Classical conditioning is a term of correlating one stimulus with a response and in doing so you have “conditioned” the person or animal to perform a desired reaction (Goldstein, 2015). This has long been a debatable and discussed topic as far as raising children is concerned. In fact, in a well-known experiment called “Little Albert,” a child was conditioned to change from being open to petting a rat to being scared at the sight of it (Goldstein, 2015). So what if for a moment we were to extend this debate even further to all relationships? What if by studying classical conditioning we could further understand the relationships of that of companies and coworkers? In doing so we may be proactive and not reactive to more appropriately conditioning associates to perform at a higher desired level with better responses that will ultimately translate into the bottom dollar savings for said company.

Many companies desire to have employees that not only work hard and appreciate the company but also exemplify it and grow with the company. Some may not even realize they are trained to use classical conditioning in their daily routine, but they are. By giving raises, time off, or gifts companies help to reward good behavior of employees and encourage them to seek better performance. Another consideration may be the negative stimulus that could be applied to employees. When an associate loses cash, has repeated late performance, or costs the company repair fee due to poor performance the company is then forced, once again, to use classical conditioning by firing or reprimanding this associate.

This sequence of events is a two way street and seems to condition the supervisors indirectly by drawing awareness and demanding it be greater through their actions. They are forced to not only be the individual controlling this “experiment” but also the participant in they are an independent variable.

Overall, companies desire positive results and are willing to condition persons under their employment to perform within their core values and policies to see this happen. By realizing the given best practices to help achieve these goals and properly training staff a company will benefit greatly. These benefits could help determine the future of the company, save in errors avoided, and help to have a lower turnover rate. Classical conditioning generally translates to positive results from positive employees.

References:

Goldstein, E. B. (2015).Cognitive Psychology: Connecting Mind, Research, and Everyday Experience (4th ed.). Stamford, CT: Cengage Learning.