===================== HES POSTING =================== With regard to the introduction of 'incentives' into the economic vocabulary, an interesting item to look at may be a book published in 1922 by J.A. Hobson, entitled 'Incentives in the New Social Order'. I do not have a copy ready at hand and it some time ago since I looked into it, but as far as I remember Hobson explains in the introduction that - contrary to what critics claim - the New Social Order (described as a mixture of guild socialism, syndicalism, etc.) will not damage "economic incentives". If my memory serves well, one of the chapters bears the title 'Incentives in the Labour Market' - or something like that. Walter Van Trier Research Unit On Labour Economics Seso - Ufsia, University of Antwerp ============ FOOTER TO HES POSTING ============ For information, send the message "info HES" to [log in to unmask]