Yesterday we had a very exciting discussion about organizational culture and human resources management. I am interested in both business and psychology, so it was doubly interesting for me, as the process of managing people requires, first of all, understanding of their psychics.

I am a supporter of operant conditioning (is a type of learning in which an individual’s behaviour is modified by its antecedents and consequences), because it is a really good way to influence people’s actions and correct the way they behave. Business is all about working in groups, finding compromises and dealing with people, whether you like them or not.

Using operant conditioning techniques could help in building a close and friendly community within organization, prevent conflicts, set goals and support company’s growth. I am going to talk about option, which seems (at least for me) to be the best way of influence – positive reinforcement.

Positive reinforcement is a really good technique, which has to be considered by organizations’ management teams. Giving bonuses to the most hardworking employees, providing them discounts on (or covering 100%) their medical insurance would be good stimuluses for people to love their job, endeavor to perform their work on the best possible level.

However, in case of wrong usage of this tactic, it has both positive and negative aspects. One should not give bonuses regularly, considering only time, not quality of employee’s performance. It could lead company to the situation in which no one would be willing to work without constant concessions and rewards. Thus, organization would just spend extra money without valuable results.

Otherwise, reinforcing people’s behaviour by introducing some rewarding stimulus is giving a company a huge privilege over its competitors.