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Management Practices and Organisational Behaviour

Notes such as money, social approval and responsibility. Thus the behavior of organisational participants
can be turned towards the results desired including efficient productive efforts. It has been
increasingly efficient productive efforts. It has been increasingly applied to a variety of
organisations including business firms.

9.5.1 Stages in Reinforcement

Reinforcement proceeds in three stages. First, the superior gives frequent positive reinforcement
based on feedback from subordinate's performance, shaping their performance by constructive
suggestion is infrequent and the use of praise. In the second stage reinforcement is infrequent
and given at unpredictable times. Finally supervisory reinforcement is reduced greatly, allowing
task accomplishment to become the subordinates primary souses of reward. All this call for
training supervisors in reinforcement methods getting them to accept the psychology involved.
Stages that is ideal, that has proved difficult to reach in May eases.

Those methods have been extensively used in the Amery air freight corporation. Its programs
begin with a performance audit to measure the individuals current result. Work standards are
then adjusted established by the supervisors, Subordinates keep performance records which are
then scrutinized by their supervisors to recognize praise and reward goods results ant to criticize
poor results. The program met with the difficulty that the progress reports remained necessary
the envisaged natural reinforcement. The company has nevertheless deemed the program
successful.

Organisation Behavior Modification is a controversial technique, chiefly because of its implication
of manipulation and control over people. It runs counter to beliefs in freedom and freewill and
makes and environments the basis of control. But skinner believes that the feeling of freedom is
the important thing and that the individual feels free when he can act to avoid a negative
reinforcement or to obtain a positive reinforcement. Indeed the use of this technique appears to
be promising and productive.

9.5.2 Principles of Reinforcement

Reinforcement has played a central role in learning. Most learning experts agree that reinforcement
is the single most important principle of learning. Yet, there is much controversy over its
theoretical explanation. The first major theoretical treatment given to reinforcement in learning
is Thorndike's classic law of effect. According to Thorndike, "of several responses made to the
same situation, those which are accompanied or closely followed by satisfaction (reinforcement)
……… will be more likely to recur; those which are accompanied or closely followed by
discomfort (punishment). …………Will be less likely to occur". From a strictly empirical
standpoint, most behavioural scientists, generally accept the validity of this law. Therefore,
reinforcement is the attempt to develop or strengthen desirable behaviour by either bestowing
positive consequences or withholding negative consequences.
Reinforcement is the process by which certain types of behaviours are strengthened. It is the
attempt to develop or strengthen desirable behaviour by either bestowing positive consequences
or withholding negative consequences. Thus, a "reinforcer" is any stimulus that causes certain
behaviour to be repeated or inhibited. By introducing some rein forcers, the organisations can
maintain or increase the probability of such behaviours as quality oriented performance, decision-
making, high level of attendance and punctuality and so on. There are four basic reinforcement
strategies:

1. Positive reinforcement
2. Negative reinforcement

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