muckshifter Posted May 11, 2006 Share Posted May 11, 2006 Start with a cage containing five monkeys. Inside the cage, hang a banana on a string and place a set of stairs under it. Before long, a monkey will go to the stairs and start to climb towards the banana. As soon as he touches the stairs, spray all of the other monkeys with cold water. After a while, another monkey makes an attempt with the same result; all the other monkeys are sprayed with cold water. Pretty soon, when another monkey tries to climb the stairs, the other monkeys will try to prevent it. Now, put away the cold water. Remove one monkey from the cage and replace it with a new one. The new monkey sees the banana and wants to climb the stairs. To his surprise and horror, all of the other monkeys attack him. After another attempt and attack, he knows that if he tries to climb the stairs, he will be assaulted. Next, remove another of the original five monkeys and replace it with a new one. The newcomer goes to the stairs and is attacked. The previous newcomer takes part in the punishment with enthusiasm! Likewise, replace a third original monkey with a new one, then a fourth, then the fifth. Every time the newest monkey takes to the stairs, he is attacked. Most of the monkeys that are beating him have no idea why they are not permitted to climb the stairs or why they are participating in the beating of the newest monkey. After replacing all of the original monkeys, none of the remaining monkeys have ever been sprayed with cold water. Nevertheless, no monkey every again approaches the stairs to try for the banana.Why not?Because as far as they know that's the way it's always been done around here. And that, my friends, is how a company policy begins. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marsden11 Posted May 11, 2006 Share Posted May 11, 2006 Good old B.F Skinner and Operant Conditioning... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zlim Posted May 11, 2006 Share Posted May 11, 2006 I worked at a junior high like that! Originally certain things were done in one way because they had to be (building layout, forms required, etc). Conditions changed BUT we had to adhere to the old way of doing things because "that's the way it has always been done". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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