Social Learning Theories

"Learning would be exceedingly laborious, not to mention hazardous, if people had to rely solely on the effects of their own actions to inform them what to do. Fortunately, most human behavior is learned observationally through modeling: from observing others one forms an idea of how new behaviors are performed, and on later occasions this coded information serves as a guide for action." - -Albert Bandura (Social Learning Theory, 1977)

What is Social Learning Theory?

The social learning theory was proposed by Albert Bandura and is one of the most influential theories of learning and development. Bandura believed that direct reinforcement could not account for all types of learning and added a social element, signifying the concept that people can learn new information and behaviors by watching other people. This is also known as observational learning (or modeling) and can be used to explain a wide variety of behaviors.

This theory states that people can learn through observation and mental states are important to learning. He described intrinsic reinforcement as a form of internal reward, such as pride, satisfaction, and a sense of accomplishment and described this approach as a 'social cognitive theory.' Further he demonstrated that observational learning does not necessarily permanently changes behavior and people can learn new information without demonstrating new behaviors. This theory further emphasizes the value of attention, retention, reproduction and motivation as factors for successful observational learning.

Reciprocal Interactions – Person, Environment & Behavior:

This theory by Bandura (1977) further elaborates that there is a continuous reciprocal interaction between person, environment and behavior. (See figure below)

The theory is called social learning theory because, individuals learn in an environment in the process of interacting with each other- which is a social process. Person and environment function in conjunction with the behavior itself and reciprocally interact to determine behavior. A person, through his actions, produces the environmental conditions that affect his behavior in a reciprocal fashion. The experience generated by behavior also partly determines what a person becomes and can do. This in turn affects his subsequent behavior.

Leadership & Social Learning Theory:

Social Learning Theory has been used for teaching leadership across formal and informal settings. Behavioral focus distinguishes social learning theory from others as a leadership theory but requires behaviors to be imparted to future leaders are outlined. Social Learning Theory has application in leadership and it facilitates understanding the behavior of a leader and the continuous reciprocal interaction between the person (leader's cognitions) and environment (including subordinates and their needs, experiences, objectives in the organization, abilities, skills, energy performance, etc.) that regulate their behavior. In this approach, the leader and the subordinates have a negotiable and interactive relationship. They are' continuously aware of how they can modify or influence each other's behavior by giving the rewards or holding back the performance respectively. Because of its growing importance as a theoretical foundation for the fields of psychology and organizational behavior, a social learning approach to leadership seem to have great potential for the future.

The three aspects of this theory of leadership assumes:

1. Leader knows how his behavior is controlled by various needs, situations and experiences that he undergoes.

2. The leader works with the subordinates to discover what those needs situations and experience.

3. The leader and the subordinates jointly attempt to discover ways in which they can manage their individual behavior to produce mutually satisfying as well as organizationally productive outcomes.

Thus a social learning approach to leadership is shown below: