Analyzing Different Approaches To Business And Social Research

Project Objectives

Over the years, top authorities are more concerned regarding the performance of employees such as productivity and efficiency. It is significant as it impacts an organization as a whole. One of the effective ways to provide motivation is the application of reinforcement theory that was introduced by B. F. Skinner. Under the reinforcement theory, an integration of rewards and punishments can be practice to reinforce the desired attitude and turn off the unnecessary behavior. The managers can use a different technique to control the behavior of workforces.  These are positive, negative, extinction, and punishment. Another way is the equity theory that is developed by J. Stacy Adams’s. These theories stimulate the desired behavior with different schedules and occurrences. The key to equity theory is the principle of equity and balance. According to motivation theory, motivation level of an employee is correlated to their perception of fairness, equity, and justice practiced by an organization. When assessing the fairness, the manager compares the input i.e. contribution of the job to outcome i.e. compensation and also contrast the same with that of another group of equal cadre and category. The main aim of this research is to assess the impact of reinforcement on employee’s motivation in hospitality world (Cole, 2016).  

Following objectives would be used to complete the main aim of research:

• To explore the conceptual understanding regarding B.F Skinner’s Reinforcement Theory to support Reinforcement as an independent variable
• To identify the theoretical comprehension of J. Stacy Adams’s Equity theory to support motivation as a dependent variable
• To address the link between both theories i.e. reinforcement theory and equity theory

According to Andrewartha (2012), reinforcement is the procedure for managing attitude by managing the consequences of attitude. Under the reinforcement theory, an integration of rewards and punishments can be practice to reinforce the desired attitude and turn off the unnecessary behavior. Furthermore, any behavior that creates consequences is known as operant behavior. This kind of behavior faces by an individual in the business atmosphere. This theory emphasizes on the association between associated consequences and operant behavior and it is known as operant conditioning.

According to Nelson and Quick (2016), Positive reinforcement focuses on providing favorable responses when a manager demonstrates positive and required behavior. For instance, the manager should immediately praise to their workforces for coming early on the job. It will gain the chances of occurring outstanding behavior. The reward is favorable to reinforce, but it is not required. Furthermore, when the behavior of employees improves then reward can be considered as favorable to reinforce. Favorable reinforcement encourages the occurrence of the behavior. It is identified that giving rewards is more spontaneous to provide higher reinforcement value.   

In contrast to this, Daft (2016) evaluated that negative reinforcement focuses on rewarding the workforces by avoiding the unfavorable and undesirable consequences. Both favorable and unfavorable reinforcement can be practiced for boosting the desirable and obligatory behavior. Punishment emphasizes on avoiding the favorable consequences that aids to decline the probability of repeating the detrimental behavior in upcoming times. In such a way, punishment demonstrates the implementing undesirable consequence for demonstrating unwanted actions. For example, the manager should suspend the workforces for breaching the organizational rules. Punishment could be equalized by favorable reinforcement due to an alternative source.

According to Robbins Bergman Stagg and Coulter (2018), extinction focuses on the unavailability of reinforcement. It also declines the chances of undesired belief by avoiding reward for that type of behavior. For example, if workforces no longer get praise as well as esteem for their good work, then they may feel that their behavior is creating no productive consequence. Extinction may involuntarily decline the lower wanted attitude.

Literature Review

In contrast to this, McKee Kemp and Spence (2013) evaluated that reinforcement theory is beneficial for managers in detail understanding regarding the learning of an employee. Managers who contribute to encouraging the workforces must make sure that they do not reward all workforces concurrently. They must tell the workforces what they are not performing feasible. They must illustrate the workforces how they can get favorable reinforces.

Schedules of reinforcement

As per the view of Ariza-Montes Arjona-Fuentes and Law (2017), the timing of behavioral consequences to follow given behavior is known as reinforcement schedule. Furthermore, there are different kinds of reinforcement schedules such as intermittent and constant. When behavior is reinforced each time then, it is known as continuous reinforcement.

On the other hand, Bartol Tein Matthews and Martin (2005) discussed that continues reinforcement is an effective method to develop new behavior and to avoid the undesirable attitude. But, this kind of reinforcement is not practical in a managerial setting.  Hence, intermittent schedules are generally employed at the workplace to provide reinforcement to employees. Intermittent reinforcement indicates that desired behavior is not reinforced in each case. Moreover, different kinds of intermittent reinforcement schedules can be used by managers such as fixed interval, variable interval, fixed ratio and a variable ratio. 

Stacy Adams’s Equity theory to support motivation as a dependent variable

As per the view of Kim Song and Lee (2016), the key to equity theory is the principle of equity and balance. According to motivation theory, motivation level of an employee is correlated to their perception of fairness, equity, and justice practiced by an organization. The higher level is related to the perception of an individual regarding fairness. When assessing the fairness, the manager compares the input i.e. contribution of the job to outcome i.e. compensation and also contrast the same with that of another group of equal cadre and category. The proportion of output and input can be used by the manager to make such a comparison.  

In contrast to this, Yang (2017) evaluated that equity theory depicts that employees have concerned with their own rewards and what others obtain in their evaluation. Furthermore, workforces expect a reasonable and equitable return for their contribution to their jobs. Employees decide what their fair return should be after comparing the inputs and outcomes with those of their social groups. Furthermore, workforces who observe themselves as being in an inequitable atmosphere will make effort to decline the inequity either by altering inputs and outcomes thoughtfully.  Workforces can also directly transforming the inputs and output by quitting the workplace.

Inputs

According to Du Preez and Bendixen (2015), this equity theory is beneficial for an organization with the purpose of containing the quality and quantity of workforces that contributes to their performance. Input in hospitality world incorporates the commitment, hard work, ability, efforts, flexibility, time, determination, adaptability, enthusiasm, trust in supervisors, skills, personal sacrifices, and support from colleagues and co-workers.   

Outputs

In contrast to this, Dhar (2015) evaluated that outputs in equity theory can be illustrated as favorable and unfavorable consequences that an employee observes a staff member has acquired. It can be consequences of their relationship with others. Output could be both tangible as well as intangible in the hospitality world. Outcomes are esteem, job security, and salary, esteem, expenses, recognition, reputation, and sense of attainment, thanks, and employee’s benefits.    

Schedules of Reinforcement

Implications for Managers

According to Kim Kim Han and Holland (2016), equity theory has different implications for business managers such as managers can measure the totals of their outcomes and inputs. It indicates that a working employee may recognize the lower monetary compensation in return for more resilience during working hours. Different workforces have their different personal value to input to the outcome. Therefore, two workforces of equal knowledge and qualification may perform the same task for the same compensation. It may have quite a different perception regarding the fairness of the deal.

In contrast to this, Harris Murphy DiPietro and Line (2017) illustrated that workforces are competent to change the buying power and local market condition. Therefore, a staff from the hotel may accept the lower compensation as compared to hiring new workforces due to low compensation rate because new workforces may accept the totally different structure of pay. Furthermore, it may be satisfactory for senior staff in order to get higher compensation. There is a restriction regarding the balance of the scale in equity as, workforces can de-motivated within the hospitality world. Perception of workforces regarding input and output can be infeasible hence; perceptions need to be controlled appropriately.

In the view of Santero-Sanchez Segovia-Pérez Castro-Nuñez Figueroa-Domecq and Talón-Ballestero (2015), equity theory is originated from social exchange theory that demonstrates motivation in the hotel can be used as a cognitive procedure in which workforces assess the balance between input in the hotel and the outcome are estimated or received. The implications are similar to those of lower level need of Maslow. Employees expect that they will get equivalent compensation for the value they develop in the hospitality world. Management should analyze the worth of job objectively and clearly illustrate the exchange (efforts and time for job satisfaction, benefits, and money) to the employee before starting the work. Equity should be kept for adequate encouragement and superior is accountable to develop equity within the hotel.

According to Hong Liao Raub and Han (2016), both theories are beneficial in motivating the staff through reinforcement. This reinforcement could be in different forms such as positive and negative reinforcement. It is assessed that management can be in a complex position in terms of addressing and attaining requirement for different employees. To complete this needs accomplishment, a manager can use a certain technique that permits a manager to lead and direct the workforces. These techniques can be favorable and unfavorable reinforcement and favorable and unfavorable punishment.  

In support of this, Taylor Garat Simreen and Sarieddine (2015) opined that equity theory is similar to Maslow theory where, employees are encouraged in a linear fashion that means meeting their basic needs will result in attaining higher needs. Consequently, a manager should identify what extent of hierarchy workforces is on before applying the punishment or reinforcement in the hospitality world. When the workforces are more concerned regarding their salary and generating adequate money to live happily, then a supervisor can favorably reinforce the certain behavior like bonus pay or raise salary. When a workforce is pursuing esteem then, the manager can apply the promotions and employee-attainment awards.

Stacy Adams’s Equity Theory to Support Motivation as a Dependent Variable

In opposed to this, Nasr Burton and Gruber (2015) demonstrated that punishment can be beneficial to focus on motivational attainment and malfunction as well. By using equity theory, a supervisor can emphasize on the action of staff members with regards to desired results in the hospitality world. For instance, when a workforce is late and misses essential meeting then, it may prone to decline to revenue of the business. In such situation, equity theory permits the management to encourage via punishing workforces who do not generate the desired return to pay their compensation.  

According to Ferreira Martinez Lamelas and Rodrigues (2017), both theories facilitate the clues to motivation. In contrast to needs theory of motivation that only considers internal needs, reinforcement theory should be incorporated by an organization as it is based on external conditions. Furthermore, organizational management theorists emphasize on the atmosphere in order to illustrate and control the behavior of workforces. Due to this, it may be comprehensive to encourage a set of employees through external factors like promotion and raises in payment.

In contrast to this, Tsai Horng Liu and Hu (2015) stated that both reinforcement and equity theory should be used by manager participate the employees within the hotel. As per reinforcement theory, managers install a schedule of reinforcement like variable interval schedule in order to maintain employees on their toes. The workforces do not familiar exactly while conducting the test and developing reviews the performance. Hence, they cannot manage to pay for to work inadequately on given research.  

According to Nasr Burton and Gruber (2015), when workforces experience equity at the workplace then, there may be chances of increasing achievement level among employees. As well, when employees get reinforcement positively or negatively, then the chances of getting success may be high. It indicates that both theories are similar in terms of employee’s motivation. Furthermore, a workforce has a high retention rate and the workforces would like to stay with the corporation in case of equitable policies and reinforcement at the workplace.  

Literature gap

This investigation would not be competent to include all the aspect related to reinforcement because of insufficient time period. Furthermore, statistical information that will be gathered by employees may not be authentic as it is relied on three case studies that include the manipulated information. The research will not be able to offer the depth information regarding the non-monetary motivation that is used in current scenario because of lack of information. Although, this literature has different gap but still, it provides the opportunity to understand different theories regarding reinforcement and motivation.

The research methodology plays an imperative role in selecting appropriate research technique with respect to collecting reliable information about research matter like research design, data collection, and data analysis method. These are discussed as below:

The research design aids researcher to collect reliable information in the context of research matter. There are certain techniques that are considered in research methods like qualitative and quantitative research design. The qualitative research design is practiced for collecting theoretical information with regards to current research matter while quantitative research technique could be imperative for getting factual data with respect to research matter.

Inputs

In this report, the investigator will practice both qualitative as well as a quantitative research tool to get opinion and views of research candidates towards the specified research matter. It would support an investigator to improve the quality of research outcome (Sekaran, and Bougie, 2013). 

In this way, certain methods could be involved in designing of research named causal research designs, descriptive, and exploratory. The exploratory research design is used to presents the initial study, in which investigator complete the research by proving hypothesis of the study. In addition, the descriptive designing of research makes competent to investigator for pooling theoretical information with respect to research issue. Further, a causal study concentrates on cause and effect relationship between different variables (Glaser and Strauss, 1967). 

In this report, a descriptive research design is used by the researcher to collect conceptual information about research matter. It also enables to comprehend the different characteristics of the research matter. This design will help to the investigator to pool views of the research candidates with respect to the accomplishment of the objectives of research matter. Apart from this, casual research design is not practiced by the research candidates as there is no need to develop the cause-and-effect relationship between different variables (Y. S., and Guba, 1985).

Sampling refers to the selection of suitable candidates for conducting the research and gets a favorable outcome. There are different kinds of methods that could be involved in the sampling technique like non-probability and probability sampling method as it would also aid the investigator to choose accurate data from distinct samples.

Herein, the probability sampling technique provides the equal chance to the researcher to select research participants and conduct their research in a systematic manner. Apart from this, the non-probability sampling method is a strategy that allows selecting the research participants on the basis of education level, experience, age, gender, and region. In this study, the probability sampling method is used by the researcher as compared to the non-probability sampling method (Patton, 2002).

In addition, it is also examined that the non-probability sampling method is not practiced by the researcher caused by avoiding biases form the researcher and get an appropriate result with the favor of the current research matter. In this, the researcher will select 55 employees from the hospitality sector as a sample size to conduct the survey through questionnaire for understanding the impact of reinforcement on the employee’s motivation. It will support to directly collect views and opinion of the research participants (Spradley, 2003). 

In the research, the data collection refers to the gathering of information in an appropriate way from different bases to complete the objectives of this research. The suitable data collection method facilitates to create knowledge about current research issue as it would be imperative to for making a reliable conclusion regarding current investigation concern (Robbins, Bergman, Stagg, and Coulter, 2018). Moreover, it is examined that two kinds of methods can be used in research like secondary and primary data collection techniques that could be involved in the report. Further, primary data is a technique that is used to get fresh information about research matter. For gathering primary information, research scholar considers many techniques such as group discussion, questionnaire, interview, case study, and action research (Patton, 2002).

Outputs

Apart from this, the secondary data collection technique is the method that is collected by existing sources like academic journal, books, online and offline sources to conduct the research and get reliable outcome by completing the research aim and objectives in the least time and cost. The secondary information is usually published information that can be simply examined by research scholar to obtain research objectives (Robbins, 1943).     

For examine the impact of reinforcement on the staff motivation, the investigator will use both secondary data gathering technique as well as primary data collection. It will facilities investigator for gathering direct belief and views of respondents with respect to research issue. Herein, the application of the primary data collection technique is an imperative method for making a direct relationship with participants about research matter (Song, Lee, Lee, and Song, 2015). 

In contrast to this, application of secondary data collection method is an imperative technique to create detailed and conceptual data with respect to research matter. In this, there are certain sources that are considered by the researcher like journal, online and offline websites, and books to enhance the validity and reliability of research result. In primary data collection technique, face to face technique and survey through questionnaire is used by the researcher to get reliable data. This technique supported the scholar to get the opinion of research participants towards the research matter.  This technique is effective for collecting reliable information with respect to the current research matter (Patton, 2002).

After collecting facts and figures, there is requirement for assessing them in order to develop reliable and accurate outcome associated with research concern. There are certain techniques that are considered in the data analysis methods such as conversational assessment, disclosure investigation, statistical search, and thematic/content scrutiny. Further, content scrutiny technique will be used for assessing the collected data. In this way, investigator will be capable to depict descriptive statistics of information through correlation and regression (Spradley, 2003).   

In this, the researcher uses MS-Excel software and presents the collected data by considering different chart, graphs, and table. It would be effective for collecting the reliable information about research matter.  

Conclusion 

From the above discussion, it can be concluded that reinforcement theory is implemented by a supervisor to modify the employee’s behavior within an organization. An effectiveness and performance are more focused in current times, hence it is significant to comprehend and exercise these aspects in encouraging staffs. Positive reinforcement is demonstrated as an effective method to encourage workforces to perform well at the workplace.  It can be summarized that workforces are motivated to do better while they get desirable behavior and perceives they will be reinforced. This reinforcement can be favorable or unfavorable or an integration of both. Positive reinforcement can be additional benefits, bonus as per the performance, empowerment, and verbal encouragement. Punishment is another tool that can be implemented to remove certain behavior of employees. It can be concluded that equity theory illustrates that an employee feels satisfied when they get equal and fair policies regarding their paid off.  It can be summarized that both theories are linked to each other in terms of motivating the employees in the hospitality world.

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