The value and role of tangible vs. intangible rewards is an ongoing argument. I’ve caused some of the disagreement myself with my post on Why Incentives Fail (but recognition works). Kevin Sensenig of Dale Carnegie & Associates recently summarized this issue well in the article “Human Potential Untangled”:
Are you still fighting the tangible vs. intangible battle in your organization? Both have their roles, but don’t confuse one with the other.