People, Organisations and Society - Essay Example

People, Organisations and Society Introduction: Certain innovative ideas have risen from some formulated theories of learning that might apply to human nature and behavior in the context of training. The following paper mainly identifies these ideas. It is often suggested that learning is a pre requirement of training. There are certain theories of learning that have been developed from several experiments in certain contexts that are different from the human learning. Despite all, these have significant implications in human training development. None of these theories is entirely feasible in all circumstances but each of them can impart some knowledge and progression in the area of human training by helping us to understand the situations. This would be necessary to identify which tools need to be used in the training process (Hergenhahn, 1976). The paper is based on the belief that the behaviorists’ theories and principles more or less are means to reach an end and not itself the final destination. Educational psychology has witnessed an increasing role of learning theories. Due to this a practice of highlighting the importance of training theories have become common amongst educators and trainers. This multidisciplinary theory of learning involves fields like organizational behavior, social psychology and also training and development. Hence the academicians and practitioners study diversified fields that moves I different directions. These theories will help to perceive their applicability in the areas of training and development. The paper relates to the roles played by these theories, which are also analyzed. Training involves an alteration and development of a certain behavior through the instructions of a trainer or an instructor who performs content-based intervention. Learning is essentially a personal act and how we learn can only be answered through learning process itself. The questions are also answered with the help of the literature on learning. This becomes a framework of the program for training and development. Thus learning is mainly an intervening tool that causes the change in behavior during training. There are mainly two stages of learning involved in training – acquiring of skills and knowledge and the application of these or putting this knowledge into action. Thus training is differentiated from education. Training involves a predetermined goal to be reached while learning does not have any set objectives but is an integral part of training (Skinner; 1968). Different theories of learning: classic conditioning and operant conditioning Learning process comprises of several viewpoints. In order to understand the theories of learning they are classified into four paradigms – constructivism, social learning theories behaviorism and cognitivism. Based on the experiments of Ivan Pavlov (responsiveness of dogs to conditioning) , JB Watson (father of Behaviorism) deciphered learning as a sequence of stimulus and a response to the observable cause effect relationships. Behaviorism is based on different types of conditioning – classic conditioning and operant conditioning. Classic conditioning is a means of learning that associates two events occurring closely associated with each other and producing the same response (Comer, 2004). This is a natural reflex action in response to a stimulus. The classic conditioning came into being from the experiment undertaken by Pavlov in which he placed food in dog’s mouth and salivation took place immediately. Here food is an unconditioned stimulus and the reflex is the salivation. Sometimes a neutral stimulus like ringing of a bell is also combined with the food and if this is done repeatedly then the dog is found to salivate at the bell’s ring (Dembo, 1994). Here an individual respond to a stimulus that in ordinary case would not produce this response. In case of operant conditioning, the response to the stimulus is reinforced. It is based on the idea that learning comes as a function of change in overall nature or behavior. Behaviorist B.F. Skinner used reinforcement techniques and initiated certain very sophisticated modern training and teaching. The important aspect is the significance of the organism and its activity in the concerned environment (Cole, 1990). The success of the training lies in the ability of the trainer to identify and recognize the right behavior to be reinforced. Thus the trainer should know and assess the terminal behavior of the trainees so that the correct response can be reinforced. Competency based training can be based on this theory of learning (Burns, 1995). Operant conditioning ia also popularised as instrumental conditioning or instrumental learning. For the first time, it was extensively studied by Edward L. Thorndike, who observed the behavior of cats that tried to escape from puzzle boxes made at home (Thorndike, 1901). Application of behavioristic approaches: Operant conditioning refers to the application of consequences used to modify the occurrence and structure of behavior. This kind of behavior is different from Classical conditioning in the way that operant conditioning involves the alteration and restructuring of voluntary behavior via the application of consequence absed learning. On the other hand, Pavlovian conditioning is engaged with the kind of behavorial conditioning that ensures its occurance under new conditions that are antecedent. (Majur, 2001) Reinforcement and punishment are the main methods applied to operant conditioning. These can be used positively, for instance, they can be taken after a reponse or can be used negatively, that is, withdrawn after a response. The other type of consequence can be that of extinction where no change occurs in the consequence. One things needs to be noted is that it is the response that is reinforced or punished and not the person concerned. While reinforcement ensures repeat of the response action, punishment begets occurance of the repsonse withless frequency and finally extinction indicates complete withdrawal of the action. The laws of operant conditioning indicates that if a particular behavior is repeatedly rewarded everytime will wane away faster than the behaviors that are reinforced or appraised periodically. In this case the behavior is resistant to extinction. A person should initially be highly rewarded for a certain behavior so as tor einforce it, but as time passes and the person repeatedly shows the praiseworthy behavior, he should be rewarded scarcely and intermittently such that this behavior does not fade away soon. This action and strategy is more resistant to non-reinforcement. When we apply this behavior to the training of workforce, an employee might be rewarded with an heavy hike or promotion the very first time he behaves in a desirable manner. However, the same action need not be equally rewarded from the next time. instead the best idea could be tor aise the standard for the same level of reward. Thus the behavior improves and a new standard is set. This could thus be a brilliant application of the operant conditioning theory to the training methods. However when this process of learning is applied to human beings, it is often observed that when we punish the right behavior, it may lead to the behavior to be frequently undertaken rather than when it is rewarded. This is a straneg concept. An instance can be take from a person trying to poke at an hole on the electric board. The moment he receives electric shock for punching the correct hole, then the right hole is more easily identified than in the case when a person gets the shock for punching repeated incorrect holes. In such a case he might be discouraged to try again and thus never learnt he correct action. (Tolman, 1993) When it comes to designing of a workforce-training program, classical conditioning, unlike operant conditioning requires a greater degree of manipulation before the motion is set correctly. In such a case artificial conditioning is required initially. Once the right kind of response is obtained in a controlled environment, the student or trainee can be set free in a free environment where they can be expected to perform the same kind of action. Training in small groups initially where the team interacts only amongst the known faces can bring this about. Then they can be asked to deal with strangers from anywhere and at any place. A brilliant example can be drawn from the case where a research corporate trains the newly joined freshers to handle primary interviews. A demo call is taken. Here the trainer asks the candidate to carry on the conversation over the phone with the trainer himself. The trainer might throw the trainee off guard by asking different questions and thus introducing him to the several possibilities such that he might also learn the different ways to deal with these situations. This can be taken as an example of classic conditioning. Again, if a student has already learnt to identify different colors at the teacher’s table, he can then be taken around the rooms to study the different colors and blends and the same skill can be taught in a more generalized environment now. Classic conditioning is some process, which we have known and been familiar with right from our childhood though it has taken experiments to give the process a theoretical structure. This is mostly evident when a child is first introduced to alphabets and hence gets to be familiar with combinations of letters and then that of words and phrases. Similar concept can apply in training workforce. The trainer should study what stimulus makes the trainee respond more, is it the temptation of a higher salary and promotion or that of achieving a package of commission along with flexible timings? Accordingly the aspects of workload can be assigned along with the promise of the incentive. Here the delivery of the desired work level is conditioned by the stimulus of incentive package. Conclusion: Adopting the knowledge about the process of learning, effective training programs give birth to efficient managers, teachers and administrators (Smith, 1982). The theories of behaviorism thus provide the required background for the skill and knowledge transfer and behavior modification. In this manner the theories of learning can initiate and trigger improvement of organizations through the development of training programs of the workforce. The right combination of both the classic and operant conditioning can ensure our achievement towards this end. References: Burns, R. (1995) The Adult learner at work, Business and professional Publishing, Sydney Cole, M.R. (1990). Operant hoarding: A new paradigm for the study of self-control. Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, 53, 247-262 Comer, R. J. (2004) Abnormal Psychology (5th ed); Worth Publishers, New York Dembo, M.H. (1994), Applying educational; psychology (5th edition), White Plains, NY: Longman Publishing Group. Hergenhahn, B.R. (1976) An Introduction to Theories of Learning, New Jersey, Prentice hall, Inc Mazur, J.E. (2001). Learning and Behavior (5th Edition) Publisher: Prentice Hall. Skinner, B.F. (1968) The Technology of Teaching. New York: Appleton-Century-Crofts. Smith, R.M. (1982), How to learn: Applied theory for adults. Chicago: Follet Publishing Company. Thorndike, E. L. (1901). Animal intelligence: An experimental study of the associative processes in animals. Psychological Review Monograph Supplement, 2, 1-109 Tolman EC. 1932. Purposive Behavior in Animals and Men. Meredith Publishing Company Read More