As noted in the chapter, some companies try to control$$and even alter$$workers$$ behavior through systematic rewards and punishments for specific behaviors. In other words, they first try to define the specific behaviors they want their employees to exhibit $($such as working hard, being courteous to customers, stressing quality$)$ and the specific behaviors they want them to eliminate $($wasting time, being rude to customers, ignoring quality$).$ Then they try to shape employee behavior by linking reinforcement to desired behaviors and punishment to undesired behaviors.

Assume that you are the new human resource manager in a medium$-$sized organization. Your boss has just ordered you to implement a behavior$-$modification program by creating an intricate network of rewards and punishments to be linked to specific desired and undesired behaviors. You, however, are uncomfortable with this approach. You regard behavior$-$modification policies to be too much like experiments on laboratory rats. Instead, you would prefer to use rewards in a way that is consistent with expectancy theory$$ that is$,$ by letting employees know in advance how they can most effectively reach the rewards they most want. You have tried to change your boss$$s mind but to no avail. She says to proceed with behavior modification with no further discussion.

QUESTIONS

$1.$ What are the ethical issues in this case?

$2.$ What do you think most managers would do in this situation?

$3.$ What would you do$?$