Analyze peer posts and provide a response with a new academic peer reviewed article. This is the feedback instructor provided so please adhere to their feedback as well:
The discussion board should be a “conversation” between you and your colleagues. I know you are sticking to third-person voice, but for the discussion board only, its OK to create a friendlier tone for this class. For example, instead try:
“Hi Lois,
I see how you reflected upon certain aspects of….”
Instead of
“In the post, Jackson reflects…..”
Post 1 – Author: Nicolle
The team concept automatically infers cooperation and working together towards a common goal. To get to the common goal, however, may require more than just agreement among and between team members. Teams may require motivation to accomplish their goals, ultimately forcing work, preferably as a team, to occur. Motivation can be in the form of punishment or rewards, with each bringing different consequences.
Ideally, teams function as a group, with each member pulling their own weight to produce a balanced output. However, in reality this is not necessarily the case, where some individuals tend to rely on the efforts of others to either compensate for their own unintended and intended shortfalls (Vranceanu et al., 2015). In such cases, teams may be allowed to decide on punishments for those who are not doing their parts.
Vranceanu et al. (2015) found that good performers reduce their efforts in groups where sanctions are not allowed, versus a slight increase in performance when they are allowed to sanction poor performers. In response, when there is the option to sanction poor performers within a group, the poor performers have been found to increase their performance. The threat of punishment within a group appears to help group productivity, but the effects of punishment of the group as a whole may likely yield different responses from team members.
Group-based reward incentives also come with benefits and consequences. Ideally, rewards for the team are shared, but when compared to other teams, perceptions of unfair management practices may result. When measurements of team-based performance are perceived as unfair, distribution of incentive payments will also be perceived as unfair, especially if one team clearly had more challenging targets than the other (Moilanen & Ikheimo, 2019). This may have a detrimental effect on team motivation.
Based on my experience, the threat of punishment, and actual punishment that is given as a learning opportunity have been effective. For example, a threat of punishment, such as requiring to work overtime, is an effective incentive for teams to accomplish tasks on time. If the deadline is not met, punishment in the form of requiring team members to establish a system of individual accountability for personal time management, with the agreement to work individual overtime if needed, helps to motivate team members help themselves while supporting team functions.
Post 2 – Author: James
Reward and Punishment
Humans learn about rewards and punishments early in life. The lure of rewards and the threat of punishment is often part of a childs upbringing, intended to cause healthy and productive behaviors and habits (Patterson et al., 2015). Rewards and punishment are also part of many work environments. The purpose of this paper is to briefly explore the benefits and consequences of rewards and punishment in motivating teams in the workplace.
Discussion
Reward and Punishment
The possibility of rewards and the threat of punishment can influence individual behavior. A reward is something perceived to be desirable by a person. It is sometimes linked to a desirable behavior, where it then becomes a method of reinforcement. The use of punishment involves presenting some unwanted consequence associated with a particular behavior. Examples in the workplace include criticism by supervisor or being demoted to a lower -ranked or lower-paying position (Ivancevich et al., 2018).
Rewards and punishment are related to the concept of motivation. Patterson et al. (2015) argue that motivation relies on an individual linking previous rewards to a mental prediction followed by a pursuit of a reward expected in the future. The authors base their assertion on cognitive neuroscience related to motivation in humans, and the fact that the anticipation and receipt of rewards stimulates the dopaminergic circuitry in the brain, affecting motivation, memory, and learning. Poling et al. (2017) state simply that any organisms behavior is determined by what it currently wants as well as by what is currently available. This would include seeking certain rewards and avoiding punishments.
Benefits and Challenges
Rewards and punishment can be used positively to impact behavior in the workplace. When things go well, both bring about positive workplace behaviors. However, there are instances where both rewards and punishments may not have the positive impact desired. Patterson et al. (2015) note that the severity of a punishment impacts the way a person seeks to remove conflicts between attitude and behavior an attitude adjustment. In experiments involving children who were given access to a fun toy but told that there would be punishment if it was played with, the children avoided playing with the toy. However, if the punishment was harsh, children cited the punishment as a reason for not playing with the toy. The punishment was lighter, the children reasoned that they had not played with the toy because it was in fact not very fun. This provided evidence that they had adjusted their attitudes. Managers must be aware of the impact of rewards and their severity.
The use of rewards to influence behavior may be more complicated than it first appears. Dickinson (2017) points out that there are reward situations that may involve aversive stimulation. For example, when rewards are made contingent upon performance standards in the workplace, and individuals fail to meet the specified standard, this could have the same effect as punishment, and weekend the reinforcing effect. Managers must fully explore the potential second and third-order effects of elements of the performance appraisal system that employee rewards.
Example Experience
In practice, both rewards and punishments are useful in the workplace. There are some situations that are so dangerous and/or egregious that it may be useful to associate punishment with a certain behavior. One example from the military occurred when a unit that operated in extremely cold environments threatened severe punishment (for leaders involved) in situations where frostbite incidents occurred. Of note, the punishment would not be applied without appropriate consideration of the specific circumstances and due process. However, the threat of punishment added an additional layer of incentive for leaders to ensure that Soldiers had the proper equipment and were taking the proper precautions to combat frigid conditions. As a counterpoint to this example, the use of rewards is often very effective in the workplace, and can have an overall impact on the climate that is more positive than punishment.
Conclusion
This brief exploration of the benefits and consequences of rewards and punishment in motivating teams in the workplace indicated that results from their application can vary. While rewards and punishments may in fact cause employees to demonstrate the desired workplace behaviors, they should not be applied haphazardly or without a full understanding of the potential consequences. In certain situations, such as performance appraisals, procedures meant to bring about rewards could negatively impact future performance, when the current standard is not met for some reason. With the application of punishment, the severity of the punishment can impact the attitude an individual has toward the behavior to be avoided. A key take-away from this exploration is that managers should not take a simplistic view of rewards and punishments, but rather think through the full range of implications and outcomes of these methods on the workplace climate and team performance.
