Response-Response Relationships in Organizational Behavior Management

Abstract

The issue of behavioral covariation has been a topic of interest to behavior analysts for many years. Many writers have used the term response generalization interchangeably with behavioral covariation. In this paper, we argue from the extant literature that the term “response generalization” should be used to describe only very specific occasions of behavioral covariation. In fact, we argue, response generalization is merely one of at least six types of behavioral covariation observed in organizational behavior management studies. After describing response generalization, the remaining five types of response-response relations we describe are: (1) physiological relations, (2) when target behaviors occasion related behaviors, (3) when target behaviors reinforce related behaviors, (4) when target and related behaviors are maintained by the same reinforcing stimulus, and (5) covariation through participation in verbal relations. We conclude by discussing the potential for additional research on this topic in the area of verbal relations.     

The Impact of Skinner's Verbal Behavior on Organizational Behavior Management

In the book Verbal Behavior, Skinner provided a comprehensive, behavioral account of language. While the impact of Skinner's analysis on empirical research has been examined broadly, this review of the literature focused on studies relevant to organizational behavior management (OBM). Both empirical and nonempirical journal articles in OBM were analyzed, along with several influential books in the field. The results of this review indicate that the conceptual framework provided in Verbal Behavior has had virtually no impact on empirical research in OBM and very limited impact on conceptual work. Potential reasons for this lack of influence are discussed, and further research on verbal behavior in organizations is encouraged.     

组织行为研究的新领域:积极行为研究述评及展望

新的竞争时代呼唤新的员工行为。在对传统行为研究与管理实践进行评论的基础上,介绍了组织行为学研究的新领域——积极行为,从概念发展、分类问题、测量工具、理论基础、前因及后果研究等方面做了述评,对文献中存在的问题进行了分析,并结合中国传统文化特征提出了若干研究建议。     

Journal of Organizational Behavior Management

No abstract available for this article.     

Employee Engagement and Organizational Behavior Management

No abstract available for this article.     

Discussion of Behavioral Principles in Journal of Organizational Behavior Management: An Update

This study replicated the methods of a previous review and assessed the frequency with which discussions of basic behavioral principles occurred in a sample of research and case studies published in Journal of Organizational Behavior Management. A total of 127 research and case studies published between 2006 and 2015 were reviewed; 67 included a discussion of behavioral principles. The percentage of research articles and case studies discussing behavioral principles was higher than that found in previous research. The most frequently described principle was reinforcement. Our findings also documented a higher percentage of laboratory studies discussed behavioral principles.     

Organizational Behavior Management and Industrial/Organizational Psychology

Abstract

Six scholars in applied psychology wrote thoughtful and provocative reactions to a paper written by the author that presented a case for broadening the content and language of organizational behavior management (OBM) in order to enhance appreciation for OBM in organizational settings and among university faculty and students in mainstream psychology programs. This paper summarizes the follow-up commentaries and adds justification for key points made in the target article. Five topics are addressed: (1) critical distinctions between OBM and industrial/organizational psychology, (2) disadvantages of using negative over positive reinforcement to motivate behavior change, (3) the need to after OBM language in order to increase interest and application, (4) the use of unobservable person state vs. personality traits to explain behavior, and (5) the challenge of improving the education and training of students in OBM programs.     

On the Compatibility of Organizational Behavior Management and BACB Certification

The number of practicing behavior analysts who hold Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB) certification has substantially increased in the past decade. Some have mistakenly interpreted the BACB’s certification requirements as being specific to the autism and intellectual disabilities practice area. We present key BACB requirements, describe how they are practice-area neutral, and provide specific examples of their relevance to organizational behavior management.     

Experimenter Presence or Absence: An Experimental Analogue with Implications for Organizational Behavior Management

Students performed a simulated bank-proofing task individually in a lab with either the experimenter present or absent. Although run rates were similar, those in the Experimenter-Absent Group were off-task twice as much during sessions. Error frequencies for both groups were low and similar while rates of responding were significantly higher (+13%) in the Experimenter-Present Group because participants were off-task less often. Most human lab experiments fail to specify whether experimenters are present or absent in the room and this extraneous variable is a potential confound that should be controlled in future studies.     

积极心理学运动对组织行为学及人力资源管理的影响

积极心理学是21世纪心理学研究的一个新方向,而积极心理学运动(PPM)则在全社会掀起了一场积极运动,其影响是广泛而深远的。文章着重探讨PPM对组织行为学及人力资源管理的影响,研究结论是:PPM促进了积极组织行为学(POB)的形成与发展,推动了积极组织学术(POS)的兴起,同时也改变了人力资源管理实践中关于招聘与选拔、培训与考核的内容和方式。     

自我效能感研究综述——组织行为学发展的新趋势

近年来,自我效能感在组织行为学领域的地位日益凸显。首先,回顾和剖析了国内外关于自我效能感本质、内涵认识、形成机制和组织行为影响机制的研究成果。然后,在此基础上,对自我效能感在组织行为学前沿领域的应用和发展进行了前瞻性的分析和展望。     

The Historical Roots of Organizational Behavior Management in the Private Sector

Abstract

Applications of behavior analysis in the private sector became visible in the late 1960s and early 1970s. By the 1980s, the field of Organizational Behavior Management (OBM) was a well established discipline. This article chronicles the people, events and publications that contributed to the formation of the field, beginning with the precursors in the 1950s and ending in the early 1980s. The contributions of individuals who have been honored by the OBM Network are detailed and emphasized. Although some historical accounts attribute the development of OBM to influences from traditional management fields, the present account, through documentation of the formative events, argues that the field developed in relative isolation from such influences, emanating primarily from Skinner's development of programmed instruction and the advent of behavioral applications in other settings. While application of psychology to the work place predated behavioral involvement, the primary force for the development and growth of OBM came from within the field of behavior analysis.     

Customer Behavior Modeling in Revenue Management and Auctions: A Review and New Research Opportunities

Customer behavior modeling has been gaining increasing attention in the operations management community. In this paper we review current models of customer behavior in the revenue management and auction literatures and suggest several future research directions.     

A Literature Review of Organizational Behavior Management Interventions in Human Service Settings from 1990 to 2016

We reviewed the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis (JABA), Journal of Organizational Behavior Management (JOBM), and Behavior Analysis in Practice (BAP) from 1990 to 2016, to identify articles that evaluated organizational behavior management interventions in a human service setting. Of those articles, 75 articles met the inclusion criteria for the review, 44 from JABA (1990 to 2016), 22 from JOBM (1990 to 2016), and 7 from BAP (2008 to 2016). We categorized each selected article by setting, employee population, client population, assessment, dependent variable, independent variable, and outcome measures. Results from the review are discussed for all three journals. Recommendations are made to broaden the scope of population and dependent variable targets, include more assessments, and include outcome data when applicable.     

Money and Journal of Organizational Behavior Management Interventions: A Review

Practitioners and business leaders can use monetary data to quantify the financial outcomes of interventions in organizational behavior management (OBM). The primary purpose of this review was to investigate the occurrence and classification of monetary data in the OBM literature. Other purposes were to demonstrate ways in which such data contribute to the measurement of value and to provide recommendations for its reporting and publication. Accordingly, a review was conducted of publications in the Journal of Organizational Behavior Management. Cumulative yearly results showed that cost data were reported more often than cost plus benefit data, and cost plus benefit data were reported more often than benefit data alone. More cost than benefit data were reported, most often with social validity, followed by institutionalization, then maintenance measures. However, more cost plus benefit data were reported than either cost or benefit data with a maintenance measure. It is concluded that reporting cost and benefit data would be beneficial to the field of OBM.     

A Paradigm Shift in Healthcare: An Open Door for Organizational Behavior Management

The United States spends more money on healthcare each year than any other country in the world (OECD, 2015). Despite high costs, the quality of healthcare is below average, resulting in a society that is far from “getting what it pays for.” High costs and poor quality have resulted in a recent paradigm shift from traditional fee-for-service systems where hospitals and providers were paid by volume of patients to value-based care, to where they are now paid by quality of care (Andel, Davidow, Hollander, & Moreno, 2012). This shift has pressured organizations to improve quality of care at a rapid pace. This paper seeks to assess how Organizational Behavior Management has helped address the quality of healthcare thus far and discuss avenues for future research and practice.     

A Review of Procedural Acceptability in Organizational Behavior Management

ABSTRACT

Despite the documented benefits Organizational Behavior Management (OBM) applications can have on service provision for people with developmental disabilities, OBM is not widely practiced in service systems. One variable that may impact the utilization of OBM is how acceptable the associated procedures are to staff. The research on procedural acceptability in OBM is summarized in terms of two primary methods for determining consumer satisfaction with management procedures-rating scales and discrete choices. Results of acceptability assessments utilizing ratings scales have repeatedly indicated high degrees of staff acceptance for virtually all OBM procedures. However, when staff have been asked to choose among management procedures, clear and consistent differences in acceptability have been apparent. Suggested directions for future research focus on improving acceptability assessment methodology, developing guidelines for implementing effective OBM procedures in a manner that is most acceptable to staff, and involving supervisory and professional staff in acceptability evaluations.     

中国人力资源管理与组织行为研究的聚焦领域——第三届中国人力资源管理论坛述评

第三届中国人力资源管理论坛于2014年6月10日在南京大学管理学院召开。200多位参会人员就高绩效工作系统、劳动关系、员工离职、新生代员工管理、团队与领导行为、创新创业、员工积极消极行为、社会网络与关系、组织氛围等领域的研究展开了讨论和交流。在介绍本次论坛学术观点的基础上,对有关问题进行简要的总结和评述。