International Journal of Research and Innovation in Applied Science (IJRIAS)
The Political Economy of Rewards Management: A Critical Framework for Resource Allocation in Organizational and Political Systems
Published February 19, 2026 • Vol. 11, Issue 1, pp. 1428–1433Open Access
DOI: 10.51584/IJRIAS.2026.110100119
Abstract
This review article examines how principles of rewards management, as detailed in the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) Foundation's guide Implementing Total Rewards Strategies (Heneman, 2007), provide a microcosmic framework for analyzing the fundamental political science question: Who gets what, when, and how? By integrating classical political economy (Smith, 1776; Ricardo, 1817) with dependencies theory (Cardoso & Faletto, 1979; Dos Santos, 1970), we demonstrate how organizational reward systems function as allocation regimes that reproduce, negotiate, and occasionally transform broader structural inequalities. This analysis reveals rewards management as applied political economy, bridging theories of value, power, justice, and governance.
Keywords: Rewards Management, Political Economy and Resource Allocation
| Journal | International Journal of Research and Innovation in Applied Science (IJRIAS) |
|---|---|
| ISSN | 2454-6194 |
| Volume / Issue | Volume 11, Issue 1 |
| Pages | 1428–1433 |
| Publication date | February 19, 2026 |
| DOI | 10.51584/IJRIAS.2026.110100119 |
| Publisher | RSIS International |
| License | Open Access |
How to cite this article
Cosmus Kipketer Kemboi, & Gideon Kipchumba Kemboi (2026). The Political Economy of Rewards Management: A Critical Framework for Resource Allocation in Organizational and Political Systems. International Journal of Research and Innovation in Applied Science (IJRIAS), 11(1), 1428-1433. https://doi.org/10.51584/IJRIAS.2026.110100119
BibTeX
@article{Cosmus2026,
title = {The Political Economy of Rewards Management: A Critical Framework for Resource Allocation in Organizational and Political Systems},
author = {Cosmus Kipketer Kemboi and Gideon Kipchumba Kemboi},
journal = {International Journal of Research and Innovation in Applied Science (IJRIAS)},
volume = {11},
number = {1},
pages = {1428--1433},
year = {2026},
doi = {10.51584/IJRIAS.2026.110100119},
publisher = {RSIS International}
}