[Nullifidian]

Originally Posted by alloyus

@spitfire: I will say that being paid would obviously make the judges punctual, but that's human nature. In my opinion, if you volunteer for something, you're obligated to get it done and get it done on time if there's a deadline.

It's basic psychology and it's not that payment makes judges punctual per se, but it's boosts motivation. It's not just human nature, but nature of every living creature. It doesn't even have to be payment in the form of money.
Reward for a job well done = motivation boosts
No reward for a job well done = motivation diminishes

A reward can be compensation, recognition or meaning, but all three are connected. If you get payment but no recognition or meaning, you'll want to quit very soon cause it's a dead end. If you get recognition but no payment or meaning, same as before and it's a financial waste of time as well. If you get meaning and no payment or recognition, your motivation will drain with every job done because you don't get recognized for what you're doing + financial waste of time.