Reinforcement Theory - Obod

University of Wales

SUBJECT: ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOUR AND ORGANIZATIONAL

DEVELOPMENT.

LECTURER: MR.MANJIT SINGH

SUBMISSION DATE: 05.12.2008 (DUE DATE)

WORD COUNT: 4115

ASSIGNMENT BY:

"APPLICATION OF

REINFORCEMENT THEORY

TO

SHAPE EMPLOYEE BEHAVIOR."

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER TOPIC PAGE

01 INTRODUCTION 4

02 DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS

2.1 OVERVIEW 5

2.2 REINFORCEMENT THEORY (reshaping behavior) 6-11

2.3 FORCES FOR CHANGE 11

2.4 WHY EMPLOYEE RESISTANCE TO CHANGE 11-14

2.5 OVERCOMING RESTRAINING FORCES OF CHANGE (reshaping behavior) 15

2.6 BEHAVIORAL PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT 16-18

2.7 APPLICATION OF BEHAVIORAL MANAGEMENT 18-20

03 EVALUATION AND APPLICATION OF REINFORCEMENT THEORY 21-23

04 CONCLUSION 24

REFERENCES 25

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

Managers of companies must satisfy workers demand and needs and should treat everybody in the organization equally. This will help the employees get motivated and they will work hard for the company. When a manger wants to change the behavior of the employees he or she is basically shaping the behavior. Shaping behavior can be defined as "Systematically reinforcing each successive step that moves an individual closer to the desired response." One of the important ways of shaping employee's behavior is by incorporating Reinforcement theory.

(GORDON, 2002)

Reinforcement Theory can be defined as "a theory that behaviour is a function of its consequences." (GORDON, 2002)

Organization sometimes needs to undergo change. Change can be rewarding for some people and an unpleasant experience for others. Those who propose change are most likely to view it in positive terms but in many cases these are the people who are in top management who are not affected much by the change. The people who are affected most are the lower level employees in the organization. They resists because of group inertia, threats to expertise, threats to resource allocation, limited focus of change, economic threats, and job insecurity.

In this assignment, I have analyzed Reinforcement theory and various elements of it, which a manager can use to shape and reshape employee behavior to overcome the restraining forces of change and to increase organizational efficiency.

In this assignment various strategies and techniques to overcome the restraining forces of change have been elaborately discussed which would help the managers of the company to shape employee behavior so as to perform in a desired level. The purpose of this research is to find solutions of overcoming restraining forces of change by the employee. To accomplish the goal, various organizational behavior and organizational development theories, techniques and strategies are discussed and analyzed to give a final recommendation.

CHAPTER TWO

2.1.OVERVIEW

Managers of companies must be aware of the workers demand and needs and should take steps to meet them. These will help the employees to go the extra mile and they will work hard for the company. Managers give bonuses, perks and other incentives to motivate them. As learning also takes place in job, managers are worried about how they can teach his subordinates so that their behavior will help the organization in reaching its goals. When a manger wants