Revisiting a Classic: How to Use Positive and Negative Reinforcement to Demonstrate the Relationship Between Performance and Reward

Although most management students are quick to grasp the concepts of positive reinforcement and punishment, they often have difficulty understanding negative reinforcement and how it affects employee behavior. The purpose of this session is to demonstrate how an updated version of a classic exercise, featuring high-levels of participation, can be used within traditional management classrooms to create a fun atmosphere in which students see first-hand the consequences of each type of reinforcement. Relevant materials will also be provided.