Convenience

Chapter 10:
Managing Employee Motivation and Performance
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particular behavior again. Given the counterproductive side effects of punishment (such
as resentment and hostility), it is often advisable to use the other kinds of reinforcement
if at all possible.
Extinction
can also be used to weaken behavior, especially behavior that
has previously been rewarded. When an employee tells an offensive joke and the boss
laughs, the laughter reinforces the behavior and the employee may continue to tell offen-
sive jokes. By simply ignoring this behavior and not reinforcing it, the boss can cause the
behavior to subside and eventually become “extinct.”
Providing Reinforcement in Organizations
The kind of reinforcement is important, but when or how often it occurs also is impor-
tant. Various strategies are possible for providing reinforcement. The
fixed-interval
schedule
provides reinforcement at fixed intervals of time, regardless of behavior.
A good example of this schedule is the weekly or monthly paycheck. This method
provides the least incentive for good work because employees know they will be paid
regularly regardless of their efforts. A
variable-interval schedule
also uses time as the
basis for reinforcement, but the time interval varies from one reinforcement to the
next. This schedule is appropriate for praise or other rewards based on visits or inspec-
tions. When employees do not know when the boss is going to drop by, they tend to
maintain a reasonably high level of effort all the time.
A