Volume 42 Issue 1 of the Journal of Organizational Behavior Management

Issue 1 of Volume 42 includes four interesting manuscripts! First, in a manuscript that will also appear as a chapter in the upcoming book Handbook of Organizational Performance: Foundations and Advances, edited by Drs. Doug Johnson and Carl Johnson, Dale Brethower et al. provide a fascinating history of organizational behavior management (OBM). Unfortunately, this is Dr. Brethower’s last contribution to the Journal of Organizational Behavior Management (JOBM), as he recently passed away. Dr. Brethower was an emeritus professor of Psychology at Western Michigan University. He was also a founder of the Organizational Behavior Management Network (OBMN) and received that organization’s Lifetime Achievement Award. His contributions to the Journal of Organizational Behavior Management and the discipline of OBM will be missed. Rest in peace, Dale.

Next, Cymbal et al. report on variables that predict turnover and staff satisfaction in agencies providing behavior analytic services. The authors examined large quantities of data to identify a few variables that correlated with staff turnover, including (you guessed it), pay. There were some surprises too though, including an interesting relationship between staff satisfaction and the satisfaction of the client’s caregivers. These data may help agencies providing behavior analytic services focus on turnover prevention strategies.

Vladescu et al. report on a comparison of video modeling and computer-based instruction to teach staff members to implement a preference assessment procedure. Both of these procedures are advantageous to train staff in that they do not require in-person instruction. Both procedures have disadvantages too. The results of the study are quite interesting!

Finally, Choi and Johnson describe some common antecedent strategies in OBM, with a focus on goal setting, task clarification, and job aids. Antecedent strategies have some distinct advantages over consequence-based OBM interventions. The authors of this manuscript do a nice job of describing these advantages, highlighting disadvantages, and suggesting when these interventions might be most appropriate to use.

A special section or issue of JOBM on Supervision is planned for Volume 42. Manuscripts will cover a variety of aspects of supervision, including the effects of the frequency and quality of supervision, comparisons of supervision models, evaluations of effective supervision structure and components, and supervision ethics. As always, please send me any suggestions and feedback you may have regarding journal policies and practices. Electronic messages should be sent to [email protected].