Final answer:
Extinction is a management strategy used to stop an undesirable behavior by not responding to it, aiming to decrease or eliminate the occurrence of that behavior.
Step-by-step explanation:
The situation described in which a manager attempts to stop an undesirable behavior by simply not responding to it is known as extinction in the context of operant conditioning. Extinction is a behavior modification technique where the reinforcement of a previously reinforced behavior is discontinued, aiming to decrease or eliminate the occurrence of that behavior. Ignoring behaviors is sometimes utilized in management strategies as well as in parental or educational settings to discourage inappropriate actions.
In the business management context, this approach can be applied in scenarios such as when employees exhibit minor but undesirable habits. Rather than providing attention or feedback, which could inadvertently reinforce the behavior, the manager opts to not acknowledge the behavior, hoping the employee will cease the action due to a lack of reinforcement.