Some approaches to quality management are focused and reliant on fear, use of authority and punishment.
These approaches often focus on the discipline and punishment to discourage at risk quality behavior while quality behavior is often largely ignored.
This often results in the opposite intended effect.
Afraid to Report
People become afraid to report issues to management or to identify or focus them.
This is because the only result for this is a potential disciplinary type action.
As a result, what often happens is that you see less at risk quality issues being reported and more minor and major incidents occurring.
The Opposite Effect
Management then put greater focus on punishment and discipline and this compounds the issue.
Discipline and punishment can sometimes have the intended effect on improving the behavior but often it does not.
The effectiveness of discipline and punishment is dependent on its consistency of application.
It only works if given immediately and every single time an at risk quality behavior occurs.
It is clear that punishing someone every time they behave in an at risk quality manner is a very difficult thing to do.
Not least are the resources required to enforce this but also because they will not always be seen by those that are enforcing the discipline?
Positive Reinforcers
This means that those soon, certain and positive reinforcers gained from behaving in an at risk quality manner (remember people do what the feel works for them) will gain the upper hand on any uncertain, late negative reinforcers received from punishment.
