There are four types of reinforcement. Positive Reinforcement is a method of encouraging continued behavior is to offer attractive consequences (rewards) for desirable performance. For example, an employee is on time for a meeting and is rewarded by the supervisor’s thanking him or her. The praise is used to reinforce punctuality. Other reinforcers are pay, promotions, time off, and increased status. Positive reinforcement is the best motivator for increasing productivity. Recall that developing habits is based on rewards.

Avoidance is also called negative reinforcement. The employee avoids the negative consequence. For example, an employee is punctual for a meeting to avoid negative reinforcement, such as a reprimand. Rules are designed to get employees to avoid certain behavior. Notice that with avoidance there is no actual punishment; it’s the threat of the punishment that controls behavior.

Extinction attempts to reduce or eliminate undesirable behavior by withholding reinforcement when the behavior occurs. For example, an employee who is late for the meeting is not rewarded with praise. Or a pay raise is withheld until the employee performs to set standards.

Punishment is used to provide an undesirable consequence for undesirable behavior. For example, an employee who is late for a meeting is reprimanded. Other methods of punishment include harassing, taking away privileges, probation, fining, and demoting. Using punishment may reduce the undesirable behavior, but it may cause other undesirable behavior, such as poor morale, lower productivity, and acts of theft or sabotage. Punishment is the most controversial method and the least effective at motivating employees.