The Performance Diagnostic Checklist Effectively Identifies Areas of Organizational Improvement

by Ralph N. Pampino and David A. Wilder

Background Information:
Two similar studies that used similar assessment tools will be described. The first study was conducted with 3 employees in 2 different retail framing and art stores, before and after relocation. The second study, with 5 participants, was in an independently owned coffee shop. Both studies were conducted in a mid-size city in the Western United States.

Presenting Problem:
Daily maintenance duties such as restocking and cleaning the stores were not being consistently completed.
· Baseline - Coffee Shop = 42%
· Baseline - Framing Store = 15%

Analysis Tools and Results:
The Performance Diagnostic Checklist (PDC) was used in both studies to analyze the root causes of the presenting problems.
The results of the PDC for both studies suggested that a lack of appropriate antecedents and consequences might have been responsible for the low pre-intervention performances.

Procedures:
Employees of both establishments were provided with a pre-shift checklist and feedback based on performance. Weekly and monthly incentives for acceptable performances were implemented.

Necessary Procedural Tools:
Coffee Shop:
· Task clarification
· A 95-item checklist
· A lottery with a monthly prize of twenty dollars
· System of peer monitoring
· Public posting of the number of earned lottery tickets

Framing Store:
· Task clarification
· Goal setting
· Delivery of reinforcers for goal attainment
· Weekly graphic feedback.
· Daily written feedback

Existing System Adjustments:
Coffee Shop:
The use of the checklist, peer monitoring, and public posting procedures was implemented into the daily routine.

Framing Store:
The format of weekly staff meeting was adjusted to include the delivery and discussion of the performance feedback.

Maintenance of Procedures:
During the studies, the owners of both establishments were included on all intervention procedures to increase the likelihood of maintenance after the conclusion of the study.

Measurable Outcomes:
Coffee Shop:
Mean employee performance increased by 39%

Framing Store:
Employee performance increased by 75% for the first store and 41% for the second store.

Performance Improvements:
The mean percentage of closing duties completed increased;
Coffee Shop: from 38% to 77%.
Framing Store: from 15% to 90% for Store 1 and from 39% to 80% for Store 2.

Social Validity
On a 5-point Likert scale questionnaire, staff members from both establishments rated the interventions effective, favorable, and indicated that they would like the new procedures to continue.

Key Research and Review Articles
Austin, J., Carr, J. E., & Agnew, J. L. (1999). The need for assessment of maintaining variables in OBM. Journal of Organizational Behavior Management, 19, 59-87.

Key Books
Austin, J. (2000). Performance analysis and performance diagnostics. In J. Austin & J. E. Carr (Eds.), Handbook of applied behavior analysis (pp. 321-349). Reno, Nevada: Context Press.

Author Bios:

Ralph Pampino is the Director of Q-Business Solutions for Quality Behavioral Outcomes (QBO). He obtained his Master’s degree in Psychology at the University of the Pacific and currently resides in Northern California. Ralph can be contacted at Rpampino@qboutcomes.com or via www.qboutcomes.com.

David Wilder is an associate professor in the Behavior Analysis Program at the Florida Institute of Technology in Melbourne, Florida. He can be reached at dawilder@fit.edu