Advisor(s)

Gary Pace

Contributor(s)

Daniel M. Fienup, Karen E. Gould

Date of Award

2009

Date Accepted

8-2009

Degree Grantor

Northeastern University

Degree Level

M.S.

Degree Name

Master of Science

Department or Academic Unit

Bouvé College of Health Sciences. Department of Counseling and Applied Educational Psychology.

Keywords

Behavior analysts, Human services, Organizational behavior management, Overtime, Performance feedback, Residential programs

Subject Categories

Overtime - Case studies, Goal setting in personnel management, Human services personnel

Disciplines

Behavior and Behavior Mechanisms | Industrial and Organizational Psychology

Abstract

The current study investigated the efficacy of performance feedback with or without consequences on the reduction of overtime used by house managers to staff residential programs at a local human services agency. The intervention involved the use of a novel report, the Financial Report, which listed the weekly amount of overtime over the course of the study and included a graphic depiction of overtime. The Financial Report was sent each week. Depending on the performance of the managers, a consequence was added to the treatment package. One manager received no consequences to determine if performance feedback alone would prove effective. Results showed a significant decrease in the amount of overtime used by all three participants. Results of a social validity questionnaire gave some anecdotal indication as to the behavioral function underlying each component of the intervention. Directions for future research were discussed and include clarifying the behavioral function of interventions involving performance feedback.

Document Type

Master's Thesis

Rights Holder

David Matthew Harrison


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