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Weekly Updates* When a poorly performing employee refuses to improve, demotion may be an appropriate step in a progressive disciplinary system.
* If an employee is demoted because of performance, reduce that person's salary.
* Bad performance should dictate denied or delayed raises.
* And if an employee still fails to improve after a manager has attempted coaching and other interventions to produce change, it's time to terminate the employee.
The point is not to threaten and punish employees continually (which is what poor managers do), but to give problem employees negative consequences for continued nonperformance.
An important cautionary note: It should be understood that the rules leading to both positive and negative consequences must be clearly defined, disseminated in advance, and consistently administered in order to influence employee behaviors predictably This means that rules and consequences of behaviors have to be ones that matter and that we are genuinely willing to enforce every day with all employees. To do otherwise shows that the rules do not count or do not apply to everyone. If this system fails to influence behaviors in the desired manner, it is nearly always because managers fail to keep their ends of the bargain, becoming lax in administering rewards and punishments.
There are two final considerations that impact the effect of consequences: immediacy and frequency The shelf life of a consequence is limited. The more immediate the consequence, the more effective it is in changing behavior.
Waiting to praise or reprimand an employee for a specific behavior at a semi-annual performance review, for example, will have a marginal impact on performance. Likewise, there is limited impact on performance of a single consequence. An occasional reinforcer at work will make only a small difference in performance. That is why yearly performance appraisals, annual recognition dinners, quarterly bonuses, and employee of the month contests have little or no impact on organizational performance. To provide a perspective on the importance of frequency, in The Technology of Teaching, B.F. Skinner states that it may take as many as 50,000 reinforcers to teach competence in basic math -- roughly the first four grades.
In conclusion
The need for long-term behavior management is sorely needed. Using the simple principles embodied in the law of effect, managers and supervisors can better understand why some employees do not perform as expected while others do.
An important first step is for managers to invest the necessary time and energy to look in the mirror and reflect upon which employee behaviors they are rewarding and punishing. Too often, managers respond to an immediate crisis or a personal problem without considering the long-term impact of their actions. As a result, situations develop in which productive employees are either ignored or punished while less productive employees are rewarded.
The law of effect suggests that if a behavior is followed by a pleasant experience, then the person will probably repeat the behavior. If the behavior is followed by an unpleasant experience or by no response at all, then the person is less likely to repeat it. Consequently, employees who perform according to management's expectations should receive immediate and frequent rewards, thus positively reinforcing appropriate behavior that has been performed. Employees who do not perform according to expectations should receive unpleasant consequences for their inappropriate behavior. Not only will this arrangement result in desirable behavior in the individual employee, it will also help to create a culture in which it is clearly understood that high performing, productive employees will receive desirable rewards.
For further reading
Daniels, A.C., Bringing Out the Best in People: How to Apply the Astonishing Power of Positive Reinforcement, McGraw-Hill, 1994.
Daniels, A.C., Performance Management: Improving Quality Productivity Through Positive Reinforcement, 3rd ed., revised, Performance Management Publications, 1989.
Drucker, P.F., The Practice of Management, Harper & Row, 1954.
Fournies, F.F., Why Employees Don't do What They're Supposed to do and What to do About it, New York: Liberty Hall Press, 1988.
Hilgert, R.L., E.E. Leonard Jr., and T. Haimann, Supervision: Concepts and Practices of Management, 6th ed., South-Western College Publishing, 1995.
Mager, R.F., and P. Pipe, Analyzing Performance Problems: Or You Really Oughta Wanna, Lake Publishing, 1984.
Martin, G., and J. Pear, Behavior Modification: What it is and how to do it, Prentice Hall, 1999.
Potter, B., Turning Around: The Behavioral Approach to Managing People, AMACOM, 1980.
Skinner, B.F., The Technology of Teaching, Appleton-Century-Crofts, 1968.
Thompson, D.W, Managing People: Influencing Behavior, C.V Mosby Co., 1978.
Vroom, V, Work Motivation, Wiley, 1964.
RELATED ARTICLE: Special attention reinforcers
Praise in front of others
Special work assignments
Reserved parking space
Choice of office
Selection of own office furnishings
Invitation to higher level meetings
Choice of work attire
Social contacts with others
Solicitation of opinions and ideas
Choice of work partner
Flexible job duties
Company time reinforcers
Time off for work-related activities
Time off for personal business
Extra break time
Extra meal time
Choice of working hours or days off
Monetary reinforcers
Promotion
Paid days off
Company stock
Company car
Pay for sick days not taken
Pay for overtime accumulated
Tickets to special events
Free raffle or lottery tickets
Extra furnishings for office
Gift certificates
Dinner for family at nice restaurant
Personalized license plate
Business cards
Participation reinforcers
Participation in policy decisions
Help set standards
More responsibility
Opportunity to learn a new skill
C.W. Von Bergen, Ph.D., is an associate professor of management and marketing at Southeastern Oklahoma State University, Durant, Okla. He is an industrial and organizational psychologist and has more than 18 years' experience in industry in addition to his academic positions.
Kitty Campbell, Ed.D., is an assistant professor and chair of the department of management and marketing at Southeastern Oklahoma State University. She holds a bachelor's degree from Texas A&M University, a master's degree from Southeastern Oklahoma State University, and a doctoral degree from Texas A&M University, Commerce. Her teaching and research areas of interest include organizational behavior, human resource management, and entrepreneurship.
Barlow Soper, Ph.D., is a professor of psychology and behavioral science at Louisiana Tech University, Ruston, La. He is a licensed professional counselor. His research and writing interests range from counseling techniques and social psychology to consumer behavior and management practices.
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