As a manager which type of reinforcement would you most like

Solution

Positive and negative reinforcements are used to bring necessary changes in the behavior of employees in the organization. As a part of the positive reinforcement, the managers bring initiatives that brings repeated positive behaviour in the employees. For example, a manager praises the employees when he or she comes to the work on time and deliver the best performance. Due to this praise and appreciation, employees start coming to the work on time, meet the benchmark performance and build a healthy culture. Pros of this type of reinforcement are motivation to the employees, better management of stress among the employees and employees delivering their best performance at work. Cons are very few such as overburden of the praise and expectation upon employees, excessive discipline bringing stress after some time.
The negative reinforcement refers to the stimulus that is removed after the particular behaviour is repeatedly performed. For example, disciplinary action is taken by the manager if somebody comes late in organization. In this case, employees come on time in the organization to eliminate the scope of disciplinary action. Here the disciplinary action is considered as negative reinforcement. Pros of the negative reinforcement is to bring positive change in the employee behavior, increase in the scope of improvement, elimination of indiscipline. The cons are negative morale in the employees and fear being spread among the employees driving down their performance.

As a manager, I would like to use positive reinforcement in a balanced approach with element of negative reinforcements. There is always a discipline, completing the rewards programs. The purpose is to encourage the employees to deliver the better performance, but to remain disciplined and within the limits of organizational guidelines.