LEARNING &

BEHAVIOR
MANAGEMENT
LEARNING
 LEARNING IS A RELATIVELY
PERMANENT CHANGE IN BEHAVIOR
OR POTENTIAL BEHAVIOR BASED ON
DIRECT OR INDIRECT EXPERIENCE
LEARNING - Definition
 A process of acquiring, assimilating, and
internalising cognitive, motor or behavioral
inputs for effective and varied use when
required, leading to enhanced capability
for further self monitored learning.
Definition implications
 Acquisition through cognition
 Assimilation- retained over a period of time
 Internalisation- input transformation
 Effectively used
 Creativity
 Enhance self learning capabilities
COMPONENTS OF LEARNING
 INVOLVES CHANGE
 CHANGE IS LASTING
 AFFECTS BEHAVIOR OR POTENTIAL
BEHAVIOR
 RESULT FROM DIRECT OR INDIRECT
EXPERIENCE( VICARIOUS LEARNING)
VIEWS ON LEARNING
 TRADITIONAL BEHAVIOURISTIC
VIEW-CLASSICAL CONDITIONING or OPERANT
CONDITIONING
 CONTEMPORARY VIEW-LEARNING AS A COGNITIVE
PROCESS
 SOCIAL LEARNING -INTEGRATES BOTH
BEHAVIORIST AND COGNITIVE CONCEPTS&
EMPHASIZES THE INTERACTIVE, RECIPROCAL
NATURE OF COGNITIVE, BEHAVIORAL &
ENVIRONMENTAL DETERMINANTS
 Learning theories
Stimulus response Cognitive Theories Social Learning
Theories Theories

Classical Conditioning- Constructivist theory Modelling

stimulus generalisation Social Cognition
Cognitive Dissonance
Instrumental conditioning-
response generalisation Lateral Thinking
Operant Conditioning-
contingency rel bet
operants and events that Adult Learning Theories
follow; reinforcement
theory
Learning theories
 Experiential Learning Theories  Motivational theories
 Attribution theory
 Action Learning Theory  Motivational acquisition

 Hunmanistic Theory theory

 Double Loop
 Cyclic –experiencing,
processing, generalising and
applying
CLASSICAL CONDITIONING

 IS A SIMPLE FORM OF LEARNING THAT LINKS A

CONDITIONED RESPONSE WITH UNCONDITIONED STIMULUS
(S-R)- DESCRIBED BY PAVLOV .
 IT HOWEVER EXPLAINED HUMAN LEARNING INADEQUATELY
 RELIES ON SIMPLE CAUSE & EFFECT RELATIONSHIPS
BETWEEN ONE STIMULUS & RESPONSE. THEREFORE
CANNOT DEAL WITH COMPLEX FORMS OF LEARNED
BEHAVIOR
 IGNORES CONCEPT OF CHOICE

ASSUMES BEHAVIOR IS REFLEXIVE OR INVOLUNTARY
OPERANT CONITIONING

 MORE ATTENTION TO ROLE THAT CONSEQUENCES PLAY IN

LEARNING OR THE RESPONSE-STIMULUS CONNECTION( R-S)-
ATTRIBUTED TO SKINNER
 CALLED CONNECTIONIST THEORIES OF LEARNING
 DEALS WITH INSTRUMENT OR OPERANT CONDITIONING
 OCCURS AS A CONSEQUENCE OF BEHAVIOR & NOT
CONCERNED WITH ELICITING CONSEQUENCES OF BEHAVIOR
AS IN CLASSICAL
 OPERANT CONDITIONING HAS A GREATER IMPACT ON HUMAN
LEARNING.ob SIGNIFICANCE RELATES TO ENVIRONMENT
AFFECTING EMPLOYEE BEHAVIOR.
DIFFERNCES BETWEEN CLASSICAL &
OPERANT CONDITIONING
 CLASSICAL
 CHANGE IN STIMULUS WILL ELICIT
A PARTICULAR RESPONSE
 STRENGTH & FREQUENCY
DETERMINED BY FREQUENCY OF
ELICITING STIMULUS
 UNCONDITIONED STIMULUS
SERVING AS A REWARD
PRESENTED EVERY TIME.
 OPERANT
 ONE POSSIBLE RESPONSE OUT
OF MANY POSSIBLE ONES
OCCURS IN A GIVEN STIMULUS
SITUATION WHICH ACTS AS
CUE .DOES NOT ELICIT RESPONSE
BUT ACTS AS A CUE FOR THE
PERSON TO EMIT A RESPONSE
 STRENGTH & FREQUENCY OF
OPERANTLYCONDITIONED
BEHAVIOR ARE DETERMINED BY
CONSEQUENCES
 REWARD PRESENTEDONLY IF
CORRECT RESPONSE RECEIVED
LEARNING A COGNITIVE PROCESS

 INVOLVES CONSCIOUS AND UNCONSCIOUS BEHAVIOR-

Recognised by EDWARD TOLMAN
» draws on experiences & past learning as a basis of present behavior
-therefore represent presumed knowledge or cognition's
» people make choices about their behavior-recognise two alternatives &
choose one
» people recognise the consequences of their choices
» people evaluate those consequences & add them to prior learning,
which affects future choices
» Consists of a relationship between cognitive environmental cues &
expectation
» REINFORCEMENT THEORY BASED ON THIS PERSPECTIVE
SOCIAL LEARNING
 RECOGNISES THAT THERE IS MORE TO LEARNING THAN
DIRECT LEARNING VIA ANTECEDENT STIMULI AND
CONTINGENT CONSEQUENCES

 STATES THAT LEARNING CAN ALSO TAKE PLACE VIA

VICARIOUS OR MODELLING& SELF CONTROL PROCESS
THROUGH SELF EFFICACY
REINFORCEMENT THEORY & LEARNING

 REINFORCEMENT THEORY OR OPERANT CONDITIONING IS

BASED ON THE IDEA THAT BEHAVIOR IS A FUNCTION OF ITS
CONSEQUENCES ( SKINNER)
» THEREFORE PLEASANT BEHAVIOR IS LIKELY TO BE REPEATED &
UNPLEASANT CONSEQUENCES LESS LIKELY TO BE REPEATED
» IN A GIVEN SITUATION, PEOPLE WILL EXPLORE A VARIETY OF
POSSIBLE BEHAVIORS
» FUTURE BEHAVIORAL CHOICES ARE AFFECTED BY THE
CONSEQUENCES OF EARLIER BEHAVIORS
TYPES OF REINFORCEMENT IN
ORGANISATIONS
 POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT IS A REWARD OR OTHER
DESIRABLE CONSEQUENCES THAT A PERSON ACHIEVES
AFTER EXHIBITING BEHAVIOR
 AVOIDANCE-OR NEGATIVE REINFORCEMENT IS THE
OPPORTUNITY TO AVOID OR ESCAPE FROM AN
UNPLEASANT CIRCUMSTANCES AFTER EXHITING BEHAVIOR
 EXTINCTION-DECREASES THE FREQUENCY OF BEHAVIOR
BY ELIMINATING A REWARD OR DESIRABLE
CONSEQUENCES THAT FOLLOWS THAT BEHAVIOR
 PUNISHMENT- IS AN UNPLEASNT , OR AVERSIVE
CONSEQUENCES THAT RESULTS FROM BEHAVIOR
SCHEDULES OF REINFORCEMENT

 INDICATE WHEN OR HOW OFTEN

MANAGERS SHOULD REINFORCE CERTAIN
BEHAVIORS
TYPES OF REINFORCEMENT SCHEDULES

 CONTINUOS REINFORCEMENT- BEHAVIOR IS REWARDED

EVERY TIME IT OCCURS
 FIXED INTERVAL REINFORCEMENT-
 VARIABLE INTERVAL REINFORCEMENT
 FIXED RATIO REINFORCEMENT-PROVIDES REINFORCEMENT
AFTER A FIXED NUMBER OF BEHAVIORS
 VARIABLE REINFORCEMENT -VARIES THE NUMBER OF
BEHAVIORS BETWEEN REINFORCEMENT
RELATED ASPECTS OF LEARNING IN
ORGANISATIONS

 STIMULUS GENERALISATIONS IN ORGANISATIONS- IS THE

PROCESS OF RECOGNISING THE SAME OR SIMILAR STIMULI IN
DIFFERENT SETTINGS
 STIMULUS DISCRIMINATION-IS THE PROCESS OF
RECOGNISING DIFFERENCES AMONG STIMULI
 VICARIOUS LEARNING -IS THE PROCESS OF LEARNING
THROUGH EXPERIENCES OF OTHERS
 SOCIAL LEARNING - IS A FORM OF VICARIOUS LEARNING IN
WHICH PEOPLE LEARN BEHAVIOR AND ATTITUDES IN
RESPONSE TO WHAT OTHERS EXPECT OF THEM
 PUNISHMENT-UNPLEASANT / AVERSE ONSEQUENCES OF
BEHAVIOR
MANAGERIAL IMPLICATIONS OF BEHAVIOR

 LEARNING & MOTIVATION-EXTENT TO WHICH REWARDS

FOLLOW HIGH PERFORMANCE/APPROPRIATE BEHAVIOR
 LEARNING & TRAINING-EXPANSION OF SKILLS & ABILITIES
 LEARNING & PERFORMANCE EVALUATION/REWARDS-
ASSESSMENT OF WORK BEHAVIOR OF INDIVIDUALS AND
GROUPS-REWARDS ARE THE POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT
Learning as motivator

 Reward for performance related behavior to ensure

upfront variables have the desired impact. Money as
a reward-new pay techniques like
commissions,rewarding new goals, leadership
effectiveness, skill pay , competence pay , broad
banding.
 Non Financial rewards
 Feedback as reward
BEHAVIOR MANAGEMENT OR
OB MODIFICATION
 Identify performance related behavioral events relating to
quantity /quality of output or service
 Number of such occurrences
 ABC Analysis -Antecedents or cues (A) for the performance
Behavior(B) and what are the contingent consequences(C)
 OD Intervention-Accelerate functional performance behaviors
and decelerate the dysfunctional behaviors
 Evaluate to ensure that performance leads to performance
improvement
APPLICATIONS OF BEHAVIOR
MANAGEMENT
 Employee Productivity
 Absenteeism
 Tardiness
 Safety & Accident Prevention
 Sales Performance
QUESTIONS FOR ASSIGNMENT & DISCUSSIONS

 Do you agree with the statement that learning is involved in almost

everything that everyone does? Explain
 What are the major dimensions of behavioristic , cognitive and social
learning theories?
 What is the difference between Classical & Operant Conditioning?
 What is the difference between positive & negative reinforcement? What
is the difference between Negative reinforcement & punishment?Explain
with examples.
 Describe the steps involved in OB Modification or Behavior
Management?
 In what areas do you think Behavior Management has been successfully
applied?
LEARNING STYLES
 Field independence vs Field dependence
 Levelling vs Sharpening
 Reflection vs Impulsivity
 Socialist vs holist
 4MAT framework-analytic, imaginative, common sense
and dynamic
LEARNING PROCESS
 ENDOSYSTEM
 MECHANICS
 INFLUENCE