REINFORCEMENT SYSTEMS AND THEIR EFFECT ON PRODUCTIVITY AND WORK ATTITUDES: IMPLICATIONS FOR ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION.
Item
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Title
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REINFORCEMENT SYSTEMS AND THEIR EFFECT ON PRODUCTIVITY AND WORK ATTITUDES: IMPLICATIONS FOR ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION.
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Identifier
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AAI8713755
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identifier
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8713755
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Creator
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DIAMANTE, THOMAS.
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Contributor
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Angelo Dispenzieri
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Date
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1987
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Language
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English
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Publisher
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City University of New York.
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Subject
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Psychology, Industrial
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Abstract
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Problems related to the use of extrinsic reinforcement systems as a means of modifying work behavior were addressed in an experimental work setting. By designing a reinforcement system based on the Premack Principle, it is expected that organizations could gain significant benefits. Specifically, such a system could serve to increase productivity while minimizing the development of negative work attitudes associated with extrinsic reinforcement systems. The results of this experiment indicated that a Premack-based reinforcement system was associated with greater productivity than no reinforcement controls. The Premack-based system had a more favorable effect on task satisfaction and intrinsic motivation than an extrinsic system but this finding was only evident for subjects holding extrinsic work values. Reinforcement programs in organizational settings have received criticism as they seem to promote the organization's unethical control of individuals. It was of interest therefore to investigate differences in subjects' self-reports of their feeling of having been coerced by the reinforcement paradigms. The Premack-based and extrinsic reinforcement systems did not differ in their effect on subjects' self-reports of having been coerced. The results are interpreted as supportive of the application of the Premack Principle as an ethical means of reinforcing work behavior while avoiding unintended negative effects on work attitudes. The implications of this research for redirecting Organizational Behavior Modification are discussed.
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Type
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dissertation
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Source
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PQT Legacy CUNY.xlsx
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degree
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Ph.D.
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Program
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Psychology
