Name: Do Thi Phuong DungClass: 11BSM4

Learning is a permanent change in human behavior because of their experience. There are a

lot of theories of learning. However, there are two main kinds which are concerned by learners

and educators. They are classical conditioning learning theory and operant conditioning theory.

There are a lot of differences between them that need to be clarified to make them have good

insight for everyone.

At first, we need to talk about its definitions, classical conditioning is based on what happen

before we respond and it begins with a stimulus that reliably triggers a response. Meanwhile, in

operant conditioning, learning is based on the sequences of responding. A response may be

followed by a reinforcer or punishment. Understanding the differences between two theories

can help us have good view of them to apply in our life and job, especially in human resources

management as these theories influence on human thoughts and reactions. Classical

conditioning counts on unconditioned reflex response that is dependable in-born stimulus and

response connection. For examples, when we were burnt by fire, we would keep our hands out

of it when we see it again. Another example, if we had made to blind when we saw an intense

light, we will keep our eyes close when we see it the next time. These reflexes can be linked to a

new stimulus. The classical condition theory also impacts on people’s emotion. For examples,

when we heard a person complain that they were hurt when they went to a dentist to take out a

decay tooth or fill in a tooth cavity, we can feel fear when we go to a dentist. Besides, when

students have a lot of homework to prepare for their examination and they have experienced

study hardship or failure, they often feel phobia when they are ready for an exam. Those are

some effects of classical condition theory on learners. For operant condition theory of learning,

we expect that a certain response will have effect at certain times. We also learn that a

particular response is linked to reinforcement. Moreover, operant reinforce works the best

when it is response contingent that is given solely after a desired responded has occurred. A

reinforcer tells a person that a response was right and worth repeating. For example, when

parent see their child not say “thank you” to others when he or she is given something. Parent

will ask him or her to say thank you or ask the giver to take back their things until this child says

“thank you”. They ask or even force the child say 3 or 4 times the phrase “thank you” to show

that he or she have to do this when they receive gift. After this event, this child will have the

habit thanking others when they get something from adults. Coon and Mittener states that

sometimes rewards cannot lead to a good result, for example when we give a child some

chocolates to ask them to do what we consider as good behaviors, but they really doesn’t like

chocolates so they will refuse to do what we ask them. We, therefore, need to find which

awards or prizes that is suitable to meet responder’s need or passion to attract them. Coon and

Mitterer continue to claim: “operant principles greatly affect behaviors in homes, schools and

businesses. It is always worthwhile to arrange reinforcers so that they encourage productive and

responsible behaviors”. We can see that operant reinforcement get its result when it can see

the correct response after we give signals to responders. Generally speaking, we can succeed if

we present a reinforce after a response we need it to change. We need to award children when

they are willing to respond after they get our reinforcement. The award or prize we present

them can make them satisfied and love, we are successful. We even encourage or stimulate

their interests to what we give our responders that make them behave well in life or moral.

Coon and Mitterer refer an example to clarify the mature of human beings: “let’s say I work hard

all semester in a class to get an A grade. Wouldn’t the delay in reinforcement keep me from

learning anything? No, for several reasons”. They then give three reasons for their opinions that

as a mature man, you can anticipate which prizes or awards you can get from your behaviors or

attitude at school, at work or in life. You can get reinforcement on quiz or test grades through

the whole semester. Moreover, a single reinforce can maintain a long response chain. We need

to refer a trend before we conduct to apply what we learn and study the differences between

the classical conditioning theories and operant conditioning theories of learning into life. That is

superstitious behaviors which are repeated because they appear to produce reinforcement

though they are unnecessary. However, they, more or less, impact people’s behaviors or

reflection later. Some people walk under a ladder and then break a leg, they may avoid ladders

in the future. Fishermen are so superstitious that they never turn up and down a cooked fish

when they eat it because this action can be considered as the image of a sunk boat or ship. They

teach their children and other members in the family avoid doing it and they become

superstitious without any clues or being testified. This act can impact life of many people

originated from this back ground. In some cultures in the world, especially in some countries in

Asia like Japan, Korean, Vietnam and Thailand where people are taught from their childhood

that they need to bow their head and greet older people when they see those who are older

than they are. They are praised by their behaviors which are considered good and obedient and

they are given good compliments and some gifts. When they grow up, they have that image and

impression that they got from their childhood and continue to behave to what they have been

educated. Meanwhile, westerners just say “hello” to people when they meet each other, they

rarely or even never bow their head and greet others with the best respect as Oriental people

often do. It doesn’t mean that they don’t respect others when they don’t bow their head. It’s

just cultural aspects that are originated from their ancestors.

Many people say that both of theories we have discussed above impact our behaviors and

attitude at school and at work. It is obvious that this works to some extent of life, especially in

human resources management which is one of the most important issues to people who work in

business field. We cannot deny its special importance because human resources now become

one of the most important key to the success of any companies in the world. It may be seen and

planned carefully before conducting business or expand their scale. How to manage and develop

human resources to the trend of implementing classical conditioning theories and operant

conditioning theories of learning is which business needs to concentrate and make it work

better.

We discuss the impact of implementing classical conditioning theories of learning in Human

Resources Management. This theory can impact well in business operation. The condition

inferred may be seen as law, regulations and any policies made, granted and notified to

employers before they are recruited. They need to follow all these to work at their office or

department they are involved. The directors or managers tend to these theories are people who

love to dominate strictly all their employees. All regulations or policies are made by the boss

without consulting any people in the company. The employees have to observe all the

instruction from the Head of their department they will have to be punished, minus salary or

bonus or in some cases, they cannot get the benefits that they need to be met. It is, to some

extent, good and effective in the event of the boss can control all activities of the company or

facilities they are in charge. However, how can a person control and dominate all the activities

of an organization with big scale. The disadvantages occur when they don’t have time to put

everything, every people, and every section under their control. They are just a human being

with their mental and physical limit. They can become tired and exhausted in a certain time

when his or her employers will do something that harms the result of their business. Some

employers have the habit to work very hard when the boss appears or under strict supervision

from their supervisors or their Head. Yet, they will stop working and do something silly, foolish

or personal work. They ignore company’s policy because they think that they are working while

staying at their desk or remain at workplace. They commit thefts. They are stealing company’s

time, and obviously, they are robbing legally their boss’s properties. This situation often

happens in company with classical condition theories. Furthermore, this often occurs in the

company with fixed salary offer to the employers. This can cause domino effect when other

employers see one commits this violation without punishment and imitate. Who knows what

happens next. The whole company or organization will be in crisis, they work like a heavy

machine system with bad work performance. As the result of that, they will soon be closed

because of bankruptcy and all employees become jobless.

Now, we discuss about operant conditioning theories of learning and their influence on

work attitude of employees. Obviously, the employers should be the people who are flexible

and tend to administrate their organizations in democracy. They need to train and instruct their

employees as co-workers in a team. They need to listen to their employees to know their need

and interest. We can see that everyone who applies for a job always loves to have a stable job

with the income they can support their family so nobody want to do something harm to the

company. The boss needs to perform that his or her business is the whole company’s property

and everyone in the company needs to make their effort to work, to inspire new ideas that can

develop the company and show their highest responsibility to the tasks they are appointed. The

boss needs to be successful when they get the most rapid response after the reinforcement.

They have to give the signal to inform their employees that they can be awarded if they work

hard and effectively. In addition, the boss also needs to tell their employees that they can be

punished, if causing something that can harm the company’s operations. However, this also

causes some negative effects. For examples, we refer about the employees’ thoughts and

attitude. They may be led to the thought that they only keep the best workers and dismiss the

worse ones instead of encouraging or stimulating them to try their best to work and they can be

awarded the same as ones who perform better at work. Moreover, they can create unfair

competition to all employees in the organization. Some employees try to get more work

performance bonus by violating company rules, work morals or trying to devalue other

colleagues in the same company. Most of all, the boss can fall into the behavior of respecting

and encouraging of individualism which should be avoided in modern world, especially in

business management where collaboration is a key point to the success of the company.

To make the operant condition theories of learning work well in certain circumstances, the

employers need to know the need and interest of their employees so that they can give awards

or prizes that are suitable and meet their desire. They should inform their workers that they can

get good bonus in specific numbers or they can have better free lunch, longer holiday with best

comfort and facilities if they try their best to follow the company policies in order to develop the

production and product quality improvements that satisfy the customers the best. They will get

higher income and interests that suit their work and life expectation. The boss can show the

best image for their employers they can get the dreaming income if they try more. Awards and

prizes can be higher and more exciting and attractive that secures a part of their life. We can see

that the need for life is getting higher and higher. How we can pay for all expenses that seem

increasing day after day? Only by hard working with new ideas and the best results and work

performance could they gain enough money for their life. The boss can create competition

between employees and department because it is very necessary. Yet, we should avoid

individualism trend in them because it can cause some thing negative to collaboration

environment. Success is for the whole group and they are fairly awarded to their devotion or

dedication. The employers have to ask and study what their workers love the best. They should

listen to their employees’ most necessary needs and meet their need. Remember your

employees’ needs, not your need. You can be successful when they know exactly what people

need. This act needs an analyst who can study the need of people in the organization. They have

to do survey and has exact information about the employees’ need and interests so that the

boss can have good plan for their organization drawn from the principles of operant

conditioning theories of learning in their human resources management with the best study and

implement in life and work.

We can see the advantages and disadvantages of above two theories. How to develop the

good points and reduce or improve the bad points to a better trend belongs to the ability to

comprehend and implement what we study from these theories. If we don’t understand and

misuse them, we can face a lot of problem in life, especially in Human Resources Management

in our organization. We cannot deny the important of classical conditioning theories of learning

though they have some limit. We can see that each of them have good sides and bad sides so

we have to combine them in good, effective and scientific way to make it run well that help us

to operate better and more successfully at work and in our life. However, we shouldn’t talk too

much about the theories, we have to apply and implement them in work as soon as possible and

we have to do them right away since we have known the importance and necessity of these

theories to business and human resources management in modern world. We can be left behind

if we go after others. Being late is better than never doing anything for our organization’s

success and development.