Issue 4 of Volume 42 includes three manuscripts. First, Vance et al. described a study in which they evaluated some refinements to a performance analysis tool. The tool, the Performance Diagnostic Checklist-Human Services (PDC-HS), has been used to identify the source of performance problems exhibited by employees working in human service settings such as clinics, group homes, and schools. Vance et al. evaluated the identification of a cutoff score when deciding which PDC-HS domains are indicated and a decision-making model to determine which domain should be a focus of intervention. Their study is both creative and practical, and should make the PDC-HS a more useful tool.
Bucklin et al. provide a fascinating review of pay-for-performance systems. These authors describe the history of the use of these systems in organizations, outline the various types of pay-for-performance systems, and even discuss some of the literature relevant to pay-for-performance outside of organizational behavior management (OBM). Bucklin et al. concluded by making some key recommendations to organizations developing and implementing pay-for-performance systems. This is a must read for OBM consultants, professors, and students alike!
Finally, Spigener et al. describe a large, international study on behavior-based safety which comprised more than a million data points. Some of the researcher’s findings challenge traditional notions of best practices in safety work. Large-scale studies such as this provide a nice complement to existing, detailed analyses of individual-level behavior change characteristic of much behavioral safety research.
A special issue or section of JOBM on “Teaching OBM” is planned for Volume 43. Manuscripts will cover a variety of topics related to teaching OBM, including methods of instruction, preparation of students for OBM careers, OBM curricula, ethical issues in teaching OBM, and OBM-related fieldwork. 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].