Operant Conditioning model of environmental processes and their effect on behavior

Employees are rational they always do the rational thing—in their own minds. They have specific reasons for behaving the way they do. The challenge is to determine the factors supporting undesirable performance and develop strategies to modify behavior. 

There are several possible factors leading to undesirable safety performance, including employee background, peer influence, and company environment. Although no two employees will necessarily respond in a like manner to the same stimulus, motivational theories attempt to apply what has been learned about a few to the whole population. What works for one won t necessarily work for another, because each person has different needs therefore, it is important to understand each employee and his or her needs. 

Suppose a new employee must work near a vat of acid. The employee has been trained in recognizing hazards in the workplace but still does not wear PPE. Is it irrational not to wear eye protection near acid Most people would probably say Yes This undesirable behavior seems to be irrational, but is it If coworkers heckle the new employee for talking about safety and wearing PPE, is the worker being irrational for not wearing it The new employee may have a 

The safety professional must also look at the organizational environment maintaining poor performance. In the above safety scenario, the new employee will compare the importance of the social reinforcer of going along with what the crew wants with the likelihood of punishment from the employer. The selection of the social reinforcer is especially likely if inconsistent enforcement prevails or if the discipline is only a slap on the wrist. Resulting employee behavior of choosing not to wear eye protection is far more rational to the employee than working safely. 

Another example would be responding to the fears associated with OSHA inspections and citations or to pressure from an insurance company to fix hazards or reduce costs. Short-term, Band-Aid approaches will not build a safety culture supported by employees. Workers recognize when budgets are provided for quick fixes and behave accordingly. Company motives are more transparent to employees than some managers believe. 

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Figure 11-3. Operant Conditioning model of environmental processes and their effect on behavior.

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