Final answer:
The term for a series of increasingly severe penalties for repeated offenses is a Progressive discipline policy. It is a form of formal negative sanction employed in business to handle persistent employee policy violations or performance issues.
Step-by-step explanation:
The term referring to a series of increasingly severe penalties for repeated offenses is called a Progressive discipline policy. This approach to enforcement of rules, or sanctions, is a formal negative sanction that organizations use to address employees' repeated violations of company policies or performance issues. In the context of social control, sanctions can be either positive, such as rewards for conforming to norms like promotions, or negative, such as punishment for norm violations including termination or arrest.
Out of the options provided, a Performance improvement plan typically aims to help employees improve their performance through setting specific goals and may involve formal reviews. A progressive discipline policy is distinct in that it is a step-by-step process designed to give an employee with performance issues the opportunity to correct their behavior before more drastic measures, such as termination, are taken.