’s theoretical foundations, practical implications, and directions for future research, positioning it as a tool to optimize non-monetary reward systems within the complex context of modern organizations facing high turnover and evolving work arrangements. While MERF requires empirical testing and may face implementation challenges due to its conceptual nature, it centers the employee experience and offers a novel approach to addressing critical issues in employee motivation and retention.</p>

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From Intent to Impact: Co-Constructing Meaningful Organizational Rewards Through the Lens of Symbolic Interactionism

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年4月22日

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  • Amanda Jeppesen,
  • Vanessa Hills

摘要

Employee rewards are powerful tools for motivating and retaining employees. However, the perceived value by employees can often differ from the original intent, leading to dissatisfied recipients. This conceptual paper operationalizes symbolic interactionism theory to bridge the gap between intended and perceived meanings of non-monetary rewards and introduces the Meaningful Employee Reward Framework (MERF). MERF is iterative and consists of four stages to analyze rewards and their symbolic meanings: identification, contextualization, communication, and evaluation. MERF is a tool to engage employees in co-constructing shared understanding about the value of employee rewards, resulting in aligned value perception and enhanced appreciation and motivational impact. This paper discusses MERF’s theoretical foundations, practical implications, and directions for future research, positioning it as a tool to optimize non-monetary reward systems within the complex context of modern organizations facing high turnover and evolving work arrangements. While MERF requires empirical testing and may face implementation challenges due to its conceptual nature, it centers the employee experience and offers a novel approach to addressing critical issues in employee motivation and retention.