Question

Discuss the use of positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement and punishment in motivating organization members. Which of the three (3) do you think is the most important ingredient of behaviour modification? Please justify your response

Answer 1

Reinforce means to strengthen and it is used to increase the probability of a person to response. For example if you have a pet and you want them to listen your command like when you say sit down Should sit down for this you have to train them alot. This is known as reinforcing because your pet like it and will result in him sitting when instructed by you to do so.

Positive Reinforcement : Positive reinforcement is a management tool it is used. When management wants employee to work more harder than usual. For which they will set a target. And it have to be achieved. For that employee will be rewarded by incentive or by promotion. It can be in terms of money like bonus or reward. For example in a construction company when there is a deadline given by the client to the contractor .The contractor set the target and call his employees, Offer them that if the target is achived before time they will be rewarded with incentive.

Negative Reinforcement : management uses negative reinforcement at their work places as a tool which is used to motivate employees and control the behaviour by removing all the unfavourable conditions Which are creating hindrance In the work as long as the employees continue to perform which is expected by the management. For example Mr Bean is a manager of a company who invites all his employees in a meeting every month , while attending the meeting he realize that their employees are not much more interested in meetings. So he uses negative enforcement and tells the employee if the sale increases by at least 8% ,then employees can skip the monthly meeting.

Punishment in motovating organisation members : Punishment in the workplace is not always a good thing because it creates threats, demotivates the employee, salary deduction , suspended from work. It's mental torture. No matter how hard work it will still said negative impact on their mind. But in some cases punishment is necessary. Like sexual harassment of women at workplaces. They should be punished.

I think Positive reinforcement is the most important ingredient of behaviour modification as It increases the productivity of work by offering Increment ,incentive, bonus or promotion to the employee , as every employee wants money to survive and live good life. So they will work more harder to achieve the target and get incentive ,bonus or promotion.