Which principle prescribes fairness and merit-based rewards?

• A. Be fair and impartial; give praise where praise is due, and censor those who deserve to be censored; reward employees only on the basis of their merits.
• B. Make sure all employees share a consistent long-term vision...
• C. Thoroughly analyze...
• D. Welcome challenges...

Answer: (A)

Fairness and merit-based rewards focus on impartial evaluation and tying recognition to actual performance. When a system clearly defines objective criteria, measures performance, and applies them consistently, employees trust that praise and compensation come from real contributions rather than favoritism. This principle says to recognize excellence by giving praise where it's due and address underperformance or misconduct appropriately, while ensuring rewards go to those whose work demonstrates merit. In practice, this builds motivation, helps retain high performers, and aligns individual actions with organizational goals because people know which outcomes and behaviors are valued and rewarded.

The other statements address maintaining a long-term vision, thorough analysis, or embracing challenges. While valuable, they don’t establish the mechanism for fair treatment or merit-based rewards that this principle emphasizes.