Individual Learning

and
Behaviour
• What is “ Learning “ ?

• Does it cause a change in the behaviour of a

person ?
 Definition

• Learning is the root of human survival, progress and

happiness

• Learning is defined as the acquisition of knowledge

or skills through study, practice or experience

• Learning usually causes a relatively permanent

change in the behavior of a person
 Significance of Learning

• In an Organizational Context what do we

mean by Learned Behaviors ?

• Why is “ Learning “ important in OB ?

 Significance of Learning

• All behaviors of people in an organization are learnt, either

directly or indirectly

• The learned behaviors are:

➢ The skills of a worker
➢ Attitude of a manager
➢ A manager’s style of dressing

• Learning impacts practically all aspects of OB

• Organizations can mould the behavior of employees through

applying learning principles to enhance their performance
 Theoretical Processes of learning
Theories of Learning
• Behaviorism (Learner is Passive –
Consequences decide the learning)
– Classical Conditioning
– Operant Conditioning
• Humanism (Learner is Active – they decide the
pace of learning)
– Cognitive Theory
• Connectivism (People Learn in group)
– Social Learning
 Theoretical Processes of learning
Theories of Learning
• Behaviorism (Learner is Passive –
Consequences decide the learning)
– Classical Conditioning
– Operant Conditioning
• Humanism (Learner is Active – they decide
the pace of learning)
– Cognitive Theory
• Connectivism (People Learn in group)
– Social Learning
 Classical Conditioning Theory (S-R)
- Ivan Pavlov
• Classical conditioning is defined as a process in which a
formerly neutral stimulus, when paired with an unconditioned
stimulus, becomes a conditioned stimulus that elicits a
conditioned response

• NEUTRAL STIMULUS + UNCONDITIONED

STIMULUS = CONDITIONED STIMULUS +
CONDITONED RESPONSE

• First, there is a stimulus and then, there is a response (S-R)

 Operant Conditioning (Reinforcement)
Theory (R-S)- F Skinner

• Consequences determine the behavior that results in learning

• Behavior is repeated depending on the reinforcement or lack of

reinforcement brought about as a consequence of a particular
behavior

• First, there is a response and then, there is a stimulus (R-S)

Examples of Classical and Operant
Conditioning
 Ex-1

Someone watches favorite cricket player hitting

six on the last ball and
winning a tournament

AND

Jumps with Joy

 Ex-1-Key- Classical Conditioning

Someone watches favorite cricket player hitting six

on the last ball and
winning a tournament
(S)

AND

Jumps with Joy (R)

 Ex-2

Touches a hot vessel

AND
moves away
Ex-2-Key- Classical Conditioning

Touches a hot vessel(S)

AND
moves away(R)
 Ex-3

Achieves sales targets

AND
obtains incentives and gifts
Ex-3- Key- Operant Conditioning

Achieves sales targets(R)

AND
obtains incentives and gifts(S)
 Ex-4

Hears a good music

AND
hums and rocks gently
Ex-4-Key- Classical Conditioning

Hears a good music (S)

AND
hums and rocks gently (R)
 Ex-5

Browses the Internet

AND
obtains desired information
Ex-5-Key-Operant Conditioning

Browses the Internet (R)

AND
obtains desired information (S)
 Ex- 6

Uses power carefully

AND
saves money on electricity bills
Ex- 6-Key-Operant Conditioning

Uses power carefully (R)

AND
saves money on electricity bills (S)
 Ex-7

Steps on a nail
AND
jumps and screams in pain
Ex-7-Key- Classical Conditioning

Steps on a nail (S)

AND
jumps and screams in pain (R)
 Ex-8

Carries a credit card

AND
finds it convenient for shopping
 Ex-8-Operant Conditioning

Carries a credit card (R)

AND
finds it convenient for shopping (S)
 Ex-9

Pays loan installments promptly

AND
attracts no penalty for delayed payment
 Ex-9

Pays loan installments promptly

AND
attracts no penalty for delayed payment
 Ex-9-Key- Operant Conditioning

Pays loan installments promptly (R)

AND
attracts no penalty for delayed payment (S)
 Ex-10

When an optometrist examines your eyes by

putting you in front of a machine, it (machine)
produces a red light and blows a puff of air into
eyes

AND

Your eyes are blinked

 Ex-10-Key- Classical Conditioning

It produces a red light and blows a puff of air

into eyes (S)

AND

Your eyes are blinked (R)

 Theoretical Processes of learning
Theories of Learning
• Behaviorism (Learner is Passive –
Consequences decide the learning)
– Classical Conditioning
– Operant Conditioning
• Humanism (Learner is Active – they decide
the pace of learning)
– Cognitive Theory
• Connectivism (People Learn in group)
– Social Learning
 Cognitive Theory - Edward Tolman
• Cognitive theory is an approach to psychology
that attempts to explain human behavior by
understanding the thought processes.

• The assumption of cognitive theory is that

thoughts are the primary determinants of
emotions and behavior. Information
processing is a common description of this
mental process.
Humanism (Learner is Active – they decide the pace of learning)
Cognitive Learning Theory
• Cognitive learning is a way of learning that
helps individuals use their brains more
effectively.
• This method of learning is active, constructive,
and long-lasting.
• It encourages individuals to fully engage in the
learning process so learning, thinking, and
remembering get/become easier.
 EXAMPLES OF COGNITIVE LEARNING
STRATEGIES
• Asking students to reflect on their experience
• Helping students find new solutions to problems
• Encouraging discussions about what is being
taught
• Helping students explore and understand how
ideas are connected
• Asking students to justify and explain their
thinking
• Using visualizations to improve students’
understanding and recall
 Theoretical Processes of learning
Theories of Learning
• Behaviorism (Learner is Passive –
Consequences decide the learning)
– Classical Conditioning
– Operant Conditioning
• Humanism (Learner is Active – they decide the
pace of learning)
– Cognitive Theory
• Connectivism (People Learn in group)
– Social Learning
 Connectivism (People Learn in group)
Social Learning- Albert Bandura
• Modeling process: People could learn by observing
others
➢Through observation a person acquires a mental
picture of an act carried out by someone and its
consequences
➢Then, the person enacts the acquired image
 Social learning theory examples
• In everyday life are common, with one of the
most evident being the behaviors of children,
as they imitate family members, friends,
famous figures and even television characters.
• ... Or, they may model coworkers' behavior to
help earn a good standing with a superior.
Self efficacy – Social Learning Theory
• The self perceptions of how well a person can cope with situations
as they arise
➢ People with high self efficacy tend to persevere at their tasks and
do a good job without becoming stressed out

• Self-efficacy represents the personal perception of

external social factors.

• According to Bandura's theory, people with high self-

efficacy—that is, those who believe they can perform well—
are more likely to view difficult tasks as something to be
mastered rather than something to be avoided.
 Principles of Learning –
How Reinforcement can help
 Reinforcement

• Law of Effect states that

– responses followed by pleasant consequences are more
likely to be repeated, while
– responses followed by unpleasant consequences are less
likely to be repeated

• Reinforcement refers to a stimulus which

strengthens the probability of a particular
response being repeated
 Positive / Negative Reinforcement
• Positive Reinforcement increases the chances that a
particular behavior would be repeated because it
results in a desirable consequence

• Negative Reinforcement makes an individual repeat a

behavior not because he/she wants to but because
he/she wants to avoid negative consequence

• Punishment can be defined as an action that weakens

a particular behavior and reduces its frequency
 Positive/Negative Reinforcement
• Positive Reinforcement is a concept of Operant
conditioning that presents favorable reinforcer, so that the
subject repeats its behavior.
• Negative Reinforcement is the concept of Operant
conditioning that presents certain reincorcers, which
increases the behavior of the subject in order to avoid
those reinforcers.

• Positive reinforcers are favorable stimulus, which is

preferred by subjects involved in the procedure.
• Contrary to positive reinforcers, negative reinforcers aren’t
desired, and subjects are motivated to avoid them.
Scenario: Workplace and Classroom
Scenario: Workplace

Positive Reinforcement Negative Reinforcement

Stimulus: Employees who exceed quota Stimulus: Employee is made to come to
receive bonus work even on Sundays due to failed
Behavior: An employee works hard on deadline.
the job Behavior: Employee works harder from
Result: Employee exceeds his monthly next month
quota, is rewarded by company Result: Avoid to go to work on Sundays

Scenario: Classroom

Positive Reinforcement Negative Reinforcement

Stimulus: Good students get praised Stimulus: Weak students have to attend
Behavior: Student works hard in class Summer School
Result: Receives A+ grading, praised in Behavior: Student works hard in class
front of the whole class. Result: Avoids Summer School
Outcomes of Reinforcement
Schedules of Reinforcement
 Continuous Reinforcement

• A desired behavior is reinforced each and every time

it is demonstrated

• Example- Someone has a trouble arriving at work on

time. Every time the person is not tardy his/her
manager might compliment him/her on his/her
desirable behavior
Schedules of Reinforcement
Examples of Schedules of Reinforcement
 Ex-1

Every time you press the number 9 button on

your television remote control your TV
changes to channel 9
 Ex-1-Key

Every time you press the number 9 button on

your television remote control your TV
changes to channel 9
Continuous Reinforcement
 Ex-2
Rachita undergoes a major surgery in a hospital.
During recovery, she is expected to experience
pain and will require prescription medications
for pain relief.

Rachita is given an IV drip with a patient-

controlled painkiller. Her doctor sets a limit:
one dose per hour.

Rachita pushes a button when pain becomes

difficult, and she receives a dose of medication
 Ex-2- Key
Rachita undergoes a major surgery in a hospital.
During recovery, she is expected to experience
pain and will require prescription medications
for pain relief. Rachita is given an IV drip with
a patient-controlled painkiller. Her doctor sets
a limit: one dose per hour. Rachita pushes a
button when pain becomes difficult, and she
receives a dose of medication.
Fixed interval reinforcement
 Ex-3
Manuel is the manager at a fast-food restaurant.
Once in a while, someone from the quality control
division comes to Manuel’s restaurant to inspect. If
the restaurant is clean and the service is fast,
everyone on that shift earns a R200 bonus.
Manuel never knows when the quality control person
will show up, so he always tries to keep the restaurant
clean and ensures that his employees provide prompt
and courteous service.
His productivity regarding prompt service and keeping a
clean restaurant is steady because he wants his crew
to earn the bonus.
 Ex-3 - Key
Manuel is the manager at a fast-food restaurant.
Once in a while, someone from the quality control
division comes to Manuel’s restaurant to inspect. If
the restaurant is clean and the service is fast,
everyone on that shift earns a Rs. 200 bonus.
Manuel never knows when the quality control person
will show up, so he always tries to keep the restaurant
clean and ensures that his employees provide prompt
and courteous service.
His productivity regarding prompt service and keeping a
clean restaurant are steady because he wants his crew
to earn the bonus.
Variable Interval Reinforcement
 Ex-4

Carla sells glasses at an eyeglass store, and she earns a

commission every time she sells a pair of glasses.
She always tries to sell people more pairs of glasses,
including prescription sunglasses or a backup pair, so she
can increase her commission.
She does not care if the person really needs the prescription
sunglasses, Carla just wants her bonus.

The quality of what Carla sells does not matter because her
commission is not based on quality; it’s only based on the
number of pairs sold
 Ex-4-Key

Carla sells glasses at an eyeglass store, and she earns a

commission every time she sells a pair of glasses. She
always tries to sell people more pairs of glasses,
including prescription sunglasses or a backup pair, so
she can increase her commission. She does not care if
the person really needs the prescription sunglasses,
Carla just wants her bonus. The quality of what Carla
sells does not matter because her commission is not
based on quality; it’s only based on the number of
pairs sold
Fixed ratio reinforcement
 Ex-5

• Imagine that Sarah—generally a smart, thrifty woman—visits Las

Vegas for the first time. She is not a gambler, but out of curiosity she
puts a quarter into the slot machine, and then another, and another.
Nothing happens. Two dollars in quarters later, her curiosity is
fading, and she is just about to quit.

• But then, the machine lights up, bells go off, and Sarah gets 50
quarters back. That’s more like it! Sarah gets back to inserting
quarters with renewed interest, and a few minutes later she has used
up all her gains and is $10 in the hole.

• Now might be a sensible time to quit. And yet, she keeps putting
money into the slot machine because she never knows when the next
reinforcement is coming. She keeps thinking that with the next
quarter she could win $50, or $100, or even more
 Ex-5-Key

• Imagine that Sarah—generally a smart, thrifty woman—visits Las

Vegas for the first time. She is not a gambler, but out of curiosity she
puts a quarter into the slot machine, and then another, and another.
Nothing happens. Two dollars in quarters later, her curiosity is
fading, and she is just about to quit. But then, the machine lights up,
bells go off, and Sarah gets 50 quarters back. That’s more like it!
Sarah gets back to inserting quarters with renewed interest, and a
few minutes later she has used up all her gains and is $10 in the
hole. Now might be a sensible time to quit. And yet, she keeps
putting money into the slot machine because she never knows when
the next reinforcement is coming. She keeps thinking that with the
next quarter she could win $50, or $100, or even more-

Variable Ratio Reinforcement

 Ex-6

If a teacher observes a student diligently working on an

assignment while other students are moving noisily
about, that teacher should reinforce the apt student
with praise in order to encourage the positive
behavior to continue.

The teacher should, then, continue to reinforce this

behavior every time it occurs in order to attach a
strong relationship between the positive behavior and
the reinforcement
 Ex-6-Key

If a teacher observes a student diligently working on

an assignment while other students are moving
noisily about, that teacher should reinforce the apt
student with praise in order to encourage the positive
behavior to continue.
The teacher should, then, continue to reinforce this
behavior every time it occurs in order to attach a
strong relationship between the positive behavior and
the reinforcement-
Continuous Reinforcement
Examples of Negative Reinforcement and
Punishment
 Ex-1

A Manager who has a poor performance record

had to face curtailment of some of his
organizational privileges
 Ex-1-Key- Punishment

A Manager who has a poor performance record

had to face curtailment of some of his
organizational privileges

Stimulus presented: Curtailment

Behavior suppressed: Poor Performance
 Ex-2

A Manager appreciates his employees during the

team meetings for doing good work and adds a
point in PR for the job well done within the
timelines
 Ex-2-Key- Positive Reinforcement

A Manager appreciates his employees during the

team meetings for doing good work and adds a
point in PR for the job well done within the
timelines

Stimulus presented: Appreciation, Adding a Point

for PR
Behavior encouraged: Completing the task within
the time line and doing it well
 Ex-3

Deducting one day’s CL and making a note in

memo of services after coming late for 3 days
in a month
 Ex-3- Key- Punishment

Deducting one day’s CL after coming late for 3

days in a month

Stimulus presented: Deducting the Leave and

making a not in MOS
Behavior suppressed: Coming Late to work
 Ex-4

A mother gives her son praise for doing

homework and allows him to watch his
favorite TV show
 Ex-4-Key- Positive Reinforcement

A mother gives her son praise for doing

homework and allows him to watch his
favorite TV show

Stimulus presented: Praise and favorite TV

show
Behavior encouraged: Doing Homework
 Ex-5

A worker is asked to get back to work when the

supervisor notices him talking to his
colleagues
 Ex-5-Key: Negative Reinforcement

A worker is asked to get back to work when the

supervisor notices him talking to his
colleagues

Stimulus removed: Talking to colleagues

Behavior encouraged: Focus at work
 Ex- 6

Two colleagues get into a fight over conducting

an event by who gets to impress the boss in
organizing the event, the manager takes away
the task from them
 Ex- 6-Key-Punishment

Two colleagues get into a fight over conducting

an event by who gets to impress the boss in
organizing the event, the manager takes away
the task from them

Stimulus removed or withheld: Organizing the

event
Behavior suppressed: Getting into a fight
 Ex-7

A student plays with his mobile phone during

class and the teacher reprimands him in front
of his classmates
 Ex-7-Key- Punishment

A student plays with his mobile phone during

class and the teacher reprimands him in front
of his classmates

Stimulus Presented: Reprimand

Behavior suppressed: Playing with mobile

phone
 Ex-8

Jonh’s morning alarm rings at 5:00 am. He

hates this noise and reaches over and hits the
STOP button which stops the alarm noise. He
does this every morning when his alarm wakes
him up.
 Ex-8-Key- Negative Reinforcement

Jonh’s morning alarm rings at 5:00 am. He hates

this noise and reaches over and hits the STOP
button which stops the alarm noise. He does
this every morning when his alarm wakes him
up.
Stimulus removed or withheld: Noise made by
alarm

Behavior encouraged: Hitting the STOP button

 Cognitive Leaning Theory
• The theory has been used to explain mental
processes as they are influenced by both
intrinsic and extrinsic factors, which eventually
bring about learning in an individual. ...

• It posits that with effective cognitive processes,

learning is easier and new information can be
stored in the memory for a long time.
 Social Learning Theory - Bandura
• Social learning theory is
a theory of learning process and social behavior
which proposes that new behaviors can be
acquired by observing and imitating others.

• Social learning requires attention to the

person(s) observed, remembering the observed
behavior, the ability to replicate the behavior, and
a motivation to act the same way.
 OB Modification Process
OB Mod process focuses on:

• Influence of the environment on employee behavior

• Antecedent cues or conditions that precede a behavior

• Consequence of a particular behavior

• Impact of the behavior on performance effectiveness

 OB Modification Process Steps

• Identify critical performance behaviors

• Measuring the critical performance behaviors

• Carrying out a functional analysis of the behaviors

• Developing an effective intervention strategy

• Evaluation of the intervention strategy to ensure performance

improvement
 Application of OB Modification Process

• Employee productivity

• Absenteeism and Tardiness

• Safety and accident prevention

• Sales performance