Organisational Behaviour

Learning

Sanjeev K. Singh
Faculty- OB
Objective

To understand Learning.
To describe the theories of learning.
To Discuss how managers can shape
behavior
To distinguish b/w four schedules of
reinforcement.
Individual Learning
“Learning is any relatively permanent
change in behaviour that occurs as a result
of experience”. (Robbins:1998).
1. Learning involves change.
2. Change must be relatively permanent.
3. Learning takes place when there is a
change in actions.
4. Some form of experience is necessary for
learning.
Theories of Learning

Three Theories which have been

offered to explain the process of by
which we acquire patterns of
behaviour with in the organization.
These are
Classical Conditioning
Operant Conditioning
Social Learning
Theories- contd.

The classical conditioning of learning which is

“a type of conditioning in which an individual
responds to some stimulus that would not
ordinarily produce such a response”.(Robbins:1998)
Operant conditioning “is a type of conditioning
in which desired voluntary behaviour leads to a
reward or prevents a punishment”. (Robbins:1998).
Social – learning theory “is describe that
people can learn through observation and
direct experience.” (Robbins:1998).
Classical Conditioning

Classical conditioning grew out of

experiments to teach dogs to salivate
in response to the ringing of a bell.
These experiments were conducted
at the turn of the century by a
Russian physiologist called Ivan
Pavlov.
Ivan Pavlov
A simple surgical procedure allowed
Pavlov to measure accurately the
amount of saliva secreted by a dog.
When Pavlov presented the dog with a
piece of meat, the dog exhibited a
noticeable increase in salivation.
When Pavlov withheld the presentation
of meat and merely rang a bell the dog
did not salivate.
Pavlov

Then Pavlov proceeded to link the

meat and the ringing of the bell.
After repeatedly hearing the bell before
getting the food the dog began to
salivate as soon as the bell rang.
After some time the dog would begin to
salivate merely at the sound of the bell
even if their was no evidence of food.
Pavlov and Classical Conditioning

In this experiment:
The meat was the unconditioned
stimulus (it invariably caused the dog to
react in a specific way).
The increase in salivation (the reaction
that took place to the unconditioned
stimulus) was the unconditioned
response
Pavlov and Classical Conditioning

The bell was an artificial stimulus i.e. the

conditioned stimulus.
stimulus Although is was
originally neutral, after the bell was
paired with the meat (an unconditioned
stimulus) it eventually produced a
response when produced alone.
The conditioned response describes
the behaviour of the dog - it salivated in
reaction to the bell alone.
Classical Conditioning
Using these concepts we can
summarise classical conditioning.
Learning a conditioned response involves
building up an association between a
conditioned stimulus and an unconditioned
stimulus.
When the stimuli, one compelling and the
other neutral, are paired, the neutral one
becomes a conditioned stimulus and takes
on the properties on the unconditioned
stimulus.
Classical Conditioning

Classical conditioning is passive.

Something happens and we react in a
specific way.
It is elicited in response to a specific,
identifiable event.
As such it can explain simple reflexive
behaviours.
Classical conditioning
Operant Conditioning

Most behaviour in the workplace is

emitted rather than elicited - i.e. it is
voluntary rather than reflexive.
Operant Conditioning

The learning of these voluntary

behaviours is best understood by
looking at operant conditioning.
“Operant conditioning argues that
behaviour is a function of its
consequences…[it is] a type of
conditioning in which desired voluntary
behaviour leads to a reward or
prevents a punishment”. (Robbins:1998)
Operant Conditioning
What Pavlov did for classical
conditioning, the Harvard psychologist
B.F. Skinner did for operant conditioning.
Building on earlier work in the field by
Thorndike (‘law of effect’ - behaviour as a
result of successful outcome), Skinner’s
research extensively expanded our
knowledge of operant conditioning.
B.F. Skinner

Skinner argued that creating pleasing

consequences to follow specific forms
of behaviour would increase the
frequency of that behaviour.
B.F. Skinner

Skinner’s experiments on animals

showed the effects of rewards and
punishment on animal learning.
He proved that a response would be
learned when the animal associated
the behavioural response to a reward,
or reinforcement as Skinner termed it.
Skinner

Operant conditioning experiment:

A hungry animal is placed in a box which is
empty except for a lever and food container.
The stimulus is the lever in the box. The
response is through trial and error the
animal presses the lever which releases a
pellet of food.
The animal learns to respond to the lever
for the reward of food. Thus a
stimulus/response bond has been made.
Operant Conditioning

Behaviour modification is the term

given when behaviour is gradually
shaped and reinforced by rewards as
the person comes closer to the end
objectives.
Learning occurs incrementally with
the task divided into sub-goals each
with their own reward.
Operant Conditioning

Rewards are only one part of the

learning process.
By themselves the behavioural
theories are not able to account for
the complexity of differing situations
that individuals face nor for the variety
of individual responses given.
Operant conditioning
Social Learning

People can learn through observation

and direct experience.
For example much of what we have
learned comes from watching models-
parents, teachers, peers, motion
picture etc.
Process of Social Learning
Attentional processes people learn form a model
only when they recognize and pay attention to its
critical features.
Retention Process A model’s influence will
depend on how well the individual remembers the
model’s action after the model is no longer readily
available.
Motor reproduction process After a person has
seen a new behavior by observing the model, the
watching must be converted to doing. This process
then demonstrates that the individual can perform
the modeled activities.
Reinforcement Processes individual will be
motivated to exhibit the modeled Behaviour if
positive incentives or rewards provided. Behaviors
that are positively reinforced will be given more
attention, learned better and performed more often.
Shaping – A Managerial Tool

Systematically reinforcing each

successive step that moves an
individual closer to the desired
response.
Methods of Shaping Behaviour
There are four ways to shape Behaviour:
1. Positive reinforcement- Following a response
with something pleasant is called positive
reinforcement
2. Negative reinforcement- Following a response
by termination or withdrawal of something
unpleasant is called negative reinforcement.
3. Punishment- it is causing an unpleasant
condition in an attempt to eliminate an
undesirable Behaviour.
4. Extinction – Eliminating any reinforcement that
is maintaing a Behaviour is called extinction.
Conclusion

Managers should expect that

employees will look to them as
models. Managers who are constantly
late to work, or take two hours for
lunch, or help themselves to company
office supplies for personal use
should expect employees to read the
message they are sending and
model their behaviour accordingly.