"Motivation is based on giving people an appropriate combination of rewards. "
 

I find this superficially attractive but dangerously simplistic.  It would be too easy to imply that employees are self-centered individuals who are in it for their own benefit.  Now, if you ignore rewards and get the benefits package wrong then you will have a problem.  But, my overwhelming experience is that pay really is a hygiene factor.  Get it wrong and you de-motivate but once you have it right then you can't continue to use it to motivate.  Rather people want to do a good, interesting, valuable job that is appreciated by customers, their peers, and management alike.  

As I say, the rest of the article builds a much more rounded compelling argument but I found this high level sentence to be a dangerous trap.

We often find organisations using our performance appraisal software - and even our 360 degree feedback solutions - as a method of linking pay to performance.  We always support clients in those initiatives.  We always caution that it forms one small part of the benefits of 360 and appraisal and needs to be part of a wider initiative if the aim is to improve organisational performance.

Brendan