UNIT 4

LEARNING

Presented by:
Irshad Ahamad
 Definition of Learning
 Learning brings relatively permanent change in
human behavior or performance resulting from
experience or practice.
 Learning is a life-long process in which new
behaviors are acquired.
 We cannot see learning but we can see changed
behavior as a consequence of learning.

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 More about learning
 Learning cannot take place until a learner actually
experiences what has to be learned.
 When people learn anything, some part of their brain

is physically changed to record what they have

learned.
 It is a change in behavior due to experience with a

view to adjustment.
 Any kind of change in the way an organism

behaves is learning

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 It brings some modification in the behavior.
 Once learned, an individual is capable of

retaining it for at least a certain period of time.

 It is acquisition of knowledge attitudes, skills

and habit (KASH)

 It involves new ways of doing things.

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 Itis obtaining new knowledge & applying into
practice.

 Itoperates in an individual’s attempts to adjust to

new situations.

 From the OB point of view, a manager needs to

understand how learning occurs or how people
learn and what they learn and why

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Features/Characteristics/Components
 Brings about change: learning involves a change
not necessarily improvement in behavior. Ex: bad
habits such as reporting late for work.
 Result in relatively permanent change: the

change brought about should be long lasting.

Therefore, short lived performance changes
should not be confused with learning.
 Arise out of experience or practice: any change

in individual’s thought processes should be

accompanied by changes in behavior

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 Theories of Learning

1) Classical Conditioning Theory

2) Operant Conditioning Theory
3) Cognitive Learning Theory
4) Social Learning Theory

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 Classical Conditioning Theory

 Classical conditioning: acquiring a new response (the

conditioned response) to a previously neutral stimulus
(the conditioned stimulus) that reliably signals the
arrival of an unconditioned stimulus.
 It refers to modifying behavior by continuous

reinforcement
 Ivan Pavlov: Russian physiologist who initially was

studying digestion; first identified mechanisms of

classical conditioning ( Dog Experiment)
 Also known as Pavlovian or Respondent

Conditioning
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 What is Classical Conditioning?

 Classical
conditioning can be defined as a process
in which a formerly neutral stimulus when paired
with an unconditional stimulus, becomes a
conditioned stimulus that illicit a conditioned
response.” (Luthans 1995)

 A learned
reflex/response that you do when
evoked by a stimulus

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Process of Classical Conditioning
Theory

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learning 04/27/2023 11
 IVAN PAVLOV’S THEORY

EXPERIMENT CONDUCTED: -
 Dog as a subject.

STAGE ONE: -
 Presented meat (unconditional stimulus) to the dog.
 He noticed a great deal of salivation (unconditional

response).
STAGE TWO : -
 He only rang up the bell (neutral stimulus), the dog

had no salivation.

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 IVAN PAVLOV’S THEORY

STAGE THREE: -
 Accompanied the offering of meat to the dog

along with ringing up of bell.

 After doing this several times, Pavlov rang up

only bell (without offering of meat to the dog).
This time the dog salivated to the ringing up of
bell alone.

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 Classical Conditioning Concepts

 Unconditioned Stimulus (UCS) – A naturally

occurring stimulus that leads to an involuntary
response.
• Unconditioned means “unlearned” or “naturally
occurring.”

 Unconditioned Response (UCR) – An involuntary

response to a naturally occurring or unconditioned
stimulus.

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 Classical Conditioning Concepts
 Conditioned stimulus (CS) - Stimulus that
becomes able to produce a learned reflex response
by being paired with the original unconditioned
stimulus.
 Conditioned means “learned.”
 A neutral stimulus can become a conditioned

stimulus when paired with an unconditioned

stimulus.
 Conditioned response (CR) -learned reflex

response to a conditioned stimulus.

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 Operant Conditioning Theory
 Theory is developed by B.F. Skinner
 This theory also known as Reinforcement

theory.
 It is the learning process based on rewards and

punishment
 It states, a person learns in a hope to get

reward ( positive enforcement) and escape

punishment ( negative enforcement).
 A manager can use both types of enforcement to

get employees learn new skills for high

productivity.
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 Operant Conditioning

 States that behavior is a function of its consequence

 People learn to behave to get something they want or

avoid something they don’t want

 Operant behavior means learned behavior
 Reinforcement strengthens desirable behavior
 The behavior that results in positive rewards tends to be

repeated & vice versa

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 The learning of voluntary behavior through
the effects of pleasant and unpleasant
consequences to responses.

 Operant conditioning can be described as a

process that attempts to modify behavior
through the use of positive and negative
reinforcement

 Through operant conditioning, an individual

makes association between a particular
behavior and a consequence. learning 04/27/2023 18
 Learning depends on what happens after the
response-the consequence

 Itfollows the law of Effect - law stating that if a

response is followed by a pleasurable
consequence, it will tend to be repeated, and if
followed by an unpleasant consequence, it will
tend not to be repeated.

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 For example:
 Suppose a new employee wants to learn the best way
to get along with his boss.
 At first, the employee is very friendly and informal,

but the boss responds by acting aloof and, at times,

annoyed. Because the boss does not react positively,
the employee is unlikely to continue this behavior.
 In fact, the employee starts acting more formal and

professional and finds the boss much more receptive

to this posture.
 In all likelihood, the employee will continue this new

set of behaviors because they result in positive

consequences.
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 Operant Conditioning Examples
1.If the student is applauded and complimented, he/she is
more likely to be encouraged for similar presentations
in the future. On the other hand, if the student is
laughed at or criticized, future presentations are likely
to be nothing but a formality.
Here, the reactions of the class and the teacher are the 
positive and negative rein forcers. Being cheered is the
positive reinforce, while being booed is the negative
reinforce.
2.An employee getting criticized in front of the whole
office by his boss and having certain privileges taken
away as a consequence to his bad behavior at work will
motivate him to stay in line and be more sincere
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learning 04/27/2023 22
 Cognitive Learning Theory
 Cognition refers to an individual’s ideas, thoughts,
knowledge, about himself & his environment
 Given by Edward Tolman in his rat experiment
 Cognitive theory assumes that learning is purely an

outcome of the thinking process

 Learning is considered to be an outcome of deliberate

thinking about a problem or situation based on facts

and then arriving at a conclusion.

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 Social Learning Theory
 The theory is developed by Albert Bandura

 People can also learn through observation & direct

experience
 Social learning takes place when people observe the

behavior of others & modify their behavior

accordingly
 Thus social learning emphasizes new behaviors by

observing or imitating others in a social setting.

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 Social Learning Theory
 It is generally done through the process of modeling (following
the footsteps of a role model)

 Parents, teachers, peers, bosses, movie and television stars and

sport personalities are often powerful models.

 The effectiveness of a model is related to individual’s status,

competence and power.

 Whether learned behavior are actually performed depends

largely on whether the person expects to be rewarded for the
behavior.

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 Social Learning Theory
The following process determine the extent of influence that
a model have:
1. Attention process: People can learn from their models
provided they recognize and pay attention to the critical
features.
2. Retention process: refers to how well the individual
remember or retain the behavior of the model
3. Motor reproduction process: refers to individual
converting model action into his action.
4. Reinforcement process: individual become motivated to
display the modelled action if incentive and rewards are
provided to him or expectation of getting reward is
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learning
 Behavior Modification ( OB Modification)
 It is an important application of reinforcement theory.
 Manager use it to enhance motivation and performance of

employees.
 It is the application of operant conditioning principles to

shape human behavior to conform to the desired standards

defined by superiors.
 It represents a behavioural approach to the management of

HR for performance improvement.

 It is a technique for motivating employees using principles

of reinforcement theory.

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 Behavior modification process

1. Identification of critical behaviors

2. Developing baseline data (Measurement)
3. Analyse behavioural consequences
4. Intervention strategy
5. Evaluate performance improvement

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 1. Identification of Critical Behavior
 In this step, the critical behaviors that make a significant
impact on performance are identified.
 Employees may be engaged in several behaviors in the

organization.
 Out of these, some behaviors may be critical like

absenteeism, tardiness or not doing a particular job.

 If such behaviors are modified, good results could be

expected afterwards.

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 Cont..
 Critical
behaviors may be identified through
discussion with the particular employee and his
immediate supervisors as both are closely
intimated with the job behaviors.

 A behavioural audit can be carried out to identify

such behaviors.

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 2. Developing Baseline Data (Measurement)
 Measure the frequency of the critical behavior over time
 Determining (either by observing and counting or by

extracting from existing records) the number of times

that the identified behavior is occurring under present
situations.
 The baseline may indicate that the problem is much

smaller or much bigger than was anticipated.

 If it is within the acceptable limit, no action may be

required.
 However, if it is more, it is required to be changed.

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 3. Analyse behavioural consequences
 Once the critical behaviors are identified and a baseline
measure has been obtained, behavioural consequences
are analysed.
 This analysis involves a detailed examination of

present behaviours of the employees to determine the

consequences of the behaviour and what conditions
lead to their occurrences i.e. cause and effects of that
behaviour.

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 4. Intervention Strategy
The goal of the intervention is to
 strengthen and accelerate functional performance

behaviours and/or
 weaken and decelerate undesirable behaviors.
 It can entail changing of performance reward linkage

to make high level performance more rewarding.

 A positive reinforcement strategy is used to make

high performance more rewarding.

 It creates a much healthier and more productive

organizational climate.

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 In intervention strategy, positive and negative
reinforcement can be used to bring desirable
change in the behavior.
 In positive reinforcement, rewards, increased

facilities and remuneration, autonomy can be

used.
 In negative reinforcement, disciplinary action,

rules & regulations, supervision can be used.

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 5. Evaluate performance improvement
 It is the final step of behavior modification.
 Systematic evaluation of intervention strategies are done

to ensure that these strategies are working properly

 The basic purpose of behavior modification is to bring

change in undesirable behavior so as to improve

performance.
 Changed behaviors can be compared with baseline

behaviors and deviation can be noted.

 If there is positive change, it suggests that strategies are

successful.
 However, if the changes is not significant, it may call

for adoption of more appropriate strategies.

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 Attitudes
 It is the evaluative statements or judgments concerning
objects, people and events.
 It is a way of feeling or acting toward the person,

things or situation.
 Attitudes are evaluative statements either favorable or

unfavorable- concerning objects or persons in one’s

environment.
 People acquire attitudes from parents, teachers, friends

and reference group members.

 It is important to know the attitudes of employees

towards specific aspects like pay, hours of work,

promotion etc.
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 Cont..
 Attitudes help to determine job satisfaction and
performance level of the individual employees.

 Positive attitudes of employees contribute to higher

productivity, reduce absenteeism, employee turnover,
grievances and accidents.

 If the management can successfully develop positive

attitude among the employees, they will be better adjusted
to their work.

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 Values
 The foundation of person's ability to do something.

 It refers to What is more important?

 Values represent an individual’s ideas as to what is

right, good or desirable.

 They are stable, long lasting beliefs of what is

important to the individual.

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 Types of values
a) Terminal values:
 refers to desirable end states
 These are the goals a person would like to achieve
during his/ her lifetime.

b) Instrumental values:
 Refers to preferable modes of behavior or means of

achieving the terminal values.

1-
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 Norms
 Norms are Rules of behaviors.

 Acceptable standards of behavior within a group

that are shared by the group’s members that
express what they ought to do and ought not to do.

 It is the agreed Upon-explanation and rules by

which culture guides the behaviors of peoples in
any given situation.

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 Beliefs
 Beliefs
is the Attitude that something is true
without proof.

 Value is started by belief.

 Employees’ belief impact on their performance.
 If an employee does not believe that he can

perform well, his motivation is bound to be low.

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