Organizational Behavior
Discuss Leader Reward and Leader Punishing Behavior
One of the most fundamental roles of managers (leaders) is increasing the productivity of their employees. In so doing, leaders exhibit two forms of behaviors; transformational and transactional behaviors. Transformational behaviors put emphasis on the development of subordinates' abilities, the enhancement of good social relations, and the alignment of employees' personal goals with the organization's vision. Transactional behaviors, on the other hand, are more of an exchange mechanism. The supervisor, in this case, administers punishments and rewards to his or her employees in exchange for their productivity and effort (Organ, Podsakoff, & Mackenzie, 2006). Leader reward and leader punishment behaviors, which form the subject matter of this text, constitute the forms of transactional leadership behaviors.
There are two types of punishment and reward behaviors; contingent, and non-contingent behaviors. This gives rise to the four types of transactional behaviors; "contingent reward/punishment and non-contingent reward/punishment" (McCall & Mobley, 2001). Contingent punishment and reward behaviors are administered solely on the basis of an employee's effort and performance (Organ, Podsakoff, & Mackenzie, 2006). If a manager administers punishments and rewards for reasons other than employee performance, then he or she practices...
Non-contingent behavior can be based on many reasons. One common reason is where supervisors "reward (or punish) employees depending on if they like (or dislike) them, regardless of how well they have performed on the job" (Organ, Podsakoff, & Mackenzie, 2006, p. 96). A supervisor's punishment and reward behavior is a crucial determinant of his subordinates' efforts and behaviors.
Contingent Leader Behavior, Employee Behavior and OCB
OCB can be defined as "behavior that is above and beyond the call of duty" (Nelson & Quick, 2007, p. 157). OCP is positively related to employee effort and productivity. Leaders who reward their employees on the basis of performance are naturally considered just and fair. This kind of reward can take various forms, including commendation, approval, praise, etc. Contingent behavior increases the confidence that employees have in their leaders, and enhances the levels of supervisor-subordinate trust (Organ, Podsakoff, & Mackenzie, 2006). Additionally, contingent behaviors are usually based on timely evaluations. This reduces ambiguity, as employees get to better understand their individual roles.
Contingent leader behavior, therefore, results in trust, fairness, and clarity of employee roles, which are crucial OCB determinants. Fair treatment of employees is thought to enhance their OCB in a number of ways. First, it induces an aspect of…
