Encouraging Multiculturalism and Diversity within Organizational Behavior Management
Turn your OBM data eye inward and run a quarterly equity audit the same way you track billable hours.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Akpapuna et al. (2020) wrote a position paper. They asked OBM to use its own tools on itself.
The authors want data systems, task lists, and reinforcement to fix diversity gaps inside ABA companies.
What they found
The paper is a call to action, not an experiment. It maps how to audit hiring, pay, and promotion data.
It shows you can graph the same equity metrics you graph for client behavior.
How this fits with other research
Levy et al. (2022) widens the lens. They tell the whole field to run an anti-racist self-check, not just single firms.
Machalicek et al. (2022) hands you the next tool. They give eight OBM steps to embed research inside agencies; step one could be a diversity audit.
Najdowski et al. (2021) moves the idea into grad school. They say syllabi and mentorship must also pass a multicultural audit, extending the workplace plan upstream.
Why it matters
You already measure client data every day. This paper says measure staff equity the same way. Run a quick count: who gets trained, who gets promoted, who stays. Graph it. Set a goal. Apply reinforcement. One afternoon of data entry can start a diversity dashboard that competes with your revenue charts for attention.
Want CEUs on This Topic?
The ABA Clubhouse has 60+ free CEUs — live every Wednesday. Ethics, supervision & clinical topics.
Join Free →Open a new Excel sheet, list every employee, add columns for role, hire date, last promotion, and race/ethnicity if shared, then count who is missing from senior slots.
02At a glance
03Original abstract
Injustice related to racism and inequality has long plagued business, higher education, and society. Simply stating that one supports the cause of social justice is no longer sufficient – measurable change is now being demanded. In theory, organizational behavior management should be well-situated to help usher in behavior change at the individual and organizational level to achieve powerful outcomes related to social justice. Unfortunately, organizational behavior management has not done enough to address these challenges in either practice or research. There is a pressing need for change if the field is to support and represent the diversity of our populace and this requires the field to examine and address multiple barriers to inclusion. This paper seeks to elucidate some of the issues related to training, financial support, recruitment, retention, measurement of progress, support of emerging diverse voices, and self-reflection. It is proposed that many of the tools and techniques of organizational behavior management could be leveraged to help enact change for both those we serve and within our own community.
Journal of Organizational Behavior Management, 2020 · doi:10.1080/01608061.2020.1832014