The Performance Diagnostic Checklist and Its Variants: A Systematic Review
The PDC-HS is the most used and best-checked tool for spotting why staff performance drops.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Echeverria et al. (2024) read every paper that used a Performance Diagnostic Checklist. They found 28 studies and compared how each version was used.
The team looked at which checklist people picked, what problems showed up most, and how the tool helped in real workplaces.
What they found
The PDC-HS is the star. It showed up more than any other version.
Across all studies, the big trouble spots were antecedents and consequences. In plain words: workers either did not know what to do or did not get good results when they did it.
How this fits with other research
Cymbal et al. (2020) is inside this review. That paper showed the PDC-HS keeps working even when consultants watch real videos instead of paper stories. The review now tells us this strong tool is also the most popular one.
MacNaul et al. (2021) reviewed preference assessments, not job performance, but both papers give the same message: pick the right tool and use it on a schedule. One handles reinforcers, the other handles workplace problems, yet both push for routine, data-based choice.
Lill et al. (2021) built a decision tree for picking preference tests. Echeverria et al. show the field has already voted with its feet: when it comes to performance, most teams choose the PDC-HS without needing a new flow chart.
Why it matters
If you consult in schools, clinics, or factories, you now know the PDC-HS is the road-tested option. Start there, look first at antecedents and consequences, and you will match what the best evidence says. No need to reinvent the wheel.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
The Performance Diagnostic Checklist (PDC) is an indirect assessment tool used to identify the variables supporting problematic employee performance. The tool includes four domains; based on PDC results, an assessment-based intervention targeting one or more of these domains is evaluated. In recent years, PDC variants such as the PDC-Human Services (PDC-HS), the PDC-Safety, and the PDC-Parent have been developed. The purpose of this study is to review the research that has employed the PDC and its variants. We found twenty-eight published studies which have used the PDC or one of its variants. The PDC-HS has been most commonly used, followed by the PDC, the PDC-Safety, and PDC-Parent. The PDC and its variants have most often been completed with supervisors of employees exhibiting performance concerns. Many studies have identified multiple PDC domains as problematic, although domains representing antecedents and consequences are most commonly indicated. Interventions have typically been developed based on the highest scoring domain. Few studies have collected data on social validity or maintenance of intervention effects. Overall, results support the utility of the PDC and its variants, but also highlight PDC-related topics in need of additional research
Journal of Organizational Behavior Management, 2024 · doi:10.1080/01608061.2023.2230945