Performance Assessment of Organizations
Keep your HR surveys—just call them measures of reinforcement history and you stay behavior-analytic without new software.
01Research in Context
What this study did
McGee et al. (2021) looked at the surveys HR teams love. They asked, "What if we call these things measures of reinforcement history?"
The paper shows how to swap survey labels for behavior-speak. Same questions, new map.
What they found
The authors found no magic new tool. They found a new lens.
Relabel a pulse survey as a "contingency check" and you can keep your data and talk like a behavior analyst.
How this fits with other research
Christopher et al. (1991) warned us that social-validity surveys often turn into empty rituals. McGee agrees and gives the ritual a behavior-analytic coat of paint.
Singh et al. (1993) told us to drop trait quizzes and watch what people do. McGee keeps the quiz but rewrites the headline so it points to behavior, not traits.
Maguire et al. (2022) went further. They ditched surveys and used hands-on BST plus PM to push staff to 100% COVID protocol. McGee gives you the option to stay with surveys if you must; Maguire shows what happens when you leap to direct training.
Why it matters
You can start Monday. Take the staff-engagement survey your agency already buys. Rename each item so it tracks antecedents, behavior, or consequences. Share the new labels with your team. You keep the data stream, gain a behavior-analytic story, and avoid another vendor search.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
As Organizational Behavior Management was borne out of Applied Behavior Analysis, so too is its approach to assessing environmental variables before implementing solutions for behavior change. This article discusses several types of organizational assessments used by researchers and practitioners. Behavior Systems Analysis (BSA) and Performance Management (PM) are the two most common assessment and intervention approaches used in OBM. These two methods are compared and contrasted and the levels and analyses within BSA are discussed. Also included in this article are common organizational assessments that are used by consultants and human resources professionals that are not typically used by OBM practitioners (change readiness, culture/engagement, and pulse surveys). These traditional assessments are approached through a behavior analytic lens and ways in which OBM practitioners can use them to assess and influence behavior is provided. A sustainability (otherwise known as maintenance or generalization) assessment is also included that builds upon previous research (e.g.) and experience through private practice.
Journal of Organizational Behavior Management, 2021 · doi:10.1080/01608061.2021.1909687