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Public Adminstration QUESTION #9570
Question 1
Reinforcement Theory (B.F. Skinner) is applied to organizational behaviour through the principle of behaviour modification. A government department introduces a system where officers receive formal recognition for timely completion of files. According to reinforcement theory, what should happen to overall file completion rates, and what is the precise mechanism?
  • Completion rates will increase because recognition satisfies the esteem need in Maslow's hierarchy, motivating officers
  • Completion rates will increase because positive reinforcement (recognition as stimulus consequence) strengthens the association between the behaviour (timely completion) and the desired response — making the behaviour more likely to recur✔️
  • Completion rates will remain unchanged because government employees are Theory X workers whose behaviour is unaffected by non-financial rewards
  • Completion rates may actually decrease due to the Hawthorne effect — when employees realize they are being monitored they may strategically delay files to make the recognition more meaningful
Correct Answer Explanation
Skinner's reinforcement theory holds that behaviour followed by positive consequences (reinforcement) is more likely to be repeated. Recognition functions as a positive reinforcer: when timely completion (stimulus → response) is consistently followed by recognition (consequence), the neural and behavioural association between the action and reward strengthens — making the behaviour more probable over time. This is the core mechanism of operant conditioning applied to organizational behaviour.