The legendary statistical consultant W. Edwards Deming,... has called the system by which merit is appraised and rewarded 'the most powerful inhibitor to quality and productivity in the Western world'... it is simply unfair to the extent that employees are held responsible for what are, in reality, systemic factors that are beyond their control.

Punished by Rewards: The Trouble with Gold Stars, Incentive Plans, A's, Praise, and Other Bribes (ed. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 1999) - ISBN: 9780547526157