You Are a Behavioral Psychologist, and You Have Designed a Behavior

question 69

Essay

You are a behavioral psychologist, and you have designed a behavior modification program to help little Johnny eat a healthier diet. Johnny's mother objects to the program; she does not understand how something so simple and external could work. She wonders what you can accomplish without first understanding what is going on in Johnny's mind. She is unfamiliar with behaviorism. As your first step in educating her about it, explain the development of the behavioral perspective by discussing the contributions of John Watson and B.F. Skinner.

List examples of incentive pay and understand their role in motivating employees.

Comprehend the implications of decentralizing decision rights on organizational information flow and incentive structures.

Distinguish the questions and considerations critical for efficient organizational design.

Understand how decision rights pertain to organizational design and employee responsibilities.

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Definitions:

Novation

A legal process that involves the replacement of an existing obligation with a new one, transferring the rights and duties to a different party.

Anticipatory Breach

An action in contractual agreements where one party indicates they will not fulfill their contractual obligations before the due time.

Abandonment

The act of giving up a legal right or interest with the intention of never claiming it again, often seen in property or relationship contexts.

Contractual Obligations

Duties that parties are legally bound to perform as specified in a contract, the failure of which could lead to legal consequences.