OB

1. Learning in Organizations

2. Principles of learning
 Reinforcement
 Punishment

3. Reinforcement
 Reinforcement – It refers to a stimulus
which strengthens the probability of a
particular response being repeated.
 2 types of reinforcers:
1. Positive
2. Negative

4. Positive Reinforcement
 Positive reinforcement increases the
probability that a behavior will occur by
administering a positive consequence
when the behavior is performed.
 Example – Individuals that meet their
weekly sales quotas receive a Rs.500
bonus.

5. Negative Reinforcement
 Negative reinforcement increases the
probability that a behavior will occur by
removing a negative consequence
when the behavior is performed.
 Example: You make sure you complete
all of your assignments so that your
boss won’t come and scold you.

6. Positive v. Negative
Reinforcement
Behavior Positive Consequence
Negative Consequence
Behavior
+
--

7. Law of effect
 Edward L. Thorndike
 It states that responses followed by
pleasant consequences are more likely
to be repeated, while responses
followed by unpleasant consequences
are less likely to be repeated.

8. Difference between positive, negative
reinforcement and punishment
Positive reinforcement
Negative reinforcement
Punishment
Punishment
Stimulus
Removed/
withheld
Stimulus
presented
Behavior encouraged Behavior suppressed

9. OB MOD (Robert Kreitner and Fred
Luthans)
Organizational Behavior Modification (OB
MOD) – “is a program where managers
identify performance –related employee
behaviors and then implement an
intervention strategy to strengthen
desirable behaviors and weaken
undesirable behaviors”

10. Basic steps of OB MOD
1. Identify critical performance behaviors
2. Measure critical performance
behaviors
3. Perform Functional Analysis of the
behaviors
4. Develop effective intervention Strategy
5. Evaluation of the intervention strategy
to ensure performance improvement.

11. Step 1-Identification of critical
behaviors
 Some behaviors may be critical for a
particular job like absenteeism or
attendance, tardiness or promptness,
complaints or constructive criticism,
doing or not doing a particular task.
 These can be identified through the
discussion with a particular employee
and his immediate superior.

12. Step 2-Measurement of critical
performance behavior
 A base line measure is identified by
determining the number of times a
particular behavior is exhibited
 The behaviors are measured in terms of
the rate at which these are occurring.
 If the rate is within the acceptable limits
no action may be required.

13. Step 3- Functional analysis of
behavior
 Using the ABC model
 A (antecedents) B (Behavior)
C ( Consequences)
 Antecedents are called activators that
prompt a person to act in a particular
manner. It can be policies, goals,
directives, announcements, training
programs, procedures etc.

14.  B (Behavior) in order to realize
organizational goals, employees are
required to behave in a particular
manner. It can be to write reports, get
orders, attend meetings etc.
 C (consequences) used to control the
behavior. Are the instruments that help
the managers to shape the behaviors of
the employees

15. Step 4- Intervention
 Identification of the critical behaviors to
be changed and the factors that cause
such behaviors will determine the
development of an appropriate
intervention.
 Intervention is the action taken for
changing the undesirable critical
behaviors.

16.  The most important intervention
strategies for achieving the objective
are Positive reinforcement and
punishment- positive reinforcement.

17. Step 5 -Evaluation
 To evaluate whether the intervention
strategies are working or not.
 The changed behavior can be
compared to the baseline behavior and
deviations can be noted.
 Four levels of evaluation: Reaction,
learning, behavioral change and
performance improvement.

18.  Reaction: refers to the response of the
people on whom the intervention is
being carried out.
 Learning: seeks to discover whether the
people using the OB Mod process
understands the reasons, background
and the assumptions.

19.  Behavioral change : examines whether there
has been any change in the behavior of the
users of the OB Mod process.
 Performance improvement: assessed on the
basis of the data obtained on parameters
such as quality and quantity, turnover,
absenteeism, customer complaints, employee
grievances, rate of return in investments.