• Watch the Unit 2 Lecture. (transcripts)
• Read the following scenario

Consequences of Behavior

Jane just finished her degree in business administration and landed a great job as manager in a well-known organization. As she begins her first week on the job, it becomes very clear that many of the staff for whom she has oversight are not completing their job duties as assigned, appear to be unmotivated, and do not seem to welcome her management. She has reviewed organizational data and is concerned about the organization’s viability. Jane is struggling to understand why the staff is not meeting expectations. She decides to reach out to ACME Behavior Consulting for guidance.

Fundamental Principles and Organizational Behavior

For your discussion, you will answer Jane’s questions related to operant conditioning by describing concepts of reinforcement and punishment. Additionally, you will provide a brief overview of an antecedent-behavior-consequence (ABC) analysis that Jane could begin using to gather more information regarding staff behavior.

1. Jane wants to know more about reinforcement and why a pay check is not enough to motivate employees to meet job expectations. Explain the following concepts:

• Positive Reinforcement
• Negative Reinforcement
• Punishment
• Discuss the effective use of consequences, as well as the strengths and weakness of each of the above.

1. Jane also remembers something about ABCs from a psychology class that she took in college. Provide an overview of how ABCs and the PIC/NIC analysis can be used in an organizational environment. Describe the following:

• ABC analysis
• PIC/NIC analysis
• Discuss the types of consequences available for behavior and the effectiveness of each.

Guided Response Posts Instructions

Students will review two of their classmates’ posts to assess the following:

• Are the concepts explained clearly and thoroughly?
• Does the post clearly explain the importance and impact of consequences in the work place? If not, ask follow-up questions that Jane might ask to further understand these concepts.

Reading and Resources

Your unit readings this week will review basic principles in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA). You will also read about rule-governed behavior, its importance and application in everyday life and organizations.

In your textbook read:

Part 2: “The Astonishing Power of Positive Reinforcement”

Visit the following website and watch the video about learning:

Andover P. (n.d.). The difference between classical and operant conditioning [Video file]. Retrieved

from http://ed.ted.com/lessons/the-difference-between-classical-and-operant-conditioning-peggy-andover

TEXTBOOKS

Daniels, A. Bringing Out the Best in People: How to Apply the Astonishing Power of Positive Reinforcement