5
Awards and pride
«Prize comes from the French word "pris" which
meant price, value, worth, reward, and is referred to
the part of the war spoils that are offered from the
leader or kind to a courageous hero. La “Legion of
Honor” (1802) was established for the first time by
Napoleon for the most valiant soldiers, both official
and simple soldiers. This kind of reward was particu-
larly effective in motivating people to individual and
collective acts of courage, and similar awards were
introduced by the other armies, like the English “Vic-
tory Cross”, the Prussian "Iron Cross", the Russian
"Order of Saint George" and the American "Medal of
Honour". During the World War II in Germany, Adolf
Hitler had a tight and astute control over the military
ranks and decorations, and also secretly assigned
donations by giving land and money to the highest-
ranked Generals. It was a deliberately calculated way
to compromise the integrity of the highest ranks,
creating divisions among individuals and preventing
any kind of internal opposition. "Award" also has a
French origin and indicates a public recognition, deci-
ded after a long examination by a competent and
independent panel which is external to the organiza-
tion. "Prize" and "Award" are two different concepts.
Certainly, all Dallara, myself and all the R&D engine-
ers are happy for this "Award", this recognition. And
individual or collective recognition, given by a panel
of external experts is a clever way to direct people's
competitive passion in a socially positive way».
Andrea Toso
