Application Reinforcement Theory By Managers To Shape Employees Behaviours Business Essay

Application bread and butter Theory By Managers To Shape Employees Behaviours Business EssayINTRODUCTIONThe aim of this paper is to explain the lotion of bread and butter theory by the managers to shape employees appearances in order to stamp down restraining forces of change in an organization.Goal is to explain the managerial aspect of applying reinforcement theory.For better explanation, many basic fundamentals of Organizational Behavior and Organizational Development will be utilise with special reference to reinforcement theory and how managers should apply strategies in lessening resistance to change amongst employees.Purpose is to help us better ascertain organisational carriage and organizational development techniques and theory and how to implement them in an organization.I will be including wholly the essential components of reinforcement theory,its principle,its application as how it should be implemented by managers,what be the restraining forces that comes in the way during changes and how concern should try to overcome it.Reinforcement is an extremely important principle of conditioning used by managers to influence their employees in an organization. It is the process of shaping behaviour by controlling its consequences.Reinforcement theory is sometimes known as operant conditioning as it focuses on th relationship between operant appearance and associated consequences.Continuous reinforcement strategies be implemented to oblige employees desire to work as they loose their interest in work over long block of time. Hence focussing should use the reinforcement strategies and theories to motivate their employees and benefit their organization to achieve desire results.ORGANISATIONAL BEHAIOUR THEORIESOrganizational theories helps to motivate workers and employees so that they cease perform their jobs in the best possible manner contributing to overall development of the organization. These provide courage and motivation to the e mployees in order to improve their works skills.There are two best known names for the development of theories -Parlov who developed theory of classical conditioning andSkinner who developed theory of instrumental conditioning.CLASSICAL conditionClassical Conditioning is the type of learning made famous by Pavlovs experiments with dogs. It is used by trainers to condition (train) autonomic responses, such as the drooling, producing adrenaline, or cut back adrenaline (calming) without using the stimuli that would naturally create such a response and, to create an association between a stimulant drug that normally would not beget any effect on the animal and a stimulus that would. Classical conditioning reflects how an organism learns to transfer a natural response from one stimulus to an former(a). It is association between two stimuli.This theory is difficult to explain wide variety of observable human behavior, specially issues involving complexity. It does not allow for choice in the response options available to humans and applied in daily life. It deals with cognitive thought process.OPERANT CONDITIONINGOperant conditioning forms an association between a behavior and consequences. This process has a wider application than the classical conditioning approach as it provides shaping of behavior in special(a) patterns. The basic assumption of operant conditioning is that behavior is influenced by its consequencesOne of the distinctive aspects of Skinners theory is that it attempted to provide behavioral explanations for a broad range of cognitive phenomena. For example, Skinner explained learn (motivation) in terms of deprivation and reinforcement schedules.PRINCIPLES OF OPERANT CONDITIONINGSome of the important principles of operant conditioning that green goddess aid the manager to influence behavior-POSITIVE rewardManagers often use validating reinforcer to influence behavior. A unconditional reinforcer is a stimulus which,when added to the situa tion,strengthens the probability of a behavioral response. It can be used to improve employees performance.Positive reinforcement is highly effective and used for two reasons. Firstly, it is used for the direction or motivation of the actions of other people and secondly it uses versatile concept of reinforcement as an explanation of behavior. Many organizations uses validating reinforcements to amplify productivity, lower absenteeism and workplace accidents.For Eg. An insurance company offered incentives at end of each month if the agent succeed to reach their target. Another example,chemical bank has set up programs to positively reinforce employee actions that lead to better client service.Positive reinforcement can be monetary rewards as well as non financial rewards such as recognition,merchandise incentives and so forthWhen positive reinforcements are used, the desire outcome is that the behavior is reinforced.NEGATIVE REINFORCEMENTNegative reinforcement increases the fre quence of a response following removal of a disconfirming reinforcer nowadays after the response. It strengthens the response as response removes some painful stimulus and enables the organization to avoid it.For example, exerting high degrees of efforts to complete a job whitethorn be negatively reinforced by not listening to boss.PUNISHMENTIt relates to awful reward for particular behaviors. It is defined as presenting an uncomfortable consequence for a particular behavioral response. It is increasingly used managerial strategy. This forms of reinforcements decreases the occurrence of the behavior in question.Organizations typically use some(prenominal) types of unpleasant planets to punish individuals.Interpersonal punisher are used extensively including frowns,grunts,personal grudges and aggressive body language of an employee.Punishments can in addition be materialistic i.e, cut in pay, demotion, final punishment can be pocket of an employee,transfer to another job,etcF or example, punishing a worker who slows down the work may be an economically necessary flavour to alter behavior, another example can be loss of pay.There can be negative affects of punishment,it can cause undesirable emotional reaction,another problem is control of undesirable behavior becomes dependent to managers presence only.EXTINCTIONExtinction can be defined as decline in response rate because of non reinforcement.It refers to stopping of the reinforcement,firstly it leads to reduction n at last omission of reinforcement.An example would be if an employee is not acknowledged despite of his or her tremendous work,he will finally stop doing so. This form of reinforcement decreases the occurrence of the behavior in question.An important base for all these important principle is Thorndikes classic law of effect.Managers must strategically balance between the use of pleasant and unpleasant events occurring in an organization in order to meet their desired outcomes. However po sitive management procedures dominates in any well-run organization.Before applying reinforcements in an organization,managers also indispensableness to know as to when reinforcements should be used in order to influence level and rate of continued repetition of desired behavior.For this it is important to know the Schedules of Reinforcement.SCHEDULES OF REINFORCEMENTIn an organization it is very essential to time the rewards and punishment and timing of these outcomes is known as reinforcement scheduling. There are different results of timing and frequency of reinforcement. Reinforcement schedules is widely used to explain different process of workplace such as absenteeism,motivation,different payment systems.Continuous and Intermittent ReinforcementContinuous reinforcements centre that the behavior is reinforced each time it occurs and is the simplest schedule of reinforcement. If the reinforcement does not occur after each response ,an intermittent reinforcement schedule is wo rld used.Ferster and Skinner argued that there are two basic types of intermittent schedules. First there are those schedules in which reinforcement occurs at fixed mo of desired responses,secondly, there are schedules where reinforcements occurs regularly or irregularly. By combining these two ideas four intermittent schedules are made which they believe has different effects on behaviors.Four types of intermittent schedules are -1. Fixed Interval ScheduleIn fixed interval schedule,a constant amount of time should pass before a reinforcer is provided. In other words behavior pattern almost stops after a reward until the next interval .An example may be praise employees performance once a week and not at other times or payment of employees must be through weekly,biweekly or monthly. This is an monetary reinforcement that comes at the specific period of time.2. variable star Interval ScheduleIt represents changes in th amount of time between reinforcer. shifting reinforcer varies i n time and predictability.Examples of variable interval schedules would be managers giving special recognition to employees for successfully completing projects and promoting them to higher-level positions . If the manager does not changes its schedule,employee would anticipate his tours and accommodate their behavior accordingly to be rewarded.3. Fixed Ratio ScheduleIn fixed ratio schedule ,the behavior which you desire must occur number of times specifically before reinforcement takes place. It produces high reinforce rate at closing of reinforcements.For example,paying employees weekly checks that is determined to be paid in pass judgment time.4. Variable Ratio ScheduleUnlike fixed ratio,variable ratio schedule varies in the number of repetitions of desired behavior. There is a high rate of responding in this schedule. Managers often uses variable ratio with praise and recognition.For example ,In an organization bonuses or special awards are given after varying numbers of desir ed behaviors .Variable ratio schedules produces desired behavioral change which is consistent and very resistant to extinction.ORGANISATION APPLICATION OF BEHAVIOURAL MODIFICATIONOrganizational behavioral modification is a more general term coined to designate the systematic reinforcement of desirable organizational behavior and the non reinforcement or punishment of unwanted organizational behavior.It is base on an assumption that behavior is more important than psychological causes (needs, values,motives held by individuals)(7)Application of behavior modification in organization follows step by step process-1. Managers must define and identify the behavior specifically. When a behavior is observable and can be recorded then it is being pinpointed. To be pinpointed as an important behavior,there must be positive answers to these questions can it be seen ?Can it be measured?2. Pinpointed behaviors must be counted by the managers as it provides a clear vista of the strength of the behavior at the present or before change situation. By graphing these data ,managers can determine whether behavior is increasing or decrease or remaining at the same.3. ABC abridgment should be conducted any managers of an organization. ABC refers to antecedents (analyzing antecedents of actual behavior), behavior (pinpointing critical behavior) and consequences (indicates contingent consequences).This helps managers to analyze performance analysis questions significant in programs. Questions may be-Antecedents Does the employer know what is expected? Have they been communicated? Are they clear about the standards?Behavior Can the behavior be performed? Could the employee do it if his or her life is dependent on it? Does something prevent its occurrenceConsequences Are the consequences weighted in regard of performance? Do we note improvement even though the improvements may still leavethe employee below company standards? Is the reinforcement specific?4. Manager describes action plan and strategies after setting the first triad steps. The strategies for strengthening desirable performance and weaken undesirable behaviors are positive reinforcers, negative reinforcers, punishment and extinction.Generally managers draws to use positive reinforcement in applying behavior modification programs but identifying it is not so easy. It can be identified by asking subordinates whats rewarding and another method can be by doing surveys asking about job preferences.5. The last steps involves evaluation. This step is essential as it tells manager to review changes in behavior before the implementation of the program. paygrade permits managers to measure performance on an ongoing basis. It also provide feedback to managers which help them to take corrective measures if any.Behavior modification helps to understand workplace behavior by making connections between stimulus,response and contingencies. Reinforcement theory is an important explanation of how people learn behavior. It is often applied to organizational settings in the form of a behavioral modification program. Although the assumptions of reinforcement theory are often criticized, its principles continue to offer important insights into individual learning and motivation.Assessing behavioral modification programmes in an organization has evolved a technique known as meta analysis. This collect studies using different sample sizes and weight them accordingly. One meta analysis of a larger number of studies found a 93 percent success rate which appeared in different target behavior and organizational settings.Organizational behavior modification is used widely among several organizations which includes united air lines,General electric, Proctor and Gamble, Michigan bell telephone etc. Organizational behavior modification is making and can make a positive contribution to organizational behavior. Absenteeism rates,quality of productions and employee safety behaviors appear to improve more often than not when using Organizational behavior modification.Hence a manager should understand that the employees are the most important aspect of an organization success, and towards the realization of its goals and so every employee must be motivated in doing his function. Motivation is significant means in persuading a certain employee to work at his best . Therefore, it is essential that reinforcement strategies should be continuously conceptualized and implemented in order to sustain employees positive attitude towards his work.Employees tend to loose their interest in their work over long periods of time so continuous reinforcement strategies are implemented to sustain employees desire to finish their job.The strategies are based on Douglas McGregors two different assumptions (Theories X and Y). There must be continuous coercion and control of employees. They must be directed always on what to do.Continuous monthly reward must be given to employees to boost their self conf idence and improve organizations desired outcome.By using certain theories and strategies ,managers can help in reinforcing their employees by fulfilling their needs, giving them bonuses,treating them equitably,making them satisfied ,more goal oriented and focused, resulting in high outputs to an organization.RESTRAINING FORCES BLOCKING instruction execution OF CHANGE IN EMPLOYEESKurt Lewin ,developed a management technique known as Force field analysis and is used to overcome resistance to change in an organization.According to Lewin, there are driveway and restraining forces which influence any change that may occur in a situation.Driving forcesDriving forces are forces that tends to start a change and keeps it going. pressure from a supervisor, competition may be some examples of driving forces in an organization.Restraining forces are forces acting to restrain or decrease the driving forces. For example, poor maintenance of equipment may restraining forces against increased p roduction in an organization.In a group process, there are always some forces that favor the change and some forces that are against it. Therefore an equilibrium should be established and it is reached when the sum of the driving forces equals the sum of the restraining forces.To make the employees accept the changes, manager should push driving forces and convert or immobilize the restraining forces.HINDRANCES TO OD CHANGE PROGRAMSUncertainty regarding changeEmployees resist change due to the uncertainty and ambiguity associated with the old ways of doing things. Generally,people tend to become more independent and active as they grow older and wiser in a firm. They become anxious accepting changes,they have fear of unknown.they are filled with insecurity due to lack of information in new techniques.Threats To Position PowerThis type of threat is often seen in top management,which menace them to lower their status or prestige in a group during the process of change.Social FactorsE very individual have social needs. While working in an organization employee becomes members of certain informal group and so,any change or new adjustment will bring a fear among them. The stronger the group ties,the great the resistance of change.Threat to specialization.Any change in organization may also threaten the expertise of specialized groups. For example, giving specialized training to all the employees was perceived as a threat by the experts in an organization.Threat to insecuritySafety and security are high priority for every individual. and this is the study factor for resistance to change especially on the job front. When employees feel that the security of the job is at the stake due to the change, they resist it.WAYS TO fall RESISTANCEIt is very important for the managers to overcome the resistance of change in employees by using some of the following strategies-Effective CommunicationOne of the frontmost reason for resistance to change is inaccurate information or in other words lack of communication.Thus effective communication program can help in overcoming this resistance. Managers should give necessary information about any change, its process and its working through training class and conferences. Reasons for change must also be communicated very clearly among employees. This will help in making employees understand about the necessity of change in an organization.conflict and InvolvementParticipation and involvement can help employee to accept changes in an organization. It helps in removing their doubts and to win their cooperation in the change process. This involvement of the workers can obtain personal commitment and increase the quality of the changed decisions.Negotiation and AgreementNegotiation and Agreement technique is very useful and can make change go much smoothly. For example, union agreement, transferring employee to other divisions etc.LeadershipLeadership plays an important role in overcoming resistance to change. A capable leader can reinforce a climate of psychological support for change. A strong and effective leader can exert emotional pressure on his subordinates to bring about the desired change. (8)CoercionManagers may choose to coercion if all other methods fail. Coercion may be in form of explicit or implicit threats involving loss of jobs, lack of promotion, etc.Managers sometimes dismiss employees who resist change. It can seriously affect employees attitudes and may also have adverse consequences in the long run.Managers consider change to be an important ingredient to the success of any organization and therefore it is extremely essential for them to overcome restraining forces of change amongst their employees ,using such strategies and techniques. Gaining acceptance of proposed changes is the foremost job of the management as it directly focuses on Organizational Development.It is not the strongest of the species that survive nor the mostintelligent but the one most responsive t o change Charles DarwinCONCLUSIONReinforcement theory deals with motivating and influencing behavior of employee. It is sometimes also referred as operant conditioning. In order to understand manager and employees perspective it is important to know the organizational behavior techniques and theory.Reinforcement theory shapes individual behaviors and so organization uses this theory to influence their employees. There are several principle of this theory which include positive reinforcement which is in terms of some monetary reward or non financial rewards,negative reinforcement which include dismissal or some kind of negative activity taken by managers, punishment and extinction.Then it is also important to understand as to when this theory should be applied by the management and so its scheduling is also significant aspect. Reinforcement scheduling can be continuous schedule or intermittent schedule.Further this paper focuses on application of this organizational behavior theory b y the managers ,explaining managers actions and controls.It also focuses on restraining forces blocking implementation of changed program established by manager and later it also describes how to overcome resistance to these changes.