Your team owns an organizational development consulting firm, and has done well based upon referrals. You have recently been hired to consult at the Dunder Mifflin Paper Company, located in Pennsylvania. You have been told that recently the growth of the business has leveled off dramatically, and the board of directors are a bit concerned that if nothing is done, Dunder Mifflin might even lose money next month. You have traveled to Pennsylvania to observe and interview workers at Dunder Mifflin, and to your dismay, you have discovered that several members of the company have adopted poor work habits and you think some operant conditioning interventions may help.

Instructions:

For each individual, determine:

The type of operant conditioning that would be most beneficial $($see below$)$

Describe specifically how you would use that method

Determine if the reinforcement schedule should be continuous or some kind of interval.

Positive Reinforcement

Giving something pleasurable to retain or increase behavior

Negative Reinforcement $($avoidance$)$

This is not the same as punishment $--$ increases the probability that a desired behavior will occur by removing a negative consequence when a person performs the desired behavior. Example: Parents stop complaining about child$$s time management if the child starts doing better in school.

Extinction

Removing a consequence that is currently reinforcing an undesirable behavior in an effort to decrease the probability that the behavior will occur again in the future. Example: When John arrives late to work, Betty starts the meeting on his behalf. Betty stops doing this so John will arrive on time.

Punishment

Administering an undesirable consequence, but remember to punish the behavior, not the person

Meredith Palmer, Supplier Relations

Meredith likes alcohol. She likes it a lot. She appears to be intoxicated at work many days and even took off her blouse in front of the manager one day after work. She has also neglected once again to wear undergarments to the office which becomes apparent when she leans over the copy machine.

What is the operant conditioning you recommend for Meredith?

What are the specific interventions you recommend to improve her behavior?

What is the reinforcement schedule you recommend?

Kevin Malone, Accountant

Kevin makes frequent simple math errors. When his manager decided to call an office meeting to engage in a team competition for basic math skills, Kevin missed all the math questions.

What is the operant conditioning you recommend for Kevin?

What are the specific interventions you recommend to improve his behavior?

What is the reinforcement schedule you recommend?

Toby Flenderson, Human Resources

Toby dreams about running away to an island. He keeps a suggestion box but doesn$$t read or respond to any of the suggestions or complaints in the box. His manager calls him the devil.

What is the operant conditioning you recommend for Toby?

What are the specific interventions you recommend to improve his behavior?

What is the reinforcement schedule you recommend?

Dwight Schrute, Sales

Dwight has a high need for power and doesn$$t get along with Jim, another sales person in the office. Dwight looks at everything in a $$black$$ or $$white$$ perspective and is very judgmental of others. Dwight wants to be the favorite employee and thinks he should earn a promotion as the $$Assistant to the Assistant Regional Manager$.$

What is the operant conditioning you recommend for Dwight?

What are the specific interventions you recommend to improve his behavior?

What is the reinforcement schedule you recommend?

Kelly Kapoor, Customer Service Representative

Kelly spends most of her time talking about how much she loves Ryan and seems unable to focus on her work. Ryan doesn$$t seem very interested in Kelly although she frequently tries to engage him in conversations.

What is the operant conditioning you recommend for Kelly?

What are the specific interventions you recommend to improve her behavior?

What is the reinforcement schedule you recommend?