What is Organizational Behavior Management? [German/Deutsch]

What exactly does an OBM psychologist do?

Dr. Dickinson: An OBM psychologist can become involved in improving/maintaining any aspect of individual or organizational performance. In general, the areas include training, performance, management, (which may include improving performance quantity, quality, customer satisfaction, and/or safety), and systems analysis (increasing the efficiency of the way in which work gets done in the organization, altering what individuals do in their jobs, developing measurement systems for various units in the organization, and assisting organizations at the top level to determine measurable goals for its overall performance).

What are the basic areas in OBM?

Dr. Austin: The focus is on the problems, not like I/O where there are different areas. Some of the problems that OBM focuses on are safety, productivity, quality, and timeliness.

Dr. Dickinson: The areas include training, performance, management, (which may include improving performance quantity, quality, customer satisfaction, and/or safety), and systems analysis (increasing the efficiency of the way in which work gets done in the organization, altering what individuals do in their jobs, developing measurement systems for various units in the organization, and assisting organizations at the top level to determine measurable goals for its overall performance).

What is the difference between I/O (Industrial/Organizational Psychology) and OBM?

Dr. Brethower: I/O is an established field within psychology, traditional in approach, does lots of correlational type work, "owns" selection & placement and performance appraisal-which they've started calling "performance management" but don't be fooled. I have a colleague who earned his Ph.D. in I/O and went about establishing a consulting practice; he had to learn OBM to add value. OBM is known as that in ABA (Association for Behavior Analysis) circles and is known as HPT (Human Performance Technology) in ISPI (International Society for Performance Improvement) circles. It is a field created in the past 40 years by folks who were, primarily, behavior analysts.

Dr. Dickinson: If you would like more information about the difference between OBM and I/O, I suggest you read an article that was written by a number of us here at Western (one of my former Ph.D. students is the first author) : Bucklin, B.R., Alvero, A. M., Dickinson, A. M., Austin, J., Jackson, A. K. (2000). Industrial-organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior Management: An Objective Comparison. Journal of Organizational Behavior Management, 20 (2), 27-75.

Is there a difference between OBM in the business department and OBM in the psychology department?

Dr. Dickinson: Yes. If you are asking about our business department, there is not really any OBM, per se. Organizational Behavior Management refers, specifically, to the application of behavioral principles in business and industry - it is not a general term for performance management or organizational behavior. Our business college, while offering courses in performance management, organizational behavior and systems analysis, does not approach the topic from a behavioral perspective. It would be quite difficult for me to explain the differences; I recommend that students read chapters from a nonbehavioral performance management text, industrial/organizational psychology text, or organizational behavior text, similar to the Muchinksy text I use in PSY 645. If you turn to the chapter on motivation, there are five different motivational theories presented, and all are different than the motivational theories presented in the leadership chapter. Because the theories differ so much, the approach to behavior and organizational performance differs considerably from the approach we use in behavioral psychology.

Meet our Experts

Dr. John Austin is an Associate Professor of Psychology at Western Michigan University and a member of the I/O psychology program. He teaches courses in performance management and consults with major corporations on behavioral safety and performance improvement systems. John received a BA from the University of Notre Dame, and an MS and Ph.D. from Florida State University. He is co-editor of the Journal of Organizational Behavior Management, and on the editorial board of other comparable journals. In the area of improving human performance he has published more than 50 articles and chapters, delivered more than 100 presentations at regional, national, and international conferences, and has co-authored two books.

Dr. Dale Brethower is a Professor Emeritus of Psychology at Western Michigan University. Dale received a BA from the University of Kansas, a MA from Harvard University and a Ph.D. from the University of Michigan. He serves as an editor for several professional journals, is widely published, and is a regular presenter at professional conferences. Dale was the recipient of an Achievement award from the Organizational Behavior Management Network and is considered one of the pioneers of behavioral systems analysis/human performance technology/organizational behavior management.

Dr. Alyce Dickinson is a Professor of Psychology at Western Michigan University and chair of the I/O psychology program. Alyce received a BA from Lycoming College, a MA from Fairleigh Dickinson University and a Ph.D. from Western Michigan University. She has published widely on the effects that monetary incentives have on employee productivity, quality, and satisfaction as well as the impact that extrinsic reward systems have on intrinsic motivation. She is the recipient of a number of honors including a being named a Fellow, Division 25 Experimental Analysis of Behavior of the American Psychological Association, a Teaching Excellence Award from WMU's Alumni Association, and an Outstanding Achievement award from the Organizational Behavior Management Network.