{"id":9603,"date":"2017-01-20T18:36:43","date_gmt":"2017-01-20T18:36:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/masterybusiness2xngcxmasterspring2016\/?post_type=chapter&#038;p=9603"},"modified":"2024-05-07T16:34:51","modified_gmt":"2024-05-07T16:34:51","slug":"reinforcement-theory","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-introductiontobusiness\/chapter\/reinforcement-theory\/","title":{"raw":"Reinforcement Theory","rendered":"Reinforcement Theory"},"content":{"raw":"<div class=\"textbox learning-objectives\">\r\n<h3>Learning Outcomes<\/h3>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>Explain how reinforcement theory can be used as a management tool<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<img class=\"alignright wp-image-9818\" src=\"https:\/\/s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/courses-images\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/143\/2017\/02\/02202022\/3239635945_c7c14a5cdc_o.jpg\" alt=\"small dog doing a trick\" width=\"350\" height=\"246\" \/>\r\n\r\nThe basic premise of\u00a0the theory of reinforcement is both simple and intuitive: An individual's behavior is a function of the\u00a0consequences of that behavior. You can think of it as simple cause and effect. If I work hard today, I'll make more money. If I make more money, I'm more likely to want to work hard. Such a scenario creates behavioral reinforcement, where the desired behavior is enabled and promoted by the desired outcome of\u00a0a behavior.\r\n\r\nReinforcement theory is based on work done by <strong>B. F. Skinner<\/strong> in the field of operant conditioning. The theory relies on four primary inputs, or aspects of operant conditioning, from the external environment. These four inputs are <strong>positive reinforcement<\/strong>, <strong>negative reinforcement<\/strong>, <strong>positive punishment<\/strong>, and <strong>negative punishment<\/strong>.\r\n\r\nThis following chart shows\u00a0the various pathways\u00a0of operant conditioning, which can be established\u00a0via reinforcement and punishment (both positive and negative for each).\r\n\r\n<img class=\"aligncenter wp-image-9621\" src=\"https:\/\/s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/courses-images\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/143\/2017\/01\/20185633\/operant_conditioning.png\" alt=\"Graphic showing five types of operant conditioning. Positive reinforcement is used to increase a behavior and is defined here as adding appetitive stimulus following correct behavior. An example of positive reinforcement would be giving a treat when a dog sits. Negative reinforcement is used to increase behavior with two methods shown: Escape and Active Avoidance. Escape is defined as removing noxious stimuli following correct behavior and an example of this would be turning off an alarm clock by pressing the snooze button. Active avoidance, on the other hand, is defined as behavior avoids noxious stimulus and an example of this is studying to avoid getting a bad grade. Positive punishment is used to decrease a behavior and is defined here as adding a noxious stimuli following undesired behavior. An example of positive punishment would be spanking a child for cursing. Negative punishment is used to decrease a behavior and is defined here as removing an appetitive stimulus following undesired behavior. An example of negative punishment would be telling a child to go to his room for cursing. Definitions of terms is also presented. \u201cPositive\u201d means presence of a stimulus. \u201cNegative\u201d means absence of a stimulus. \u201cReinforcement\u201d increases behavior. \u201cPunishment\u201d decreases behavior. \u201cEscape\u201d removes a stimulus. \u201cAvoidance\u201d prevents a stimulus.\" width=\"800\" height=\"728\" \/>\r\n<h2>Reinforcement<\/h2>\r\nPositive reinforcement attempts to increase the frequency of a behavior by rewarding that behavior. For example, if an employee identifies a new market opportunity that creates profit, an organization may give her a bonus. This will positively reinforce the desired behavior.\r\n\r\nNegative reinforcement, on the other hand, attempts to increase the frequency of a behavior by removing\u00a0something the individual doesn't like. For example, an employee demonstrates a strong work ethic and wraps up a few projects faster than expected. This employee happens to have a long commute. The manager tells the employee to go ahead and work from home for a few days, considering how much progress she has made. This is an example of removing a negative stimulus as way of reinforcing a behavior.\r\n\r\nReinforcement can be affected\u00a0by various factors, including\u00a0the following:\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li><strong>Satiation<\/strong>: the degree of need. If an employee is quite wealthy, for example, it may not be particularly reinforcing (or motivating)\u00a0to offer a bonus.<\/li>\r\n \t<li><strong>Immediacy<\/strong>: the time elapsed between the desired behavior and the reinforcement. The shorter the time between the two, the more likely it is that the employee will correlate the reinforcement with the behavior. If an employee does something great but isn't rewarded until two months after, he or she may not connect the desired behavior with the outcome. The reinforcement loses meaning and power.<\/li>\r\n \t<li><strong>Size<\/strong>: the magnitude\u00a0of a\u00a0reward or punishment can have\u00a0a big effect\u00a0on the degree\u00a0of response. For example, a bigger bonus often has\u00a0a bigger impact (to an extent; see the satiation factor,\u00a0above).<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nIn a management context, reinforcers include salary increases, bonuses, promotions, variable incomes, flexible work hours, and paid sabbaticals. Managers are responsible for identifying the\u00a0behaviors that should be promoted, the ones that\u00a0should be discouraged, and carefully considering how those behaviors relate to organizational objectives.\u00a0Implementing rewards and punishments that are aligned with\u00a0the organization's goals helps to create a more consistent, efficient work culture.\r\n\r\nOne particularly common positive-reinforcement technique is the incentive program, a formal scheme used to promote or encourage specific actions, behaviors, or results from employees during\u00a0a defined period of time. Incentive programs can reduce turnover, boost morale and loyalty, improve wellness, increase retention, and drive daily performance among employees. Motivating staff can,\u00a0in turn, help businesses increase productivity and meet goals.\r\n\r\nTo maximize the impact\u00a0of such a reinforcement, every feature of the incentive program must be tailored to the participants' interests. A successful incentive program contains\u00a0clearly defined rules, suitable rewards, efficient communication strategies, and measurable success metrics. By adapting each element of the program to fit the target audience, companies are better able to engage participating employees\u00a0and enhance the overall program efficacy.\r\n<h2>Punishment<\/h2>\r\nPositive punishment\u00a0is conditioning at its most straightforward: identifying a negative behavior and providing an adverse stimulus to discourage\u00a0future occurrences. A simple example would be suspending an employee for inappropriate behavior.\r\n\r\nThe purpose of punishment is to prevent future occurrences of a particular\u00a0socially unacceptable or undesirable behavior. According to deterrence theory, the awareness of a punishment can\u00a0prevent people from engaging in\u00a0the behavior. This can be accomplished either by\u00a0punishing someone immediately after the undesirable behavior, so they are reluctant to do it again, or by\u00a0educating people about the punishment preemptively, so they are inclined not to engage in the behavior at all. In a management context, punishment tools can include demotions, salary cuts, and terminations.\r\n<h2>Reinforcement and\u00a0Punishment in IT<\/h2>\r\nLet's look at an\u00a0IT sales team for a couple examples. The team's overarching goal is to sell their new software to businesses. The manager may want to emphasize sales to partners of a certain size (i.e., big contracts). To this end, the manager may reward team members who gain clients of 5,000 or more employees with a commission of 5 percent of the overall sales volume for each such partner. This reward reinforces the behavior of closing big contracts, strongly motivating team members to work toward that goal, and likely increases the total number of big contracts closed.\r\n\r\nNegative punishment entails\u00a0the removal or withholding of something in order to condition a response. For example, Nicole, an employee in the IT department prefers to work unconventional\u00a0hours, from\u00a010:30 a.m. to\u00a07 p.m. However, her\u00a0performance has been suffering lately. A negative punishment would be to revoke her\u00a0right to keep the preferred schedule\u00a0until performance improves.\r\n\r\nIn business organizations, punishment and deterrence theory play a vital role in shaping the work culture to be in line with operational expectations and to avoid conflicts and negative outcomes both internally and externally. If employees know exactly what they are <em>not<\/em> supposed to do, and they understand the possible repercussions of violating those expectations, they will generally try to avoid crossing the line. Prevention is a much cheaper and easier approach than waiting for something bad to happen, so preemptive education regarding rules\u2014and the penalties for violations\u2014is common practice, especially in the area of business ethics.\r\n<div class=\"textbox tryit\">\r\n<h3>Practice Question<\/h3>\r\nhttps:\/\/assess.lumenlearning.com\/practice\/949e5e03-368f-4234-903c-e3bf4817eb6b\r\n<\/div>","rendered":"<div class=\"textbox learning-objectives\">\n<h3>Learning Outcomes<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Explain how reinforcement theory can be used as a management tool<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright wp-image-9818\" src=\"https:\/\/s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/courses-images\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/143\/2017\/02\/02202022\/3239635945_c7c14a5cdc_o.jpg\" alt=\"small dog doing a trick\" width=\"350\" height=\"246\" \/><\/p>\n<p>The basic premise of\u00a0the theory of reinforcement is both simple and intuitive: An individual&#8217;s behavior is a function of the\u00a0consequences of that behavior. You can think of it as simple cause and effect. If I work hard today, I&#8217;ll make more money. If I make more money, I&#8217;m more likely to want to work hard. Such a scenario creates behavioral reinforcement, where the desired behavior is enabled and promoted by the desired outcome of\u00a0a behavior.<\/p>\n<p>Reinforcement theory is based on work done by <strong>B. F. Skinner<\/strong> in the field of operant conditioning. The theory relies on four primary inputs, or aspects of operant conditioning, from the external environment. These four inputs are <strong>positive reinforcement<\/strong>, <strong>negative reinforcement<\/strong>, <strong>positive punishment<\/strong>, and <strong>negative punishment<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>This following chart shows\u00a0the various pathways\u00a0of operant conditioning, which can be established\u00a0via reinforcement and punishment (both positive and negative for each).<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-9621\" src=\"https:\/\/s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/courses-images\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/143\/2017\/01\/20185633\/operant_conditioning.png\" alt=\"Graphic showing five types of operant conditioning. Positive reinforcement is used to increase a behavior and is defined here as adding appetitive stimulus following correct behavior. An example of positive reinforcement would be giving a treat when a dog sits. Negative reinforcement is used to increase behavior with two methods shown: Escape and Active Avoidance. Escape is defined as removing noxious stimuli following correct behavior and an example of this would be turning off an alarm clock by pressing the snooze button. Active avoidance, on the other hand, is defined as behavior avoids noxious stimulus and an example of this is studying to avoid getting a bad grade. Positive punishment is used to decrease a behavior and is defined here as adding a noxious stimuli following undesired behavior. An example of positive punishment would be spanking a child for cursing. Negative punishment is used to decrease a behavior and is defined here as removing an appetitive stimulus following undesired behavior. An example of negative punishment would be telling a child to go to his room for cursing. Definitions of terms is also presented. \u201cPositive\u201d means presence of a stimulus. \u201cNegative\u201d means absence of a stimulus. \u201cReinforcement\u201d increases behavior. \u201cPunishment\u201d decreases behavior. \u201cEscape\u201d removes a stimulus. \u201cAvoidance\u201d prevents a stimulus.\" width=\"800\" height=\"728\" \/><\/p>\n<h2>Reinforcement<\/h2>\n<p>Positive reinforcement attempts to increase the frequency of a behavior by rewarding that behavior. For example, if an employee identifies a new market opportunity that creates profit, an organization may give her a bonus. This will positively reinforce the desired behavior.<\/p>\n<p>Negative reinforcement, on the other hand, attempts to increase the frequency of a behavior by removing\u00a0something the individual doesn&#8217;t like. For example, an employee demonstrates a strong work ethic and wraps up a few projects faster than expected. This employee happens to have a long commute. The manager tells the employee to go ahead and work from home for a few days, considering how much progress she has made. This is an example of removing a negative stimulus as way of reinforcing a behavior.<\/p>\n<p>Reinforcement can be affected\u00a0by various factors, including\u00a0the following:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Satiation<\/strong>: the degree of need. If an employee is quite wealthy, for example, it may not be particularly reinforcing (or motivating)\u00a0to offer a bonus.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Immediacy<\/strong>: the time elapsed between the desired behavior and the reinforcement. The shorter the time between the two, the more likely it is that the employee will correlate the reinforcement with the behavior. If an employee does something great but isn&#8217;t rewarded until two months after, he or she may not connect the desired behavior with the outcome. The reinforcement loses meaning and power.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Size<\/strong>: the magnitude\u00a0of a\u00a0reward or punishment can have\u00a0a big effect\u00a0on the degree\u00a0of response. For example, a bigger bonus often has\u00a0a bigger impact (to an extent; see the satiation factor,\u00a0above).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>In a management context, reinforcers include salary increases, bonuses, promotions, variable incomes, flexible work hours, and paid sabbaticals. Managers are responsible for identifying the\u00a0behaviors that should be promoted, the ones that\u00a0should be discouraged, and carefully considering how those behaviors relate to organizational objectives.\u00a0Implementing rewards and punishments that are aligned with\u00a0the organization&#8217;s goals helps to create a more consistent, efficient work culture.<\/p>\n<p>One particularly common positive-reinforcement technique is the incentive program, a formal scheme used to promote or encourage specific actions, behaviors, or results from employees during\u00a0a defined period of time. Incentive programs can reduce turnover, boost morale and loyalty, improve wellness, increase retention, and drive daily performance among employees. Motivating staff can,\u00a0in turn, help businesses increase productivity and meet goals.<\/p>\n<p>To maximize the impact\u00a0of such a reinforcement, every feature of the incentive program must be tailored to the participants&#8217; interests. A successful incentive program contains\u00a0clearly defined rules, suitable rewards, efficient communication strategies, and measurable success metrics. By adapting each element of the program to fit the target audience, companies are better able to engage participating employees\u00a0and enhance the overall program efficacy.<\/p>\n<h2>Punishment<\/h2>\n<p>Positive punishment\u00a0is conditioning at its most straightforward: identifying a negative behavior and providing an adverse stimulus to discourage\u00a0future occurrences. A simple example would be suspending an employee for inappropriate behavior.<\/p>\n<p>The purpose of punishment is to prevent future occurrences of a particular\u00a0socially unacceptable or undesirable behavior. According to deterrence theory, the awareness of a punishment can\u00a0prevent people from engaging in\u00a0the behavior. This can be accomplished either by\u00a0punishing someone immediately after the undesirable behavior, so they are reluctant to do it again, or by\u00a0educating people about the punishment preemptively, so they are inclined not to engage in the behavior at all. In a management context, punishment tools can include demotions, salary cuts, and terminations.<\/p>\n<h2>Reinforcement and\u00a0Punishment in IT<\/h2>\n<p>Let&#8217;s look at an\u00a0IT sales team for a couple examples. The team&#8217;s overarching goal is to sell their new software to businesses. The manager may want to emphasize sales to partners of a certain size (i.e., big contracts). To this end, the manager may reward team members who gain clients of 5,000 or more employees with a commission of 5 percent of the overall sales volume for each such partner. This reward reinforces the behavior of closing big contracts, strongly motivating team members to work toward that goal, and likely increases the total number of big contracts closed.<\/p>\n<p>Negative punishment entails\u00a0the removal or withholding of something in order to condition a response. For example, Nicole, an employee in the IT department prefers to work unconventional\u00a0hours, from\u00a010:30 a.m. to\u00a07 p.m. However, her\u00a0performance has been suffering lately. A negative punishment would be to revoke her\u00a0right to keep the preferred schedule\u00a0until performance improves.<\/p>\n<p>In business organizations, punishment and deterrence theory play a vital role in shaping the work culture to be in line with operational expectations and to avoid conflicts and negative outcomes both internally and externally. If employees know exactly what they are <em>not<\/em> supposed to do, and they understand the possible repercussions of violating those expectations, they will generally try to avoid crossing the line. Prevention is a much cheaper and easier approach than waiting for something bad to happen, so preemptive education regarding rules\u2014and the penalties for violations\u2014is common practice, especially in the area of business ethics.<\/p>\n<div class=\"textbox tryit\">\n<h3>Practice Question<\/h3>\n<p>\t<iframe id=\"assessment_practice_949e5e03-368f-4234-903c-e3bf4817eb6b\" class=\"resizable\" src=\"https:\/\/assess.lumenlearning.com\/practice\/949e5e03-368f-4234-903c-e3bf4817eb6b?iframe_resize_id=assessment_practice_id_949e5e03-368f-4234-903c-e3bf4817eb6b\" frameborder=\"0\" style=\"border:none;width:100%;height:100%;min-height:300px;\"><br \/>\n\t<\/iframe>\n<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t <section class=\"citations-section\" role=\"contentinfo\">\n\t\t\t <h3>Candela Citations<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t <div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t <div id=\"citation-list-9603\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t <div class=\"licensing\"><div class=\"license-attribution-dropdown-subheading\">CC licensed content, Original<\/div><ul class=\"citation-list\"><li>Revision and adaptation. <strong>Authored by<\/strong>: Linda Williams and Lumen Learning. <strong>License<\/strong>: <em><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"license\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/4.0\/\">CC BY-SA: Attribution-ShareAlike<\/a><\/em><\/li><li>Practice Question. <strong>Authored by<\/strong>: Nina Burokas. <strong>Provided by<\/strong>: Lumen Learning. <strong>License<\/strong>: <em><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"license\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/\">CC BY: Attribution<\/a><\/em><\/li><\/ul><div class=\"license-attribution-dropdown-subheading\">CC licensed content, Shared previously<\/div><ul class=\"citation-list\"><li>Boundless Business. <strong>Provided by<\/strong>: Boundless. <strong>Located at<\/strong>: <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/boundless-business\">https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/boundless-business<\/a>. <strong>License<\/strong>: <em><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"license\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/4.0\/\">CC BY-SA: Attribution-ShareAlike<\/a><\/em><\/li><li>Boundless Management. <strong>Provided by<\/strong>: Boundless. <strong>Located at<\/strong>: <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/boundless-management\/\">https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/boundless-management\/<\/a>. <strong>License<\/strong>: <em><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"license\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/4.0\/\">CC BY-SA: Attribution-ShareAlike<\/a><\/em><\/li><li>Dog Trick. <strong>Authored by<\/strong>: Keith Bacongco. <strong>Located at<\/strong>: <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/kitoy\/3239635945\/\">https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/kitoy\/3239635945\/<\/a>. <strong>License<\/strong>: <em><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"license\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/\">CC BY: Attribution<\/a><\/em><\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t <\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t <\/div>\n\t\t\t <\/section>","protected":false},"author":163,"menu_order":13,"template":"","meta":{"_candela_citation":"[{\"type\":\"cc\",\"description\":\"Boundless Business\",\"author\":\"\",\"organization\":\"Boundless\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/boundless-business\",\"project\":\"\",\"license\":\"cc-by-sa\",\"license_terms\":\"\"},{\"type\":\"cc\",\"description\":\"Boundless Management\",\"author\":\"\",\"organization\":\"Boundless\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/boundless-management\/\",\"project\":\"\",\"license\":\"cc-by-sa\",\"license_terms\":\"\"},{\"type\":\"original\",\"description\":\"Revision and adaptation\",\"author\":\"Linda Williams and Lumen Learning\",\"organization\":\"\",\"url\":\"\",\"project\":\"\",\"license\":\"cc-by-sa\",\"license_terms\":\"\"},{\"type\":\"cc\",\"description\":\"Dog Trick\",\"author\":\"Keith 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