1) Punishment can negatively impact work performance if not applied properly, while positive reinforcement through rewarding desired behaviors is more effective at motivating employees. 2) Both positive and negative reinforcement can be used to shape employee behavior, but positive reinforcement focusing on rewarding good performance helps develop better habits and is less likely to cause resentment. 3) Ignoring both good and bad behaviors can extinguish them, so managers should provide feedback, both positive and negative, to improve performance and satisfaction.

1. How do consequences (+ or -)
influence work performance?

4. Punishment is the application of undesirable
outcomes or the removal of positive consequences
following undesirable behavior. What constitutes
punishment for one worker may not for another.
Possible punishments:
•Remove privilege
•Enforce extra work
•Temporarily or permanently “sanction”
through fine or incarceration
•Scold, rebuke, criticize (verbally,
nonverbally, or in written form)

5. According to Robert Bacal, punishing
employees only works rarely. Fear can act as a
motivator, but for a punishment to get results,
sanctions have to align with
the employee's attitude and perceptions.
What the employer takes away must be valued
or what the manager threatens must tap into a
true fear. The employee also has to respect the
manager's right to mete out punishment and
believe that imposed consequences fit his
offence. Without all of these conditions in
place, people do not respond positively to
punishment. Rather, they resort to resentment
and retaliation, which does not help with
anyone's productivity.
Read more: The Effects of Punishment on
Employees |
eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/info_85169
09_effects-punishment-
employees.html#ixzz2RaXAwTMw

6. Effective use of punishment
•Consequences must be linked to undesired
behavior and should happen ASAP after behavior
•Punishment should be consistent
•Punishment should be done without emotion
•Communicate to the worker exactly what
he/she did and tell what you would like to see
instead
•Keep in mind that negative attention from
supervisor may actually reinforce (increase)
negative behavior

7. What would
happen if you
rewarded on-time
behavior and
ignored late
arrivals instead of
punishing them?

8. Reinforcement theory suggests
that on-time arrivals would
significantly increase and late
arrivals would become very rare.
According to this theory,
environmental consequences are
powerful tools that managers can
use to shape behavior. [Skinner]
observed that either positive or
negative behaviors can be
targeted, but in a business setting,
focusing on rewarding desired
behavior helps employees develop
positive habits and is less likely to
foster resentment than a more
punitive approach.
http://smallbusiness.chron.com/can-managers-use-
reinforcement-theory-motivate-employees-18559.html

9. Extinction
One way to decrease the frequency
of behaviors is to use extinction.
Extinction involves the removal of
reinforcing events.
When positive reinforcement of
behavior is removed, the worker
then loses his motivation to
continue with that behavior.
Extinction can occur if we stop
rewarding either desirable or
undesirable behaviors.

10. If all you want is to have people do just
enough to meet some minimum level
of quality, productivity, delivery, etc.
then simply use negative
reinforcement. Negative
reinforcement is “escaping or avoiding
something that you don’t want”.
http://www.echlinbusinessconsulting.com/business_blog.php?blog_id=18
People will still perform but at a mininum level

11. Possible examples of negative
reinforcement
(remember it is only reinforcing if it increases desired behavior-
works by person increasing behavior to avoid unpleasant situation)
•Nagging (worker increases performance to
avoid nagging)
•Drug screenings (not participating in the
unwanted behavior removes the negative
stimulus: the fear of being fired. )
•Poor work conditions (worker improves
performance to avoid poor condition)

12. This person might do whatever the
screamer wants just to stop the
nagging.

13. Positive reinforcement is the way to
get the most and the best from your
people. Besides getting the behaviors
that you want you will also end up
with happier, healthier (employees)
who actually enjoy working for you.
It’s a win-win scenario.
http://www.echlinbusinessconsulting.com/business_blog.php?blog_id=18

14. The use of reinforcement
to motivate workers
should be a positive
experience for both of you

15. Possible examples of
positive reinforcement
(Remember it is only reinforcing if it increases desired behavior)
Appreciation (saying thank you)
Encouragement
Recognition (private or public)
Positive feedback on performance
Opportunity for skill development
Preferred work assignments
Improved working conditions
Advancement hierarchy

16. Rewarding only impossible or extremely
difficult tasks may lead to anger and a
sense of helplessness and result in worse
performances than before you
implemented a reinforcement program.
http://smallbusiness.chron.com/can-managers-use-reinforcement-theory-motivate-
employees-18559.html

17. A research article in 2004 by Timothy R. Hinkin and
Chester A. Schriesheim found that in a study of 243
employees of two different hospitality organizations,
those employees who received feedback from their
managers, whether positive feedback or
negative/corrective feedback, showed improved
performance. This study also found that omission of
commentary on good performance diminished worker
effectiveness and reduced worker satisfaction. This
supports the theory of operant conditioning that
suggests a behavior that is totally ignored will
eventually be extinguished. http://www.enotes.com/operant-
conditioning-reference/operant-conditioning

18. 4 to 1
Gets it Done
•Each negative comment requires four positive
ones.
•Positive words take you where you want to go.
•Simplest way is expression of gratitude. Find
SOMETHING to be grateful for.
•People enjoy positive people
•Positive comments can be positive
reinforcement.
•You focus more on what you want rather than
what you don’t want.
http://leadershipfreak.wordpress.com/2011/07/0
3/the-4-to-1-rule-will-change-your-life/