Feedback and Behavior Reinforcement - Essay Example

Running head: feedback and behavior. Feedback and Behavior Reinforcement a. Specify the Two Basic Functions of Feedback and Three Sources of Feedback. The two basic functions of feedback include instructional and motivational activities. Instructional activity involves providing guidance and direction to perform an activity or achieve a task. Secondly, motivational function involves pairing specific challenging goals and the way the activity is being performed. Usually, three sources of feedback are found.

Firstly, others such as peers, supervisors, subordinates, friends and family members can become the source of feedback. Secondly, the task itself, or its outcome can be a good source of feedback. If the outcome is not as desired, then it indicates that the task was not performed in the right manner. Thirdly, self observation is also a source; however, there will be possibilities of biasness or misinterpretation in feedback obtained from oneself. b. Define upward feedback and 360 — degree feedback.

A typical organizational context adopts a top-down approach to feedback on performance issues. However, contemporary management is adopting an upward feedback in which the managers are evaluated by their subordinates, thus receiving upward feedback. Similarly, when feedback is sought from subordinates, colleagues, peers, external stakeholders and also superiors, it constitute the 360-degree feedback. c. Distinguish between extrinsic and intrinsic rewards, and give a job-related example of each, and also summarize the research lessons about pay performance and explain why rewards often fail to motivate employees.

Extrinsic rewards are those that are acquired from external sources such as finance, material or social environment. These include pay incentives, bonuses, material rewards and recognition, promotions etc. In job contexts, extrinsic rewards are given in the form of pay-rise and/or promotions. Intrinsic rewards constitute those that provide satisfaction at psychological level such as satisfaction from the nature of work, challenges, completion of tasks etc. In a job context, intrinsic rewards come form job design and/or complexity of the tasks.

Research insights related to pay for performance have indicated a negative outcome, which means pay for performance has rarely resulted in improved performance. This is because the schemes are ineffective in design as well as administration. Few other studies have pointed at improvement of performance quantity and not in quality. Some researches have seen an improvement in performance immediately after bonus payout, which subsequently diminished. Most of the researches related to teachers’ merit pay and student performance did not show any strong correlation (Kinicki & Kreitner, 2009).

Rewards often fail to motivate because of many reasons such as too much emphasis on rewards without an appreciation effect. Rewards often gave rise to other non-productive behaviors. Duration between performance and rewards results in reduced impact. Incongruence between reward and nature of work reduced motivation. Lastly, practices such as lay-offs and inappropriate and inconsistent pay rises result in demotivation. d. Demonstrate your knowledge of positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement, punishment, extinction, and behavior shaping.

Positive reinforcement involves presenting or providing possibilities that enhance a specific desired behavior; negative reinforcement involves not providing specific contingencies so that certain behavior is withdrawn. Punishment is the process of eliminating a specific behavior through displeasing or undesirable contingencies. Extinction is the process of eliminating a specific behavior by constantly ignoring it or not reinforcing it. Behavior shaping is the process of accommodating a specific desired behavior by defining it, providing feedback, providing positive reinforcement, and rewarding the desired behavior.

References Kinicki, A and Kreitner, R. (2009). Organizational Behavior: key concepts, skills and best practices. New York: TataMcGraw Hill Inc.