Alicia Hart

Module 2: Article Review

SPE 562: Personnel Behavior Management in Educational Settings
Dr. Amanda Boutot
CI: Samantha Lambros
July 8, 2023
Article Citation

Rodriquez, M., Wilder, D. A., Therrien, K., Wine, B., Miranti, R., Daratany, K., & Rodriguez,

M. (2005). Use of the performance diagnostic checklist to select an intervention designed

to increase the offering of promotional stamps at two sites of a restaurant franchiseLinks

to an external site.. Journal of Organizational Behavior Management, 25, 17-35.

Summary and Important Information

The researchers used a Performance Diagnostic Checklist (PDC) to determine possible

reasons why the workers in two separate franchise restaurants were not offering promotional

stamps to customers most of the time. The study determined that there were several reasons that

workers were not offering the promotional stamps including lack of antecedents and information,

problems with the equipment, and lack of appropriate consequences. After the determination was

made, the researchers designed a treatment package that included task clarification, self-

monitoring, goal setting, and graphic feedback. After the intervention, the mean percentage of

opportunities of offering promotional stamps increased at both stores with store one increasing

from 26% to 72% and store two increasing from 11% to 81%.

Questions

1. The researchers implemented a complete treatment package, muddying the

effectiveness of the individual interventions. How effective might the intervention

have been if there was only one antecedent introduced at a time?

2. What changes would the researchers have tried had the treatment package been

ineffective at increasing the percentage of promotional stamps offered?

Application and Reason Selected

The study demonstrated that Applied Behavior Analysis has a place in the Organizational

Management sector. The study demonstrated that choosing an intervention based on variables

that may be influencing a performance problem by using a Performance Diagnostic Checklist

(PDC) was an effective way to implement a treatment package that proved advantageous to the

organization the first time. By determining the possible antecedent causes behind the behavior,

change can be implemented more accurately the first time instead of possibly causing more

problems before finding the “right fit”. In other words, a treatment package could have been

developed without the use of the PDC but the first package may not have been effective so then

another package would have to be developed. Developing the package without the benefit of the

PDC could be compared to playing a guessing game. Whereas, using data to determine the best

route of treatment is a great deal more likely to be efficient and effective.

I am currently employed part-time at the local Boys and Girls Club. The Unit Director

has been having issues with staff who are not interacting with the children as much as she would

like them to. I think that the use of a PDC could determine some possible reasons and shed light

on some possible solutions to the problem.

I chose this study because I was interested in the use of the Performance Diagnostic

Checklist. By nature, I am a person who asks “why”. I feel that the use of the PDC would help

the leader of the organization get a better idea of the “why” behind issues that may be arising

within the organization. I feel that by having this information, the leader would have the

opportunity to see the things that he or she is not communicating effectively to the employees

and have a better idea of ways to improve the outcomes of the organization.