本篇“经典案例”是“人力资源管理”课程是在欧洲商学院广为流传的必学案例。编者认为它为企业家，特别是广大的创业者提供了一个值得借鉴的企业结构框架的同时，也为创业者提出了一些他们不得不面对的内部问题，例如公司的理念和工资体制、员工的提成和奖金等。所探讨的问题和解决方案值得读者深思和考虑。文章经英国老师所改，对广大学习英文写作的商学院学生，也用很大帮助。
Executive summary.
执行摘要
Visionary Design Systems (VDS) is a small， high-tech full service systems integration firm. Employees include sales representatives， administrators， appliance engineers and specialists and all receive a significant portion of their income from commissions and bonuses， and all are shareholders.
视觉设计系统(VDS)是一家整合小型、高科技全方位服务体制的公司。雇员包括销售代表、行政管理人员、仪器工程师和各领域专业人员。他们所有人的收入中提成和奖金占相当的比例，所有人都是持股人。
The founders of VDS wanted to start a company with a unique style of managing employees. They envisioned a company in which management and employees respected one another and worked together as a team. Like a partnership everyone would be an owner， have shares in the profits， and take responsibility for making the company succeed.
VDS的创始人希望公司有一套独特的管理方法来管理雇员。在他们看来，公司中的管理层和雇员都应互相尊重，共同协作，有团队精神。这样一种合作关系中，每个人都是主人，享有公司的盈利，共同承担责任让公司不断取得成功。
The company has a philosophy of empowerment， under which all employees are given significant decision-making authority， and are expected to act in the interests of the firm. This report looks into the compensation plan and asks， “Are incentives enough？” The problem arises that although the employees have both the authority and the incentives to develop a new market opportunity， they continue to wait for top management's instructions and approval before making decisions or taking action.
公司的理念就是授权。在这样的理念领导下，所有的雇员都有相当的决策权，也能为公司的利益而着想。该报告探讨了工资计划，并提出问题：“奖金是否足够了？”现在的问题就是：虽然雇员们有决策权，也有动力来开发新的市场机会，但他们在进行决策和采取行动前还是会等上层管理层的指示和批准。
1.The VDS philosophy and compensation system.
VDS的理念和工资计划
VDS had a guiding philosophy that employees should earn according to what they produced； so their pay scale was based on output rather than position or seniority， this can often mean losing highly skilled employees because they are on the same pay salary as someone who isn't as skilled. However， this has not occurred at VDS because they have a thorough interviewing procedure where they find employees who believe and stand firmly with their company philosophy.
VDS 的指导理念就是：雇员的所得应当和其产值成正比。因此，他们的收入是基于其创造的价值，而并不和其职位资历挂钩。这也意味着，可能会流失一些高技能人才，因为他们的收入可能和那些技能一般的职员一样。然而，这在VDS却从未发生过，因为VDS有全面详尽的面试程序，挑选出的员工也都是支持公司理念的。
Top management spent a significant amount of time thinking about how to structure compensation and incentive plans to align employee's interests with those of the firm， they expected employees to do more than just fulfill their roles at VDS by taking the initiative in making changes to improve the company.
高级管理层花大量的时间思考如何构建薪金奖金计划来将员工的利益与公司利益一致。他们希望员工所做的不仅仅是完成自己在VDS的本职工作，而是在奖励的动力之下为不断改进公司而努力。
There are many components of compensation systems such as direct ( base pay， merit pay) and indirect (protection programs， paid time away from work). Here， VDS have combined two methods， commission and bonuses for each position within the organisation.
工资体制中有许多不同的组成部分，比如，有直接的(基本工资、业绩工资)和间接的(保险、带薪离职)。在VDS我们有两种方法：公司组织内的每个职位都有工资和提成。
Every full-time employee at VDS receives a base salary， a commission， and an annual bonus. Commissions and bonuses are a significant proportion of total compensation so base salaries are lower than the industry's average. In bad years， employees at VDS made less than their peers but in good years they made significantly more.
VDS的每一个全职员工都有基本工资、提成和年度奖金。提成和奖金在全部工资中的比例很高，所以基本工资比业界的平均水平要低。状况不好的时候VDS的员工比业界其他人的收入要低一些，但状况好的时候，他们比其他人挣的要高出许多。
In terms of commission， each job type has a different evaluation in commission policy. For example， sale representatives and administrative employees get commission based on the percentage of revenue they get from sales whereas specialists earn commission by achieving set goals within their own field.
至于提成，提成政策对每个工作类型都有不同的提成评估。比如，销售代表和行政管理人员的提成是基于销售创收的百分比，而专业技术人员的提成是基于其本职工作的目标完成情况。
In the case of bonuses， the bonus can be paid by three different time periods namely， monthly， quarterly and annually for different departments within company.
奖金方面，根据时间段，公司内的各个部门有三种不同的奖金：月奖、季度奖金和年度奖金。
Annual bonuses are set by top management at the beginning of each year for all employees. It is a reward for exceeding performance compared to regular quotas. However， there is a difference in annual bonuses between sale representatives and specialists. Sale representatives receive annual bonuses based on their high performance compared with to specialists who are evaluated by their individual responsibilities， goals and tasks. In general， VDS have a reasonable compensation and bonus system for their employees. It encourages staff to be motivated to work hard to achieve their personal and organizational goals. VDS always aim to give the right re
ward to the right people， so everyone feels that they work in an unbiased environment.
每年，年度奖金是由最高管理层来为全体员工设立的。这是为了超出份额的业绩的奖励。然而，销售代表和技术人员的年奖是有所不同的。销售代表是基于其业绩得到年度奖金的，而技术人员是根据其个人职责、目标任务来评定的。总的来说VDS的员工工资及奖金体制是相当合理的。VDS一定致力于给适当的人以适当的回报，从而人人觉得工作的环境是公平的。
2.Empowerment at VDS VDS的授权
VDS's empowerment technique is to develop a workforce whom owns the organisation. They are trying to stimulate '“Buy-in” throughout the organization with the aim to empower the employees and give them responsibility of ownership so they work towards organisational goals. This technique helps to foster innovation， loyalty and retention.
The VDS empowerment strategy is simple，“ Developing a knowledge base in each employee of the company， mission， goals， tactics and plans that enabled them to take action and make decisions consistent with the company's strategy and values.” (Monsler， K. 1994. Pg 7)， they are trying to create an organisation that works together in a synergy， synergy meaning that the organisation and employees share and cooperate as a whole. VDS's empowerment tactics may be aligning the employees' goals and values with that of the organisation， but in doing so they are creating a very soft managerial system for the future.
VDS的授权体制是为了将员工培养成为机构的主人。目的是让所有员工融入公司这个整体，给员工以权力，让他们感受到有主人公的责任，从而才能朝着公司的共同目标迈近。这一体制可以激发创造力，让员工对公司更忠诚更愿意留在公司工作。VDS 授权策略很简单：“为公司的每一位员积累知识基础，制定任务、目标、策略、计划从而让员工行动起来，做出与公司策略和价值观一致的决策。”(Monsler， K. 1994. Pg 7)，这样的策略能让组织里的所有人共同协作，形成合力。协作意味着组织和员工共享一切，通力合作，成为一个整体。VDS的授权策略就是将员工与组织的目标与价值统一起来。不过这样做，就是形成一种非常软性的管理体系。
DS's empowerment system has taken many months to develop resulting in a low hierarchy structure throughout their organisation which means they expect their employees to make decisions for themselves. Unfortunately this has not become a success.
VDS的授权体制经历了几个月的时间才在全公司形成一套结构，并没有严格的等级限制，这也意味着各位员工可以自己做出决策。然而，这却并没有取得成功。
The system they have developed is missing one key component； direction from top management. The lack of guidance has a negative effect on the organisation which leads to employees having difficulty buying-in to the VDS philosophy. Many of the employees are also unaware of their stake in the organisation， therefore do not have a feeling of ownership within the VDS community， which is the exact opposite feeling of what the VDS empowerment culture is about.
这个体制缺少了一个关键的因素：来自最高管理层的指引。缺少了指导，对于组织有负面效应，导致员工很难真正融入VDS的理念。许多员工也没有意识到他们在公司中的作用和利益关系，所以也就没有VDS主人公的意识。而这种情况正是和VDS的授权文化背道而驰的。
The empowerment phrase used by VDS Management really focuses on aligning the goals of the employees to the organization， but， I personally think that empowerment means for individuals and groups to work together and adapt to the changing environment. (L.F.W. 2000) I believe that empowerment is enabling employees to feel their self-worth in an organisation， which should give them meaning， and a sense of direction together.
VDS管理的授权体制重点在将员工以及组织的目标统一起来，然而，我个人觉得授权应当指个人与群体共同协作以适应不断变化的环境。 我相信授权可以让员工感受到自己在组织中的价值，赋予其工作的意义，让员工们共同具有方向感。
Within VDS the employees seem to be heading in the right direction，
but they may be misguided in the correct direction. Although VDS has adhered to their vision of empowerment， they may have looked the other way when administering it. This can be seen in their low hierarchical structure， whereby the lack of guidance from above is not helping the situation. Not only this， but by giving the employees as much autonomy as possible， leads to a negative situation for the organisation.
在VDS中，员工们看起来都朝着正确的方向前进，但他们有可能在正确的方向上被误导。尽管VDS一直信奉授权的理念，在实践中，他们应当看看其他的方法。这可以从他们不严密的组织体系中看出来，缺少上层的指引对实际情况并无帮助。不仅如此，没有限制地给予员工决策和自治权也会带来不良的结果。
3.Low base salaries.
基本工资低
Paying low base salary policies can work in some organisations if implemented in the correct manner. In VDS the policy fits in with the philosophy of the company， giving employees empowerment and substantial decision-making authority， as well as expecting them to act in the interests of the firm. This policy has been tailored so that it attracts the 'entrepreneurial people' of the work force in helping the company expand. A low base salary technique is a great starting solution to boost a company but VDS will find that monetary rewards usually have a limited time-span in regard to their motivating effect (De Silva， 1998)， meaning that VDS's compensation scheme may have to be altered in the future to be more beneficial.
低基本工资政策如果实施得当，在一些组织内是适用的。在VDS里，这一策略符合公司的理念，给员工以权力和相当的决策权，也希望员工们为公司利益而服务。这一政策得到了一定的调整，以吸引“具有企业家精神的人”来帮助公司扩张。基本工资策略是让公司强大起来的一个不错的方案，但VDS中却发现酬金的动力效果并不持久。也就是说，VDS的工资制度在未来也许需要一些调整以取得更佳效果。
It is a fact that not all employees are motivated by money， but by other aspects such as challenging work， recognition by employers， variation of work， training and development opportunities. The VDS compensation scheme has been tailored to fit specific jobs， and so far because of the great performance from employees the pay has been above industry average. This scheme also allows the company to retain employees who are on a low base pay rather than laying off employees in difficult times who have a high base pay to cut down on costs. This action is often adopted by similar firms within the field.
坦然地说，并非所有的雇员都只是被钱所动，他们也会因为其他的因素而努力工作，比如：工作的挑战性、雇主的认同、工作的多样性、培训发展的机会。VDS的工资制度经过调整，以适应各个不同的工作岗位。至今，由于员工们的出色业绩，他们的收入也都是高于业界平均水平的。这一制度也可以为公司多储备留下人才，因为，只需付给他们较低的基本工资，而无须像高基本工资的体制中那样，在困难时期让员工下岗。业界的一些公司通常都会采取这样的行动。
Tyson is correct when he states that 'they only lose the people they don't want anyway'， because they would lose (or not even attract) people that are not willing to be pushed towards targets and goals as well as free riders who are not beneficial to any firm anyway. The downfall with low base salary compensation schemes， is that long term staff， which includes the reliable， loyal and more experienced employees may choose not to work for VDS for a long period of time if they know they cannot progress to a higher level of base pay.
Tyson 说过：“公司只流失公司不需要的人”。这话很有道理。因为公司流失的(不吸引的)人，都是不愿意朝目标而努力前行的人，还有“搭便车”的人，这类人都不会给公司带来任何益处。低基本工资制度的负面效应就是：长期工作的同工，那些可靠、忠实、有经验的员工可能就不愿意在VDS长期工作，因为他们觉得在这里工作基本工资没有提高的前景。
4.Commissions and bonuses for all employees.
针对所有员工的提成加奖金
All firms should not implement commissions and bonuses to all employees.
Commissions and bonuses can have negative and positive impacts on a firm. This is mainly due to commission and bonuses not being properly aligned with the internal business strategy which can often lead to in-house fighting and in turn have a negative impact on motivation within the firm.
不管哪家公司，都不该对所有的员工实施提成加奖金的政策。提成加奖金对于一家公司兼有正面和负面效应。这是因为提成加奖金和公司的内部商业战略不一致，常常会导致内讧，从而在公司内部造成消极心态。
When commissions and bonuses are not aligned with the business strategy， it can often lead to employees focusing on the wrong areas or types of work that will not lead to the greater good of the firm. This is due to the complex combination of being able to measure performance in jobs， i.e： an employees output and quality of work， relative to implementing and maintaining a bonus and commission strategy. An example in VDS of the commission and bonus scheme not working properly is within the PDM department， where some employees have a greater input to their work with little to output to show for it， therefore losing out on their commission and bonuses.
当提成与奖金不能和商业战略一致时，通常都会导致员工们把注意力错误地放在一些个人领域和不必要的工作上，不会给公司带来任何好处。其中原因就是衡量业绩的各种指标之复杂，比如，员工的产出、工作质量、及其他各种和奖金提成制度相关的指标。VDS提成奖金制度不成功的一个例子就是PDM部门，一些员工付出了很多，却没有相应多的产出，从而也没得到什么提成和奖金。
When commission and bonuses are not correctly aligned it can also discourage risk-taking as employees will tend to not try to diversify and take risks as it could potentially mean missing out on their commission or bonuses.
如果提成加奖金的制度不能很好的和实际情况挂钩，也会削减员工冒险的动力，因为他们可能预见到这些可能导致错失提成和奖金，员工就不会去冒险多做一些尝试。
It has been said that bonuses “do not create enduring commitment to any value or actions， they merely and temporarily change what we do.” (Kohn， A. Pg 56) . This shows that bonuses have a short term impact and cannot be relied on for long term motivation.
Hewlett Packard is an example of an organisation that has not properly implemented and aligned their bonus scheme with their business strategy.
有人说过：“不要对任何价值或行为给予长期的许诺，这些许诺只会暂时改变人们的行为”。这表明，奖金只有短期效果，不能作为长期的动力。Hewlett Packard 就是公司组织没有恰当地实施奖金制度，并没有把奖金制度和商业战略统一的一例子。
The upside of this theory is that， “Rewarding employees for performance pays off” (Milkovich & Newman， 2005， Pg 323). Commission and bonus packages can have a positive effect when properly aligned with an organisations business strategy， an example is when employees don't think they will be able to reach their own targets， they can still be motivated to reach team or organisational targets， making it possible to still end up with some sort of a bonus.
提成奖金制度的好处就是“以业绩来奖励员工能带来正面效果”。提成奖金制度如果和组织商业战略一致，实施得当，可以起正面作用。比如，当员工以为他们不能达成自己的目标时，他们仍有动力来达成组织的目标，因为这样他们最后也能得到一些奖励。
5.Analysis of PDM problem
PDM问题分析(PDM的中文名称为产品数据管理(Product Data Management)。 PDM是一门用来管理所有与产品相关信息(包括零件信息、配置、文档、CAD文件、结构、权限信息等)和所有与产品相关过程(包括过程定义和管理)的技术。)
There are a range of PDM problems within the VDS organisation； the most profound problem is that the PDM department lack any sort of organisational infrastructure. Several problems have contributed to the lack of infrastructure within the PDM department. The role of empowerment is a big issue between the top management at VDS and the employees，
with VDS wanting employees to act as owners who want the company to excel within the PDM market. There is a clear misunderstanding of what management want employees to do， “management expected employees to take initiative in making changes and improving the company.” (Monsler， K. 1994. Pg 14).
VDS组织中有一系列的PDM问题。最深刻的问题就是PDM部门缺少组织的基础设施。这是由几个问题造成的。授权是VDS高层管理与员工之间的一个大问题。VDS希望员工能像主人公一样工作，而员工也希望公司能在PDM市场上取得成功。显然，在管理层对于员工的期待方面，这里有所误解：“管理层希望员工能发挥主动性，做出改变，来让公司得以发展。”
VDS滑铁卢大揭秘
Management expect the department to increase profit without having any extra resources. With the department suffering from a low profit margin， they don't get anymore money granted to them for extra resources and without any extra resources they can't increase sales to increase profit. So it ends up being a vicious and frustrating circle for the PDM department.
管理层希望各部门能在额定的资源内盈利。部门的利润率过低，也得不到任何资金来购置额外的资源，没有额外的资源他们当然也无法提高销售和利润。所以，PDM部门整体就是一个恶性循环，困难重重。
Bill and Fred， the only two specialists within the PDM department， are both having trouble with the empowerment philosophy at VDS； they are constantly unsure of what is expected of them and scared of making managerial decisions without top management's recommendations.
Bill和Fred是PDM部门的仅有的两位技术人员，对VDS的授权理念都颇有不满。他 们一直都不太清楚对他们的期待是什么，没有高层管理者的建议也不敢做出管理上的决策。
Bill and Fred both agree that the sales force is not experienced enough to deal with the complexity of the modern PDM systems without any extra training. This is where another problem arises， top management have not taken into consideration the amount of extra training staff need to deal with PDM，
