The relevance of the learning theories for explaining and predicting of organizational behavior is marginal. This does not mean that learning theories are totally irrelevant. Learning concepts provide a basis for changing behaviors that are unacceptable and maintaining those behavior that are acceptable. When individuals engage in various types of dysfunctional behavior such as late for work, disobeying orders, poor performance, the manager will attempt to educate more functional behaviors.
Learning theory can also provide certain guidelines for conditioning organizational behavior. Managers know that individuals capable of giving superior performance must be given more reinforces than those with average or low performance.
Managers can successfully use the operant conditioning process to control and influence the behavior of employees; by manipulating its reward system.
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