Behavior Management in a Factory Setting

A multiple-baseline design in which two intervention components of feedback and feedback-plus-praise was applied across 7 departments of a medium-sized furniture manufacturing plant. Daily average worker efficiency was collected for at least 8 weeks in each target department prior to introduction of the first component. This was introuduced in a temporally-staggered fashion across departments, entailed verbal repoll of daily efficiencies to each operative worker, and the visual individual display of this information on chart that were conspicuously posted in the work area. This condition, designated feedback-only, lasted from 8-35 wk. The second component continued with feedback and, in addition, supervisors were coached to contact and praise employees whose efficiencies exceeded predetermined levels or that improved in that direction. This feedback-plus-praise condition was introduced in a temporally-staggered sequence in four departments and lasted from 27 to over 100 weeks. Manipulation checks for graphing and praise were included and a benefits-analysis was conducted. Results were that of 7 relatively independent tests of feedback-only, fully 5 of these resulted in marked and reliable work increases and, of the other 2, one approached significance. Two of 4 tests of the praise component proved reliable and the other two reflected increases in the same direction. Manipulation checks yielded support that feedback was "registered" by all, that praise was given, but not whether the latter was dispensed differentially across project phases. Benefits analyses showed a program-related increase in productivity equivalent to 800-1050 man hours.     

The Effects of Attendance-Contingent Feedback and Praise on Attendance and Work Efficiency

Absenteeism continues to be a major problem for large segments of business and industry. Operant procedures have been used successfully to correct this problem, but most programs have used various forms of monetary reinforces. Applied research also has yet to examine the relationship between attendance and employee productivity. The present research uses feedback and social reinforcement to improve attendance, and examines attendance levels as they relate to worker efficiency. The findings of this study suggest that although there might be a slight increase in individual efficiency when absenteeism decreases, the relation between attendance and worker efficiency is not simple.     

Managing demographic change and diversity in organizations: how feedback from coworkers moderates the relationship between age and innovative work behavior

In a field study of 211 employees of a midsized German high-tech company, useful feedback from coworkers was examined as a moderator of the relationship between age and supervisor ratings of radical innovative work behavior. When employees perceived higher levels of useful feedback from their coworkers, the relationship between age and radical innovative work behavior followed an inverted U-shape. This inverted U-shaped relationship was decreasingly manifested as the level of perceived useful feedback from coworkers dropped. Given demographic change and the aging of the workforce of many organizations, this finding broadens the still fragmentary knowledge of the conditions under which aging is likely to have more or less positive effects on innovative work behavior. The authors discuss the theoretical and practical implications of these results on both the individual and the team level of analysis.     

A Simulation Model for Occupational Tuberculosis Transmission

A simulation model of tuberculosis (TB) transmission among hospital employees is described. A hypothetical cohort of 1000 workers was divided into low-, medium-, and high-risk groups. The number of TB patients admitted daily was treated as a Poisson random variable. A patient imparted a daily infection risk that was identical for all workers within a risk group but that varied between risk groups. In some scenarios, infected employees were assigned a daily risk of developing TB disease. If disease developed, the individual remained on the job for 3 calendar weeks and imparted a substantial infection risk to 25 close contacts. Simulations were run over 5-year intervals. Cumulative infection incidence increased over time and with more TB patients admitted. Given a scenario in which there were 600, 300, and 100 susceptibles in the low-, medium-, and high risk groups, respectively, 50 TB patients admitted annually and accounting for disease among infected employees, at 5 years there were approximately 100 primary infections (due to infection by patients), 40 secondary infections (due to infection by diseased coworkers), five primary disease cases, and two secondary disease cases. The input parameter values and simulation outcomes were reasonably consistent with the sparse information reported in the literature.     

Hawthorne:

The Relay Assembly Test Room study in the famous research that produced the Hawthorne effect can be regarded as an early OBM experiment. As was shown in reexamination and analysis more than four decades later, it involved both monetary reinforcement and discriminative feedback and had numerous points in common with contemporary OBM investigations. From that restudy have been derived some lessons for productivity that are pertinent today, involving conditions of work, information feedback, money incentivation, removal of disincentives, job enlargement, job satisfaction, job attendance, automation and potentiation, and long-term investment. The Hawthorne research left a richer legacy than has been generally realized.     

The Effects of Verbal and Written Supervisory Feedback on Staff Compliance with Assigned Prompted Voiding in a Nursing Home

We examined the effects of staff performance feedback delivered by a supervisor verbally, and combined with written feedback on geriatric nursing assistants' (GNAs) completion of assigned prompted voiding. The goal of the staff management procedures was to increase the frequency of prompted voiding which would consequently maintain improvements in continence brought about on a specialized continence unit. The basic staff management system included GNA self-monitoring of their performance of prompted voiding, periodic supervisory monitoring, and verbal and graphic feedback provided to all GNAs on their performance. At a later time, the staff management program was modified to include letters of praise or disapproval sent bi-weekly to all GNAs based on their performance of the prompted voiding procedure. Also, a letter was sent to all GNAs every three months summarizing their performance during this period. These summary letters were placed in the GNAs' personnel file and used as part of their annual performance evaluation. Results suggest that, although individual verbal feedback alone resulted in acceptable maintenance of prompted voiding, the addition of written feedback produced significant improvements in the number of assigned prompted voiding completed. This study displays the utility and practicality of employing formalized staff management procedures in nursing homes.     

Work-related boredom and depressed mood from a daily perspective: the moderating roles of work centrality and need satisfaction

This study aimed to advance insight into inter- and intrapersonal processes that may affect the associations between work-related boredom and employee well-being. We employed a daily perspective to examine (1) the relations between work-related boredom and depressed mood at the end of the workday and at the end of the evening after work; (2) whether these relations were stronger for employees with high work centrality (the importance of work to the individual); and (3) whether the indirect association between work-related boredom and depressed mood in the evening (via depressed mood at the end of the workday) was smaller on days during which employees’ basic psychological needs were satisfied after work. Data were collected by means of a 5-day diary study among 106 employees in various occupations in The Netherlands. The results showed that work-related boredom was positively related to both depressed mood at the end of the workday and depressed mood in the evening, but only for employees with high work centrality. Furthermore, daily need satisfaction after work mitigated the indirect relation between work-related boredom and depressed mood in the evening. Based on these findings it can be concluded that work centrality and need satisfaction should be taken into account in order to understand the association between work-related boredom and employee well-being.     

正面反馈的盛名综合症效应：正向激励何以加剧绩效报酬对创造力的抑制？

正面反馈通常被认为是一种低成本且行之有效的正向激励手段,但结果如何不甚明了。根植于本土"面子"文化,基于反馈加工过程模型,从反馈效价、反馈情境以及反馈接收者特质三方面出发,构建了一个嵌套被中介调节效应的三项交互模型,通过设计3项研究,旨在探讨绩效激励下的正面反馈反应机制。研究1结果显示,正面反馈调节绩效报酬对创造力的倒"U"型影响,且调节效应因员工胜任感知不同而存在差异,即在高激励强度下提供高的正面反馈反而加剧绩效报酬对个体尤其是低胜任感知个体创造力的抑制。研究2探索了上述负效应的成因,揭示了盛名综合症的中介作用。研究3进一步揭示,由于低胜任感知诱发的盛名综合症,强化了正面反馈对表现目标导向的引导作用,从而加剧绩效报酬对创造力的抑制。     

Interventions to Improve Sanitation During Food Preparation

Special training and feedback procedures were applied to improve the sanitation practices of nine kitchen workers who prepared the salads for a large university cafeteria. The target behaviors defining sanitation were (a) certain responses that increase the probability of microorganisms collecting on hands, and (b) handwashing following the designated microorganism-collecting responses. Behavioral effects of visual-recording equipment, sanitation training, and response feedback were systematically studied with an ABACADA design. Sanitation training lasted 30 min, and defined the target behaviors and sensitized the employees to the importance of reducing the transfer of microorganisms from hands to food: This educational approach increased the frequency of handwashing on only the first workday following the Sanitation Training. For a Feedback intervention, the kitchen supervisor and one of the authors showed individual employees their frequencies of microorganism-collecting and handwashing behaviors during the prior work period. On each day that Feedback was administered, the frequency of handwashing more than doubled the highest pre-treatment level (from a mean of 2.1 to 5.0 handwashings per day). No intervention influenced the occurrence of microorganism-collecting responses.     

Effects of Feedback Delivery Requirements on Accuracy of Observations

ABSTRACT

Feedback is often used in Organizational Behavior Management to improve employee performance. Accurate feedback results in greater improvements in performance and accurate observations enable accurate feedback. However, employees may find providing feedback to peers aversive. The present study contrived a method to evaluate whether instructing individuals to deliver feedback following observations impacted the accuracy of those observations. Five college-aged participants were exposed to a counterbalanced ABAB design. In the observation-only condition (Condition A) participants conducted observations of confederate posture, scoring whether the confederate’s feet and back were “safe” or “at risk.” In the required-feedback condition (Condition B) participants observed and collected data identically to phase A, but were additionally instructed to deliver feedback regarding confederate postures following each session. The results show that all five participants demonstrated higher accuracy of observations in the observation-only condition. Factors potentially influencing lower accuracy when feedback was required are discussed.     

市场层面上的赌资效应研究

赌资效应(House Money Effect)是指前期收益会使投资者变得更加风险寻求。与以往基于心理学实验或投资者个人交易账户数据所进行的实证研究不同,本文以股票市场整体行为为研究对象,采用世界上具有代表性的十四支股票综合指数为样本,构建TVRA-GARCH-M模型来研究在市场层面上前期损益对当期风险态度的影响。实证研究发现,在股票市场整体行为上,前期收益会降低当期的风险规避程度;同时,前期损失会提高当期的风险规避程度。     

Behavioral Safety in the Food Services Industry: Challenges and Outcomes

During the course of a 6-year behavioral safety consult at a food and drink industry site, data were collected on the number of Occupational Safety Health Administration (OSHA) recordable incidents, number of lost and restricted days, and number of peer safety observations. Employees were trained to identify safe and unsafe behavior, conduct peer observations, and provide peer feedback. Data collected from observations were utilized to deliver graphic feedback. Managers were encouraged to review graphic feedback with employees weekly, provide prompts for observation, and praise employees for conducting observations. A committee composed of employees and managers met monthly to address safety concerns. Reductions in incidents were observed over the course of the behavioral safety intervention, but a reversal to baseline could not be implemented. A negative correlation was observed between number of peer observations and number of recordable incidents. Results suggest that when employees conduct peer observations more frequently, the number of recordable incidents decreases.     

Training and Management of the Psychiatric Aide

This paper evaluates the research on training and management of inpatient psychiatric aides conceptualized in an operant conditioning paradigm. The training techniques reviewed include in-service training, modeling, prompting, and role playing. The management techniques reviewed include the use of posted feedback, money, trading stamps, supervisor approval, and days off. Recommendations for future research emphasize the use of direct and indirect approaches, analysis of reinforcers, group and individual data, social validity of training goals, teaching client skills, group contingencies, and the relationship between management and community, institutional and client goals.     

R&D员工领导创新期望、内部动机与创新行为研究

在现代组织行为研究领域推动员工创造、创新的组织行为研究是一个热点问题。本文通过对我国跨地区企业研发员工的问卷调查研究对领导创新期望、员工内部工作动机及其创新行为间的关系进行了实证探讨。研究发现,在我国背景下,直属领导对下属员工的创新期望、员工之间横向交换对研发员工创新的行为都具有正向预测作用,其中员工内在工作动机在领导创新期望、员工横向交换对员工创新行为的作用路径关系中起到中介效应。本研究的调查结论不仅有助于加深我们对组织内员工创新行为推动和作用机制的深入了解,同时也会对我国企业,特别是高新技术企业推动员工创新的管理实践提供借鉴。     

Approaching Error-Free Customer Satisfaction Through Process Change and Feedback Systems

Employee-based errors result in quality defects that can often impact customer satisfaction. This study examined the effects of a process change and feedback system intervention on error rates of 3 teams of retail furniture distribution warehouse workers. Archival records of error codes were analyzed and aggregated as the measure of quality. The intervention consisted of a process change where teams of 5 employees who had previously been assigned a specific role within the process were cross-trained to know and help with other team members' functions. Additionally, these teams were given performance feedback on an immediate, daily, and weekly basis. Team A reduced mean errors from 7.47 errors per week during baseline to 3.53 errors per week during the intervention phase. Team B experienced a reduction in mean number of weekly errors from a baseline of 11.39 errors per week to 3.82 errors per week during the intervention phase. Team C did not experience significant error rate reduction.     

When Knowing You Are Doing Well Hinders Performance

Summary

The effect of two types of verbal consequences, rule-following feedback and task performance feedback, on rule-induced insensitivity to programmed schedules of reinforcement were examined. Rule-following feedback could be either accurate or non-contingently positive. The task involved moving a sign through a grid using telegraph keys operating on a multiple DRL 6/FR 18 schedule of reinforcement in the presence of an initially accurate rule. After acquisition, the multiple schedule was changed without notice to a FR 1/FI Yoked schedule. Accurate rule-following feedback plus feedback on task performance produced striking insensitivity to the DRL 6 to FR 1 schedule change, the opposite of what might be expected by a common sense analysis of task performance feedback, even after controlling for contact with the changed contingency. It is argued that findings such as these can only be understood by considering the mutual verbal relations evoked by the combinations of rules and feedback, rather than treating feedback as a simple consequential event or as a verbal consequence whose effects do not depend on the relations sustained with other events.     

Increasing Physical Therapy Equipment Preparation Using Task Clarification,Feedback and Environmental Manipulations

The purpose of this study was to increase completion of tasks related to morning preparation procedures among 2 full-time and 4 part-time employees at a physical therapy clinic. A functional assessment was conducted to aid in the development of the treatment package consisting of graphic feedback, task clarification, and equipment manipulations. Later, graphic feedback was replaced with verbal feedback from the manager to facilitate maintenance of the intervention by the manager. During baseline, the mean checklist completion percentage was 18.4% and 56.5% for the therapy area and the hygienic activity area, respectively. This improved to 82.1% and 90.3% during the first intervention phase and remained above baseline levels at 75.6% and 100% during the second intervention phase. The results of this study suggest that the package intervention derived from the assessment was effective at increasing preparation task completion. Performance maintained above baseline levels at a three-month follow-up observation for the therapy area (50%) and the hygienic activity area (83.3%). According to the treatment acceptability assessment, graphic and verbal feedback were viewed as favorable by employees.     

Engineering Compensation Systems:

A commissioned payment system was installed at a small business to study a pay-for-performance system. Self-generated feedback, traditional wage payments, and contingent commissions were investigated in combination to assess their effects on daily productivity (in dollars billed) for two machinists. Results showed increases in dollar productivity for both feedback and commissions. The commission system, however, when combined with feedback, produced the largest increases in production. The intervention lasted for 40 working days. Moreover, organizational time and expenses in implementation were minimal. Implications for the management of organizations include: 1) the effects of feedback administered alone and in combination with contingent commissions, 2) the high ratio of benefits to costs, and 3) the potential savings that could be realized in quality of performance and staffing areas. The need for replication is also discussed.     

Skill utilization and well-being: a cross-level story of day-to-day fluctuations and personal intrinsic values

The opportunity to use one's skills at work is an important prerequisite for employee well-being. Drawing on self-determination and person-environment fit theory, this diary study aims to add to our understanding of this important phenomenon in two ways. Firstly, we examine the associations of within-subject daily variations in skill utilization with well-being. Secondly, we model work value orientation as a between-subject factor that moderates this within-subject relationship. Specifically, we advocate that daily skill utilization is more beneficial (in terms of more daily work engagement and less daily emotional exhaustion) for employees holding predominantly intrinsic (i.e. self-development, community contribution) as opposed to extrinsic (i.e. financial success, status) values. Results of multilevel modelling using diary data from 99 service workers over five working days, supported the assumption that daily skill utilization was positively related to daily work engagement, particularly among employees holding a predominantly intrinsic work value orientation. Contrary to our expectations, daily skill utilization was unrelated to daily exhaustion, both for employees holding high and low intrinsic values. The discussion highlights the importance of, and employees’ receptiveness to, variations in beneficial working conditions.     

An Examination of Generalized-Conditioned Reinforcers in Stimulus Preference Assessments

Generalized-conditioned reinforcers (GCRs) are advocated for by practitioners when possible because of their ability to function as reinforcers across a wide array of motivative operations. In organizational behavior management 2 common GCRs are praise and money. Although many studies have demonstrated their usefulness, no prior study has compared relative preferences for GCRs (specifically money) and other potentially reinforcing items. A total of 24 direct care employees from a group home setting completed assessments for potential reinforcers. All participants in the current study identified items other than money as high-preference items, suggesting that some items may serve as alternatives to money in terms of preference.