What Customers Don't Know Won't Hurt Them, or Will It?
Q.1. Using concepts from reinforcement theory, explain why Elena might be motivated to lie to customers. With reinforcement theory in mind, do you think that Elena will confess to the legal representative? Why or why not?
According to Reinforcement theory, Theorists believe that the behavior of an individual is environmentally caused, i.e. an individual’s behavior depends on the consequences of the behavior. In this case also Elena saw her supervisor lying to the customers just to make more money which also motivated Elena to do the same. He also told her that if she wanted to reach higher levels, she should learn how to handle and lie to customers at her advantage. Reinforcement theory in itself doesn’t study behavior but tells us that what determines the behavior. Similarly in this case Elena was focused towards her promotion and she knew that if she work on the lines of her supervisor she will surely get the promotion and thus I feel that Elena will not confess
Q. 2. How might the rental office’s climate influence Elena’s behavior? What factors contribute to the current climate? What steps could you take to improve the ethics at this office?
The climate of the rental office has been created solely by the supervisor. The reason why such a climate has been maintained by all the other employees is because they are all well aware that the performance management takes the earning revenue as a factor for deciding whether the employee is worth promoting or not. Thus, Elena too wasn’t spared from getting affected by this atmosphere and that resulted into her repeated lying to her customers. To improve the ethics at this office, the legal department would need to conduct an audit on the ethical standards held. Also, the supervisor should be warned against unethical practices and if needed, strict action should be taken against him so that the employees seek a lesson from his behavior
Q. 3. Do you blame Elena for her behavior or do you attribute her behavior to
According to Reinforcement theory, Theorists believe that the behavior of an individual is environmentally caused, i.e. an individual’s behavior depends on the consequences of the behavior. In this case also Elena saw her supervisor lying to the customers just to make more money which also motivated Elena to do the same. He also told her that if she wanted to reach higher levels, she should learn how to handle and lie to customers at her advantage. Reinforcement theory in itself doesn’t study behavior but tells us that what determines the behavior. Similarly in this case Elena was focused towards her promotion and she knew that if she work on the lines of her supervisor she will surely get the promotion and thus I feel that Elena will not confess
Q. 2. How might the rental office’s climate influence Elena’s behavior? What factors contribute to the current climate? What steps could you take to improve the ethics at this office?
The climate of the rental office has been created solely by the supervisor. The reason why such a climate has been maintained by all the other employees is because they are all well aware that the performance management takes the earning revenue as a factor for deciding whether the employee is worth promoting or not. Thus, Elena too wasn’t spared from getting affected by this atmosphere and that resulted into her repeated lying to her customers. To improve the ethics at this office, the legal department would need to conduct an audit on the ethical standards held. Also, the supervisor should be warned against unethical practices and if needed, strict action should be taken against him so that the employees seek a lesson from his behavior
Q. 3. Do you blame Elena for her behavior or do you attribute her behavior to