HRM 601 Organizational Behavior

1. HRM 601 Organizational Behavior Session 4 Learning & Its Applications

2. Learning • A relatively permanent change in behavior resulting from experience • Learning and performance -- Performance is an indirect measure of learning but is influenced by other factors such as motivation and fatigue

3. Learning In Organizations • Formal learning • skill training • orientation • rules and regulations • Informal learning • norms • attitudes • shortcuts in doing your job

4. CLASSICAL CONDITIONING Classical Conditioning conditioned stimulus unconditioned stimulus reflex learned conditioned response unconditioned response Time 1 Time 2

5. Some Basics • Extinction -- eliminating the response • Generalization -- extending the response to similar stimuli • Discrimination -- limiting the response to a specific stimulus • Higher order conditioning -- extending the response to remote conditioned stimuli

6. Operant Conditioning CONSE- QUENCE ANTECED- ENT BEHAVIOR Positive reinforcement ex. attention Negative reinforcement ex. anxiety A cue about consequences ex. advice Desired organizational behavior ex. promptness

7. Qualities Of Reinforcement • Immediate Vs. delayed • Contrived Vs natural • Large Vs small • Relative size

8. Reinforcement Schedules • Interval schedules -- time based • fixed interval: ex. salary • variable interval: ex. spot inspections • Ratio schedules -- performance based • fixed ratio: ex. piece rate • variable ratio: ex. gambling on slot machines

9. Shaping • Reinforcement of successive approximations of desired behavior • ex. shaping neatness by rewarding behaviors which gradually move towards keeping a workplace neat

10. Traps & Fences • Traps -- behaviors with short term gain, long term pain • smoking, eating sweets, procrastination • Fences -- behaviors with short term lack of consequence or even mildly aversive consequence • flossing, getting right on the job, eating broccoli

11. Punishment/Discipline • Defined -- the application of aversive or unpleasant consequences to a behavior. A punishment reduces the likelihood of a behavior occurring. • Like a negative reinforcer, it is unpleasant but a negative reinforcer strengthens and sustains behaviors. Punishment/Discipline weakens and eliminates behaviors.

12. Problems In The Process • Is it truly punishment? • Is the timing delayed? • Is the punishment strong enough

13. A Case Against Punishment • It requires monitoring • It is wasteful of supervisor’s time • It only suppresses behavior • It has undesirable side effects • fear, hostility, revenge • Nonetheless it is essential

14. Effective Punishment/Discipline • Apply Before the Behavior Takes Root • Make It Quick and Strong Enough • Punish the Act, Not the Person • It Should Be Consistent Across Time and People • It Should Have Informational Value • It Is More Effective in a Warm and Supportive Relationship

15. Observational Learning • Learning by watching • Distinctiveness of the theory • cognitive • vicarious learning • motivation • active • efficient

16. Vicarious Learning • Modeling • Ability and practice • Vicarious reinforcement

17. Motivation • Self-efficacy -- self-judgment concerning ability to perform an act. • positive enactment • modeling • coaching

18. Self-control • Arrange work environment so that negative behaviors are reduced and positive ones increased. Engineer your antecedents (signals) for effective behavior • Self-reward -- use more preferred activities as a reward for accomplishing less preferred ones.