Assignment Prompt & Instructions
– ## Reflectmodule6.docx
– ## ImprovingClosingTaskCompletioninaDrugstore.pdf
**## Reflectmodule6.docx**
Reflect
Module 6
Pinpoint a nuisance/undesired behavior that you've observed in your current or past workplace. Create two ABC tables, one for the nuisance behavior, and one for the desired behavior (see example below). Provide examples of the antecedents and consequences for both, and categorize 3 of the consequences per table (6 total) using Daniels' PIC/NIC analysis categories. How would you change the antecedents and consequences to get less of the nuisance behavior, and more of the appropriate alternative behavior?
| | | |
| — | — | — |
| **Antecedent** | **UndesiredBehavior** | **Consequence** |
| | | |
| | | |
| — | — | — |
| **Antecedent** | **DesiredBehavior** | **Consequence** |
| | | |
**Reflection Paper Rubric (25 points)**
Reflection papers consist of brief responses to a prompt related to the information shared in each week’s module. Using both the assigned materials and external references, the student should thoughtfully and thoroughly respond to the prompt. Reflection paper assignments will be graded as follows:
| | |
| — | — |
| **Category** | **5 points** |
| **Reflection Length* *(excludes reference section and direct quotes from references that are longer than 5 words)** | Reflection paper content was greater than 150 words. |
| **Grammar, Usage, and Spelling** | Reflection paper contained less than 2 grammar, usage, or spelling errors. |
| **References and Utilization of Outside Resources** | The author used references from peer-reviewed behavioral sources in APA format and cited one or more<br>original behavioral references, outside of the assigned readings. Hyperlinks to the cited external references are provided. |
| **Addressing the Prompt** | The author’s reflection paper clearly responds to the assignment prompt, develops <br>ideas cogently, organizes them logically, and supports them through empirical writing. |
| **Application** | The author’s post clearly demonstrates application and relationship to the week’s assigned reading/topic. |
Late reflection papers will adhere to the general submission policy found on the Virtual Course Schedule.
**WARNING: Using Generative AI (ChatGPT or similar) is not permitted on these papers. If use of AI is suspected, the professor will meet with you to discuss your response. If you cannot discuss your response sufficiently, you will receive 0 points for your submission. If this occurs more than once, you will be reported to the dean for academic misconduct and may receive an F in the class and removal from the program.**
**## ImprovingClosingTaskCompletioninaDrugstore.pdf**
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Journal of Organizational Behavior Management
ISSN: 0160-8061 (Print) 1540-8604 (Online) Journal homepage: https://www.tandfonline.com/loi/worg20
Improving Closing Task Completion in a Drugstore
Rhiannon Fante , Ora L. Davis & Vivian Kempt
To cite this article: Rhiannon Fante , Ora L. Davis & Vivian Kempt (2013) Improving Closing Task
Completion in a Drugstore, Journal of Organizational Behavior Management, 33:1, 77-83, DOI:
10.1080/01608061.2012.758020
To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.1080/01608061.2012.758020
Published online: 27 Feb 2013.
Submit your article to this journal
Article views: 553
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Journal of Organizational Behavior Management, 33:77–83, 2013
Copyright © Taylor & Francis Group, LLC
ISSN: 0160-8061 print/1540-8604 online
DOI: 10.1080/01608061.2012.758020
Improving Closing Task Completion
in a Drugstore
RHIANNON FANTE
Stephen F. Austin State University, Nacogdoches, Texas, USA
ORA L. DAVIS
Mexia State Supported Living Center, Mexia, Texas, USA
VIVIAN KEMPT
Stephen F. Austin State University, Nacogdoches, Texas, USA
A within-subject ABAB reversal design was utilized to investigate
the effects of graphic feedback and goal setting on employee closing
task completion. Goal setting was contingent upon baseline perfor-
mance and graphic feedback was posted weekly. It was found that
goal setting and graphic feedback improved employee closing task
completion.
KEYWORDS closing task completion, goal setting, graphic feed-
back
Research in the field of organizational behavior management has shown the
effectiveness of implementing feedback to improve performance (Komaki,
Barwick, & Scott, 1978; Sulzer-Azaroff, 1978). For example, feedback has
been used successfully with: a university hockey team (Anderson, Crowell,
Doman, & Howard, 1988); an electric utility industry (Petty, Singleton, &
Connell, 1992); bank tellers (Crowell, Anderson, Abel, & Sergio, 1988); a
textile factory (Welsh, Luthans, & Sommer, 1993); hotel banquet staff (LaFleur
& Hyten, 1995); and nursing home staff (Hawkins, Burgio, Lanford, & Engel,
1992).
Although there is a significant amount of literature on the topic of perfor-
mance feedback, no singular definition exists. Common definitions include:
Rhiannon Fante is now affiliated with St. Clair County Community College. Work on this
article was completed while Fante was at Stephen F. Austin State University.
Address correspondence to Dr. Rhiannon Fante, St. Clair County Community College,
200 North Building, 323 Erie St., Port Huron, MI 48061-5015, USA. E-mail: rmfante@sc4.edu
77
78 R. Fante et al.
(a) information that is given to a worker regarding the quantity or quality
of their past performance (Prue & Fairbank, 1981), (b) information sent out
back to the responder after a specific performance (Sulzer-Azaroff & Mayer,
1991), (c) information that tells performers what and how well they are doing
on particular tasks or on the job overall (Rummler & Brache, 1995), and (d)
descriptions about performance that allows an individual to adjust his or
her performance (Daniels, 1994). It has also been shown that adding behav-
ioral consequences and/or goal setting to feedback improves the overall
behavioral effects and consistencies (Alvero, Bucklin, & Austin, 2001; Earley,
Northcraft, Lee, & Lituchy, 1990; Loewy & Bailey, 2007).
Our purpose in this study was to assess the effects of goal setting and
graphic feedback on closing task completion in a drugstore. Completing
nightly closing tasks (i.e., cleaning, organizing, and stocking items) was
deemed important to the overall sanitation and smooth operation of the
establishment. We build upon the research of Austin, Weatherly, and Gravina
(2005), and Lowey and Bailey (2007) by examining the effects of goal set-
ting and graphic feedback on closing task completion. For the purpose
of the current study, we defined performance feedback as graphic depic-
tions of employee performance, thus serving a discriminative function (i.e.,
information regarding past performance.)
METHOD
Participants and Setting
This study was conducted in a drugstore and the participants were 10 part-
time and 10 full-time employees. Employees varied in the length of time that
each had been employed as well as their job titles and responsibilities. Work
schedules were determined weekly by the managers and all employees that
were scheduled to work the closing shift were responsible for completing
specific closing tasks throughout the drugstore each night. Participation in
this study in no way affected participants’ employment or promotional status.
Apparatus and Materials
NIGHTLY CHECKLIST DOCUMENT
All employees were individually given a nightly checklist form upon training
and therefore, all employees were aware of the closing task responsibilities.
The checklist consisted of 13 different tasks per department (i.e., straighten
magazines and items in front of counter, fill mini cooler, take out trash, etc.).
In addition to being given the nightly checklist upon hire, the checklist was
also displayed on a board in the employee break room at all times.
Improving Closing Task Completion 79
Dependent Variable
The dependent variable was the number of closing tasks completed per
night. Closing task completion was expressed as a percentage of tasks
completed per night and was calculated by dividing the number of tasks
completed divided by the total number of tasks and multiplying by 100.
A data sheet detailing each closing task for each department was cre-
ated. The data sheet was the same as the nightly checklist that the employees
first received during their initial training. Data were collected by recording
completed and uncompleted tasks by viewing the finished products of each
task and then checking the appropriate “yes” or “no” check box on the data
sheet. Data collection was conducted by the researchers and managers each
night.
Interobserver Agreement
A second observer independently collected data to assess interobserver
agreement (IOA). Point-by-point IOA was calculated by dividing the number
of agreements by the number of agreements plus disagreements and multi-
plying by 100. IOA data were collected for 30% of all observation sessions
across all phases and averaged 92%.
Experimental Design and Procedure
A within-subject ABAB reversal (where A was baseline and B was the goal
setting and graphic feedback) design was used to evaluate the effects of the
intervention on employee closing task completion.
BASELINE
During the baseline phase of this experiment, the researchers and closing
store manager collected data on closing task completion. The purpose of
this phase was to establish the level of the employees’ performance prior to
the intervention and this phase thus served as the control condition.
GOAL SETTING AND GRAPHIC FEEDBACK
Following baseline, a task completion goal was set for all employees. The
goal was determined by the managers and was based on the employ-
ees’ baseline performance. During this phase the managers set a goal of
a 15% increase from the employees’ average performance during baseline.
In other words, employee performance during the first baseline phase aver-
aged 65.8% and therefore, the goal was set at 80.8%. The store closing task
completion goal and graphs depicting the employees’ performance were
80 R. Fante et al.
posted weekly on a sheet of paper next to the nightly task checklist in the
employees’ break room. In order to ensure that no verbal feedback from
the managers occurred, the researchers specifically told the managers not to
discuss the employees’ performance or the graphs with the employees. The
researchers also regularly asked the employees if the managers were dis-
cussing their performance with them. Data collection procedures were the
same as those described in baseline.
RETURN TO BASELINE
During this phase, the goal setting procedure and graphic feedback were
withdrawn. Data collection was the same as described above.
GOAL SETTING AND GRAPHIC FEEDBACK
During this phase, the managers set a goal of a 20% increase based on
the employees’ average performance during the return to baseline phase.
In other words, employee performance averaged 64.1% during the return
to baseline phase and therefore, the goal was set at 84.1%. The graphic
feedback and data collection procedures were the same as described above.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Figure 1 displays the total percentage closing task completion for all depart-
ments (photo, front register, and cosmetics). Task completion averaged 65.8%
during baseline (range: 56.4%–76.9%) and increased to an average of 82.6%
(range: 76.9%–87.2%) during the goal setting and feedback phase. Task com-
pletion dropped to an average of 64.1% (range: 61.5%–66.7%) during the
return to baseline phase and task completion again increased to an aver-
age of 92.3% (range: 89.7%–94.8%) when goal setting and feedback were
implemented.
In this study graphic feedback and goal setting were effective in increas-
ing closing task completion for the store. Previous research in the field
of organizational behavior management has recommended that researchers
attempt to identify sources of variability to determine factors that may con-
tribute to unplanned behavior changes (Fante, Gravina, & Austin, 2007;
Pampino, Wilder, & Binder, 2005; Therrien, Wilder, Rodriguez, & Wine,
2005). Therefore, it is important to note that during the first baseline phase,
the district manager was conducting a store evaluation. The district manager’s
presence during the first couple days of baseline might explain why the data
in this phase appeared to be high, especially for the first observation day.
Improving Closing Task Completion 81
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18
P
e
r
c
e
n
t
a
g
e
o
f
C
lo
s
in
g
T
a
s
k
C
o
m
p
le
t
io
n
Observations
Baseline Baseline
Total
Feedback
Goal 1
Goal 2
Feedback
FIGURE 1 Percentage of closing task completion for all departments across each condition.
Furthermore, variability in the data could have been the result of
the difference in the amount of experience the employees had on the
job. Anecdotal data showed that the newer employees completed a lower
percentage of closing tasks when compared to older more experienced
employees. Other variables that might be responsible for the minor varia-
tions in the data include the manager assigned to the closing shift during
nights of observation. The researchers observed that the employees tended
to complete a higher percentage of closing tasks when the manager helped
the employees versus completing his own work in his office.
Another possible variable that may have affected data collection might
have been store activity. It was observed that during busy days (i.e., many
customers and shift tasks) employees took longer to complete closing tasks
and completed less. During slow days (i.e., few customers and shift tasks)
employees took a shorter time to complete tasks and completed a higher
percentage of them. Lastly, another factor that may have affected closing task
completion might have been the presence of the researchers. The employees
might have wanted to perform well, or improve on performance during the
feedback and goal setting phase, not because of the feedback and goal
setting, but simply because they knew a study was being conducted and
they wanted to please the researchers.
Because a number of variables may have affected the dependent vari-
able a detailed functional or descriptive analysis would have been useful
82 R. Fante et al.
in determining which variables might have been responsible for affecting
performance. The information gained from the results of such analyses may
have resulted in the development of an alternative intervention. However,
graphic feedback and goal setting were delivered together and therefore it is
not possible to determine which component, or if the combined delivery of
the components, was responsible for the results. Regardless, the intervention
was simple cost effective solution that improved the overall organization and
cleanliness of the drugstore and management expressed satisfaction with the
results.
REFERENCES
Alvero, A. M., Bucklin, B. R., & Austin, J. (2001). An objective review of effectiveness
of characteristics of performance feedback in organizational settings. Journal of
Organizational Behavior Management, 21(1), 3–29.
Anderson, D. C., Crowell, C. R., Doman, M., & Howard, G. S. (1988). Performance
posting, goal setting, and activity-contingent praise as applied to a university
hockey team. Journal of Applied Psychology, 73, 87.
Austin, J., Weatherly, N. L., & Gravina, N. E. (2005). Using task clarification, graphic
feedback, and verbal feedback to increase closing task completion in a privately
owned resturant. Journal of Applied Behavior Anaylsis, 38, 117–120.
Crowell, C. R., Anderson, D. C., Abel, D. M., & Sergio, J. P. (1988). Task clari-
fication, performance feedback, and social praise: Procedures for improving
the customer service of bank tellers. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 21,
65–71.
Daniels, A. C. (1994). Bringing out the best in people. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.
Earley, P. C., Northcraft, G. B., Lee, C., & Lituchy, T. R. (1990). Impact of process and
outcome feedback on the relation of goal setting to task performance. Academy
of Management Journal, 33, 87–105.
Fante, R., Gravina, N., & Austin, J. (2007). A brief pre-intervention analysis and
demonstration of the effects of a behavioral safety package on postural behav-
iors of pharmacy employees. Journal of Organizational Behavior Management,
27(2), 15–25.
Hawkins, A. M., Burgio, L. D., Lanford, A., & Engel, B. T. (1992). The effects of verbal
and written supervisory feedback on staff compliance with assigned prompted
voiding in a nursing home. Journal of Organizational Behavior Management,
13(1), 137–150.
Komaki, J., Barwick, D., & Scott, L. R. (1978). A behavioral approach to occupational
safety: Pinpointing and reinforcing safe performance in a food manufacturing
plant. Journal of Applied Psychology, 4, 434–445.
LaFleur, T., & Hyten, C. (1995). Improving the quality of hotel banquet staff perfor-
mance. Journal of Organizational Behavior Management, 15(1/2), 69–93.
Loewy, S., & Bailey, J. (2007). The effects of graphic feedback, goal setting, and man-
ager praise on customer service behaviors. Journal of Organizational Behavior
Management, 27(3), 15–26.
Improving Closing Task Completion 83
Pampino, R. N., Jr., Wilder, D. A., & Binder, C. (2005). The use of functional assess-
ment and frequency building procedures to increase product knowledge and
data entry skills among foremen in a construction organization. Journal of
Organizational Behavior Management, 25(2), 1–36.
Petty, M. M., Singleton, B., & Connell, D. W. (1992). An experimental evaluation of
an organization incentive plan in the electric utility industry. Journal of Applied
Psychology, 77 , 427–436.
Prue, D. M., & Fairbank, J. A. (1981). Performance feedback in organizational behav-
ior management: A review. Journal of Organizational Behavior Management,
3(1), 1–16.
Rummler, G. A., & Brache, A. P. (1995). Improving performance: Managing the white
space on the organizational chart. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Sulzer-Azaroff, B., & Mayer, G. R. (1991). Behavior analysis for lasting change. Fort
Worth, TX: Harcourt Brace College.
Sulzer-Azaroff, B. (1978). Behavioral ecology and accident prevention. Journal of
Organizational Behavior Management, 2(1), 11–44.
Therrien, K., Wilder, D. A., Rodriguez, M., & Wine, B. (2005). Preintervention anal-
ysis and improvement of customer greeting in a restaurant. Journal of Applied
Behavior Analysis, 38, 411–415.
Welsh, D. H., Luthans, F., & Sommer, S. M. (1993). Organizational behavior modifi-
cation goes to Russia: Replicating an experimental analysis across cultures and
tasks. Journal of Organizational Behavior Management, 13(2), 15–35.
**## ImprovingClosingTaskCompletioninaDrugstore.pdf**
Full Terms & Conditions of access and use can be found at
https://www.tandfonline.com/action/journalInformation?journalCode=worg20
Journal of Organizational Behavior Management
ISSN: 0160-8061 (Print) 1540-8604 (Online) Journal homepage: https://www.tandfonline.com/loi/worg20
Improving Closing Task Completion in a Drugstore
Rhiannon Fante , Ora L. Davis & Vivian Kempt
To cite this article: Rhiannon Fante , Ora L. Davis & Vivian Kempt (2013) Improving Closing Task
Completion in a Drugstore, Journal of Organizational Behavior Management, 33:1, 77-83, DOI:
10.1080/01608061.2012.758020
To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.1080/01608061.2012.758020
Published online: 27 Feb 2013.
Submit your article to this journal
Article views: 553
View related articles
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Journal of Organizational Behavior Management, 33:77–83, 2013
Copyright © Taylor & Francis Group, LLC
ISSN: 0160-8061 print/1540-8604 online
DOI: 10.1080/01608061.2012.758020
Improving Closing Task Completion
in a Drugstore
RHIANNON FANTE
Stephen F. Austin State University, Nacogdoches, Texas, USA
ORA L. DAVIS
Mexia State Supported Living Center, Mexia, Texas, USA
VIVIAN KEMPT
Stephen F. Austin State University, Nacogdoches, Texas, USA
A within-subject ABAB reversal design was utilized to investigate
the effects of graphic feedback and goal setting on employee closing
task completion. Goal setting was contingent upon baseline perfor-
mance and graphic feedback was posted weekly. It was found that
goal setting and graphic feedback improved employee closing task
completion.
KEYWORDS closing task completion, goal setting, graphic feed-
back
Research in the field of organizational behavior management has shown the
effectiveness of implementing feedback to improve performance (Komaki,
Barwick, & Scott, 1978; Sulzer-Azaroff, 1978). For example, feedback has
been used successfully with: a university hockey team (Anderson, Crowell,
Doman, & Howard, 1988); an electric utility industry (Petty, Singleton, &
Connell, 1992); bank tellers (Crowell, Anderson, Abel, & Sergio, 1988); a
textile factory (Welsh, Luthans, & Sommer, 1993); hotel banquet staff (LaFleur
& Hyten, 1995); and nursing home staff (Hawkins, Burgio, Lanford, & Engel,
1992).
Although there is a significant amount of literature on the topic of perfor-
mance feedback, no singular definition exists. Common definitions include:
Rhiannon Fante is now affiliated with St. Clair County Community College. Work on this
article was completed while Fante was at Stephen F. Austin State University.
Address correspondence to Dr. Rhiannon Fante, St. Clair County Community College,
200 North Building, 323 Erie St., Port Huron, MI 48061-5015, USA. E-mail: rmfante@sc4.edu
77
78 R. Fante et al.
(a) information that is given to a worker regarding the quantity or quality
of their past performance (Prue & Fairbank, 1981), (b) information sent out
back to the responder after a specific performance (Sulzer-Azaroff & Mayer,
1991), (c) information that tells performers what and how well they are doing
on particular tasks or on the job overall (Rummler & Brache, 1995), and (d)
descriptions about performance that allows an individual to adjust his or
her performance (Daniels, 1994). It has also been shown that adding behav-
ioral consequences and/or goal setting to feedback improves the overall
behavioral effects and consistencies (Alvero, Bucklin, & Austin, 2001; Earley,
Northcraft, Lee, & Lituchy, 1990; Loewy & Bailey, 2007).
Our purpose in this study was to assess the effects of goal setting and
graphic feedback on closing task completion in a drugstore. Completing
nightly closing tasks (i.e., cleaning, organizing, and stocking items) was
deemed important to the overall sanitation and smooth operation of the
establishment. We build upon the research of Austin, Weatherly, and Gravina
(2005), and Lowey and Bailey (2007) by examining the effects of goal set-
ting and graphic feedback on closing task completion. For the purpose
of the current study, we defined performance feedback as graphic depic-
tions of employee performance, thus serving a discriminative function (i.e.,
information regarding past performance.)
METHOD
Participants and Setting
This study was conducted in a drugstore and the participants were 10 part-
time and 10 full-time employees. Employees varied in the length of time that
each had been employed as well as their job titles and responsibilities. Work
schedules were determined weekly by the managers and all employees that
were scheduled to work the closing shift were responsible for completing
specific closing tasks throughout the drugstore each night. Participation in
this study in no way affected participants’ employment or promotional status.
Apparatus and Materials
NIGHTLY CHECKLIST DOCUMENT
All employees were individually given a nightly checklist form upon training
and therefore, all employees were aware of the closing task responsibilities.
The checklist consisted of 13 different tasks per department (i.e., straighten
magazines and items in front of counter, fill mini cooler, take out trash, etc.).
In addition to being given the nightly checklist upon hire, the checklist was
also displayed on a board in the employee break room at all times.
Improving Closing Task Completion 79
Dependent Variable
The dependent variable was the number of closing tasks completed per
night. Closing task completion was expressed as a percentage of tasks
completed per night and was calculated by dividing the number of tasks
completed divided by the total number of tasks and multiplying by 100.
A data sheet detailing each closing task for each department was cre-
ated. The data sheet was the same as the nightly checklist that the employees
first received during their initial training. Data were collected by recording
completed and uncompleted tasks by viewing the finished products of each
task and then checking the appropriate “yes” or “no” check box on the data
sheet. Data collection was conducted by the researchers and managers each
night.
Interobserver Agreement
A second observer independently collected data to assess interobserver
agreement (IOA). Point-by-point IOA was calculated by dividing the number
of agreements by the number of agreements plus disagreements and multi-
plying by 100. IOA data were collected for 30% of all observation sessions
across all phases and averaged 92%.
Experimental Design and Procedure
A within-subject ABAB reversal (where A was baseline and B was the goal
setting and graphic feedback) design was used to evaluate the effects of the
intervention on employee closing task completion.
BASELINE
During the baseline phase of this experiment, the researchers and closing
store manager collected data on closing task completion. The purpose of
this phase was to establish the level of the employees’ performance prior to
the intervention and this phase thus served as the control condition.
GOAL SETTING AND GRAPHIC FEEDBACK
Following baseline, a task completion goal was set for all employees. The
goal was determined by the managers and was based on the employ-
ees’ baseline performance. During this phase the managers set a goal of
a 15% increase from the employees’ average performance during baseline.
In other words, employee performance during the first baseline phase aver-
aged 65.8% and therefore, the goal was set at 80.8%. The store closing task
completion goal and graphs depicting the employees’ performance were
80 R. Fante et al.
posted weekly on a sheet of paper next to the nightly task checklist in the
employees’ break room. In order to ensure that no verbal feedback from
the managers occurred, the researchers specifically told the managers not to
discuss the employees’ performance or the graphs with the employees. The
researchers also regularly asked the employees if the managers were dis-
cussing their performance with them. Data collection procedures were the
same as those described in baseline.
RETURN TO BASELINE
During this phase, the goal setting procedure and graphic feedback were
withdrawn. Data collection was the same as described above.
GOAL SETTING AND GRAPHIC FEEDBACK
During this phase, the managers set a goal of a 20% increase based on
the employees’ average performance during the return to baseline phase.
In other words, employee performance averaged 64.1% during the return
to baseline phase and therefore, the goal was set at 84.1%. The graphic
feedback and data collection procedures were the same as described above.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Figure 1 displays the total percentage closing task completion for all depart-
ments (photo, front register, and cosmetics). Task completion averaged 65.8%
during baseline (range: 56.4%–76.9%) and increased to an average of 82.6%
(range: 76.9%–87.2%) during the goal setting and feedback phase. Task com-
pletion dropped to an average of 64.1% (range: 61.5%–66.7%) during the
return to baseline phase and task completion again increased to an aver-
age of 92.3% (range: 89.7%–94.8%) when goal setting and feedback were
implemented.
In this study graphic feedback and goal setting were effective in increas-
ing closing task completion for the store. Previous research in the field
of organizational behavior management has recommended that researchers
attempt to identify sources of variability to determine factors that may con-
tribute to unplanned behavior changes (Fante, Gravina, & Austin, 2007;
Pampino, Wilder, & Binder, 2005; Therrien, Wilder, Rodriguez, & Wine,
2005). Therefore, it is important to note that during the first baseline phase,
the district manager was conducting a store evaluation. The district manager’s
presence during the first couple days of baseline might explain why the data
in this phase appeared to be high, especially for the first observation day.
Improving Closing Task Completion 81
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18
P
e
r
c
e
n
t
a
g
e
o
f
C
lo
s
in
g
T
a
s
k
C
o
m
p
le
t
io
n
Observations
Baseline Baseline
Total
Feedback
Goal 1
Goal 2
Feedback
FIGURE 1 Percentage of closing task completion for all departments across each condition.
Furthermore, variability in the data could have been the result of
the difference in the amount of experience the employees had on the
job. Anecdotal data showed that the newer employees completed a lower
percentage of closing tasks when compared to older more experienced
employees. Other variables that might be responsible for the minor varia-
tions in the data include the manager assigned to the closing shift during
nights of observation. The researchers observed that the employees tended
to complete a higher percentage of closing tasks when the manager helped
the employees versus completing his own work in his office.
Another possible variable that may have affected data collection might
have been store activity. It was observed that during busy days (i.e., many
customers and shift tasks) employees took longer to complete closing tasks
and completed less. During slow days (i.e., few customers and shift tasks)
employees took a shorter time to complete tasks and completed a higher
percentage of them. Lastly, another factor that may have affected closing task
completion might have been the presence of the researchers. The employees
might have wanted to perform well, or improve on performance during the
feedback and goal setting phase, not because of the feedback and goal
setting, but simply because they knew a study was being conducted and
they wanted to please the researchers.
Because a number of variables may have affected the dependent vari-
able a detailed functional or descriptive analysis would have been useful
82 R. Fante et al.
in determining which variables might have been responsible for affecting
performance. The information gained from the results of such analyses may
have resulted in the development of an alternative intervention. However,
graphic feedback and goal setting were delivered together and therefore it is
not possible to determine which component, or if the combined delivery of
the components, was responsible for the results. Regardless, the intervention
was simple cost effective solution that improved the overall organization and
cleanliness of the drugstore and management expressed satisfaction with the
results.
REFERENCES
Alvero, A. M., Bucklin, B. R., & Austin, J. (2001). An objective review of effectiveness
of characteristics of performance feedback in organizational settings. Journal of
Organizational Behavior Management, 21(1), 3–29.
Anderson, D. C., Crowell, C. R., Doman, M., & Howard, G. S. (1988). Performance
posting, goal setting, and activity-contingent praise as applied to a university
hockey team. Journal of Applied Psychology, 73, 87.
Austin, J., Weatherly, N. L., & Gravina, N. E. (2005). Using task clarification, graphic
feedback, and verbal feedback to increase closing task completion in a privately
owned resturant. Journal of Applied Behavior Anaylsis, 38, 117–120.
Crowell, C. R., Anderson, D. C., Abel, D. M., & Sergio, J. P. (1988). Task clari-
fication, performance feedback, and social praise: Procedures for improving
the customer service of bank tellers. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 21,
65–71.
Daniels, A. C. (1994). Bringing out the best in people. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.
Earley, P. C., Northcraft, G. B., Lee, C., & Lituchy, T. R. (1990). Impact of process and
outcome feedback on the relation of goal setting to task performance. Academy
of Management Journal, 33, 87–105.
Fante, R., Gravina, N., & Austin, J. (2007). A brief pre-intervention analysis and
demonstration of the effects of a behavioral safety package on postural behav-
iors of pharmacy employees. Journal of Organizational Behavior Management,
27(2), 15–25.
Hawkins, A. M., Burgio, L. D., Lanford, A., & Engel, B. T. (1992). The effects of verbal
and written supervisory feedback on staff compliance with assigned prompted
voiding in a nursing home. Journal of Organizational Behavior Management,
13(1), 137–150.
Komaki, J., Barwick, D., & Scott, L. R. (1978). A behavioral approach to occupational
safety: Pinpointing and reinforcing safe performance in a food manufacturing
plant. Journal of Applied Psychology, 4, 434–445.
LaFleur, T., & Hyten, C. (1995). Improving the quality of hotel banquet staff perfor-
mance. Journal of Organizational Behavior Management, 15(1/2), 69–93.
Loewy, S., & Bailey, J. (2007). The effects of graphic feedback, goal setting, and man-
ager praise on customer service behaviors. Journal of Organizational Behavior
Management, 27(3), 15–26.
Improving Closing Task Completion 83
Pampino, R. N., Jr., Wilder, D. A., & Binder, C. (2005). The use of functional assess-
ment and frequency building procedures to increase product knowledge and
data entry skills among foremen in a construction organization. Journal of
Organizational Behavior Management, 25(2), 1–36.
Petty, M. M., Singleton, B., & Connell, D. W. (1992). An experimental evaluation of
an organization incentive plan in the electric utility industry. Journal of Applied
Psychology, 77 , 427–436.
Prue, D. M., & Fairbank, J. A. (1981). Performance feedback in organizational behav-
ior management: A review. Journal of Organizational Behavior Management,
3(1), 1–16.
Rummler, G. A., & Brache, A. P. (1995). Improving performance: Managing the white
space on the organizational chart. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Sulzer-Azaroff, B., & Mayer, G. R. (1991). Behavior analysis for lasting change. Fort
Worth, TX: Harcourt Brace College.
Sulzer-Azaroff, B. (1978). Behavioral ecology and accident prevention. Journal of
Organizational Behavior Management, 2(1), 11–44.
Therrien, K., Wilder, D. A., Rodriguez, M., & Wine, B. (2005). Preintervention anal-
ysis and improvement of customer greeting in a restaurant. Journal of Applied
Behavior Analysis, 38, 411–415.
Welsh, D. H., Luthans, F., & Sommer, S. M. (1993). Organizational behavior modifi-
cation goes to Russia: Replicating an experimental analysis across cultures and
tasks. Journal of Organizational Behavior Management, 13(2), 15–35.
**## Reflectmodule6.docx**
Reflect
Module 6
Pinpoint a nuisance/undesired behavior that you've observed in your current or past workplace. Create two ABC tables, one for the nuisance behavior, and one for the desired behavior (see example below). Provide examples of the antecedents and consequences for both, and categorize 3 of the consequences per table (6 total) using Daniels' PIC/NIC analysis categories. How would you change the antecedents and consequences to get less of the nuisance behavior, and more of the appropriate alternative behavior?
| | | |
| — | — | — |
| **Antecedent** | **UndesiredBehavior** | **Consequence** |
| | | |
| | | |
| — | — | — |
| **Antecedent** | **DesiredBehavior** | **Consequence** |
| | | |
**Reflection Paper Rubric (25 points)**
Reflection papers consist of brief responses to a prompt related to the information shared in each week’s module. Using both the assigned materials and external references, the student should thoughtfully and thoroughly respond to the prompt. Reflection paper assignments will be graded as follows:
| | |
| — | — |
| **Category** | **5 points** |
| **Reflection Length* *(excludes reference section and direct quotes from references that are longer than 5 words)** | Reflection paper content was greater than 150 words. |
| **Grammar, Usage, and Spelling** | Reflection paper contained less than 2 grammar, usage, or spelling errors. |
| **References and Utilization of Outside Resources** | The author used references from peer-reviewed behavioral sources in APA format and cited one or more<br>original behavioral references, outside of the assigned readings. Hyperlinks to the cited external references are provided. |
| **Addressing the Prompt** | The author’s reflection paper clearly responds to the assignment prompt, develops <br>ideas cogently, organizes them logically, and supports them through empirical writing. |
| **Application** | The author’s post clearly demonstrates application and relationship to the week’s assigned reading/topic. |
Late reflection papers will adhere to the general submission policy found on the Virtual Course Schedule.
**WARNING: Using Generative AI (ChatGPT or similar) is not permitted on these papers. If use of AI is suspected, the professor will meet with you to discuss your response. If you cannot discuss your response sufficiently, you will receive 0 points for your submission. If this occurs more than once, you will be reported to the dean for academic misconduct and may receive an F in the class and removal from the program.**
**## ImprovingClosingTaskCompletioninaDrugstore.pdf**
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Improving Closing Task Completion in a Drugstore
Rhiannon Fante , Ora L. Davis & Vivian Kempt
To cite this article: Rhiannon Fante , Ora L. Davis & Vivian Kempt (2013) Improving Closing Task
Completion in a Drugstore, Journal of Organizational Behavior Management, 33:1, 77-83, DOI:
10.1080/01608061.2012.758020
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Journal of Organizational Behavior Management, 33:77–83, 2013
Copyright © Taylor & Francis Group, LLC
ISSN: 0160-8061 print/1540-8604 online
DOI: 10.1080/01608061.2012.758020
Improving Closing Task Completion
in a Drugstore
RHIANNON FANTE
Stephen F. Austin State University, Nacogdoches, Texas, USA
ORA L. DAVIS
Mexia State Supported Living Center, Mexia, Texas, USA
VIVIAN KEMPT
Stephen F. Austin State University, Nacogdoches, Texas, USA
A within-subject ABAB reversal design was utilized to investigate
the effects of graphic feedback and goal setting on employee closing
task completion. Goal setting was contingent upon baseline perfor-
mance and graphic feedback was posted weekly. It was found that
goal setting and graphic feedback improved employee closing task
completion.
KEYWORDS closing task completion, goal setting, graphic feed-
back
Research in the field of organizational behavior management has shown the
effectiveness of implementing feedback to improve performance (Komaki,
Barwick, & Scott, 1978; Sulzer-Azaroff, 1978). For example, feedback has
been used successfully with: a university hockey team (Anderson, Crowell,
Doman, & Howard, 1988); an electric utility industry (Petty, Singleton, &
Connell, 1992); bank tellers (Crowell, Anderson, Abel, & Sergio, 1988); a
textile factory (Welsh, Luthans, & Sommer, 1993); hotel banquet staff (LaFleur
& Hyten, 1995); and nursing home staff (Hawkins, Burgio, Lanford, & Engel,
1992).
Although there is a significant amount of literature on the topic of perfor-
mance feedback, no singular definition exists. Common definitions include:
Rhiannon Fante is now affiliated with St. Clair County Community College. Work on this
article was completed while Fante was at Stephen F. Austin State University.
Address correspondence to Dr. Rhiannon Fante, St. Clair County Community College,
200 North Building, 323 Erie St., Port Huron, MI 48061-5015, USA. E-mail: rmfante@sc4.edu
77
78 R. Fante et al.
(a) information that is given to a worker regarding the quantity or quality
of their past performance (Prue & Fairbank, 1981), (b) information sent out
back to the responder after a specific performance (Sulzer-Azaroff & Mayer,
1991), (c) information that tells performers what and how well they are doing
on particular tasks or on the job overall (Rummler & Brache, 1995), and (d)
descriptions about performance that allows an individual to adjust his or
her performance (Daniels, 1994). It has also been shown that adding behav-
ioral consequences and/or goal setting to feedback improves the overall
behavioral effects and consistencies (Alvero, Bucklin, & Austin, 2001; Earley,
Northcraft, Lee, & Lituchy, 1990; Loewy & Bailey, 2007).
Our purpose in this study was to assess the effects of goal setting and
graphic feedback on closing task completion in a drugstore. Completing
nightly closing tasks (i.e., cleaning, organizing, and stocking items) was
deemed important to the overall sanitation and smooth operation of the
establishment. We build upon the research of Austin, Weatherly, and Gravina
(2005), and Lowey and Bailey (2007) by examining the effects of goal set-
ting and graphic feedback on closing task completion. For the purpose
of the current study, we defined performance feedback as graphic depic-
tions of employee performance, thus serving a discriminative function (i.e.,
information regarding past performance.)
METHOD
Participants and Setting
This study was conducted in a drugstore and the participants were 10 part-
time and 10 full-time employees. Employees varied in the length of time that
each had been employed as well as their job titles and responsibilities. Work
schedules were determined weekly by the managers and all employees that
were scheduled to work the closing shift were responsible for completing
specific closing tasks throughout the drugstore each night. Participation in
this study in no way affected participants’ employment or promotional status.
Apparatus and Materials
NIGHTLY CHECKLIST DOCUMENT
All employees were individually given a nightly checklist form upon training
and therefore, all employees were aware of the closing task responsibilities.
The checklist consisted of 13 different tasks per department (i.e., straighten
magazines and items in front of counter, fill mini cooler, take out trash, etc.).
In addition to being given the nightly checklist upon hire, the checklist was
also displayed on a board in the employee break room at all times.
Improving Closing Task Completion 79
Dependent Variable
The dependent variable was the number of closing tasks completed per
night. Closing task completion was expressed as a percentage of tasks
completed per night and was calculated by dividing the number of tasks
completed divided by the total number of tasks and multiplying by 100.
A data sheet detailing each closing task for each department was cre-
ated. The data sheet was the same as the nightly checklist that the employees
first received during their initial training. Data were collected by recording
completed and uncompleted tasks by viewing the finished products of each
task and then checking the appropriate “yes” or “no” check box on the data
sheet. Data collection was conducted by the researchers and managers each
night.
Interobserver Agreement
A second observer independently collected data to assess interobserver
agreement (IOA). Point-by-point IOA was calculated by dividing the number
of agreements by the number of agreements plus disagreements and multi-
plying by 100. IOA data were collected for 30% of all observation sessions
across all phases and averaged 92%.
Experimental Design and Procedure
A within-subject ABAB reversal (where A was baseline and B was the goal
setting and graphic feedback) design was used to evaluate the effects of the
intervention on employee closing task completion.
BASELINE
During the baseline phase of this experiment, the researchers and closing
store manager collected data on closing task completion. The purpose of
this phase was to establish the level of the employees’ performance prior to
the intervention and this phase thus served as the control condition.
GOAL SETTING AND GRAPHIC FEEDBACK
Following baseline, a task completion goal was set for all employees. The
goal was determined by the managers and was based on the employ-
ees’ baseline performance. During this phase the managers set a goal of
a 15% increase from the employees’ average performance during baseline.
In other words, employee performance during the first baseline phase aver-
aged 65.8% and therefore, the goal was set at 80.8%. The store closing task
completion goal and graphs depicting the employees’ performance were
80 R. Fante et al.
posted weekly on a sheet of paper next to the nightly task checklist in the
employees’ break room. In order to ensure that no verbal feedback from
the managers occurred, the researchers specifically told the managers not to
discuss the employees’ performance or the graphs with the employees. The
researchers also regularly asked the employees if the managers were dis-
cussing their performance with them. Data collection procedures were the
same as those described in baseline.
RETURN TO BASELINE
During this phase, the goal setting procedure and graphic feedback were
withdrawn. Data collection was the same as described above.
GOAL SETTING AND GRAPHIC FEEDBACK
During this phase, the managers set a goal of a 20% increase based on
the employees’ average performance during the return to baseline phase.
In other words, employee performance averaged 64.1% during the return
to baseline phase and therefore, the goal was set at 84.1%. The graphic
feedback and data collection procedures were the same as described above.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Figure 1 displays the total percentage closing task completion for all depart-
ments (photo, front register, and cosmetics). Task completion averaged 65.8%
during baseline (range: 56.4%–76.9%) and increased to an average of 82.6%
(range: 76.9%–87.2%) during the goal setting and feedback phase. Task com-
pletion dropped to an average of 64.1% (range: 61.5%–66.7%) during the
return to baseline phase and task completion again increased to an aver-
age of 92.3% (range: 89.7%–94.8%) when goal setting and feedback were
implemented.
In this study graphic feedback and goal setting were effective in increas-
ing closing task completion for the store. Previous research in the field
of organizational behavior management has recommended that researchers
attempt to identify sources of variability to determine factors that may con-
tribute to unplanned behavior changes (Fante, Gravina, & Austin, 2007;
Pampino, Wilder, & Binder, 2005; Therrien, Wilder, Rodriguez, & Wine,
2005). Therefore, it is important to note that during the first baseline phase,
the district manager was conducting a store evaluation. The district manager’s
presence during the first couple days of baseline might explain why the data
in this phase appeared to be high, especially for the first observation day.
Improving Closing Task Completion 81
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18
P
e
r
c
e
n
t
a
g
e
o
f
C
lo
s
in
g
T
a
s
k
C
o
m
p
le
t
io
n
Observations
Baseline Baseline
Total
Feedback
Goal 1
Goal 2
Feedback
FIGURE 1 Percentage of closing task completion for all departments across each condition.
Furthermore, variability in the data could have been the result of
the difference in the amount of experience the employees had on the
job. Anecdotal data showed that the newer employees completed a lower
percentage of closing tasks when compared to older more experienced
employees. Other variables that might be responsible for the minor varia-
tions in the data include the manager assigned to the closing shift during
nights of observation. The researchers observed that the employees tended
to complete a higher percentage of closing tasks when the manager helped
the employees versus completing his own work in his office.
Another possible variable that may have affected data collection might
have been store activity. It was observed that during busy days (i.e., many
customers and shift tasks) employees took longer to complete closing tasks
and completed less. During slow days (i.e., few customers and shift tasks)
employees took a shorter time to complete tasks and completed a higher
percentage of them. Lastly, another factor that may have affected closing task
completion might have been the presence of the researchers. The employees
might have wanted to perform well, or improve on performance during the
feedback and goal setting phase, not because of the feedback and goal
setting, but simply because they knew a study was being conducted and
they wanted to please the researchers.
Because a number of variables may have affected the dependent vari-
able a detailed functional or descriptive analysis would have been useful
82 R. Fante et al.
in determining which variables might have been responsible for affecting
performance. The information gained from the results of such analyses may
have resulted in the development of an alternative intervention. However,
graphic feedback and goal setting were delivered together and therefore it is
not possible to determine which component, or if the combined delivery of
the components, was responsible for the results. Regardless, the intervention
was simple cost effective solution that improved the overall organization and
cleanliness of the drugstore and management expressed satisfaction with the
results.
REFERENCES
Alvero, A. M., Bucklin, B. R., & Austin, J. (2001). An objective review of effectiveness
of characteristics of performance feedback in organizational settings. Journal of
Organizational Behavior Management, 21(1), 3–29.
Anderson, D. C., Crowell, C. R., Doman, M., & Howard, G. S. (1988). Performance
posting, goal setting, and activity-contingent praise as applied to a university
hockey team. Journal of Applied Psychology, 73, 87.
Austin, J., Weatherly, N. L., & Gravina, N. E. (2005). Using task clarification, graphic
feedback, and verbal feedback to increase closing task completion in a privately
owned resturant. Journal of Applied Behavior Anaylsis, 38, 117–120.
Crowell, C. R., Anderson, D. C., Abel, D. M., & Sergio, J. P. (1988). Task clari-
fication, performance feedback, and social praise: Procedures for improving
the customer service of bank tellers. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 21,
65–71.
Daniels, A. C. (1994). Bringing out the best in people. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.
Earley, P. C., Northcraft, G. B., Lee, C., & Lituchy, T. R. (1990). Impact of process and
outcome feedback on the relation of goal setting to task performance. Academy
of Management Journal, 33, 87–105.
Fante, R., Gravina, N., & Austin, J. (2007). A brief pre-intervention analysis and
demonstration of the effects of a behavioral safety package on postural behav-
iors of pharmacy employees. Journal of Organizational Behavior Management,
27(2), 15–25.
Hawkins, A. M., Burgio, L. D., Lanford, A., & Engel, B. T. (1992). The effects of verbal
and written supervisory feedback on staff compliance with assigned prompted
voiding in a nursing home. Journal of Organizational Behavior Management,
13(1), 137–150.
Komaki, J., Barwick, D., & Scott, L. R. (1978). A behavioral approach to occupational
safety: Pinpointing and reinforcing safe performance in a food manufacturing
plant. Journal of Applied Psychology, 4, 434–445.
LaFleur, T., & Hyten, C. (1995). Improving the quality of hotel banquet staff perfor-
mance. Journal of Organizational Behavior Management, 15(1/2), 69–93.
Loewy, S., & Bailey, J. (2007). The effects of graphic feedback, goal setting, and man-
ager praise on customer service behaviors. Journal of Organizational Behavior
Management, 27(3), 15–26.
Improving Closing Task Completion 83
Pampino, R. N., Jr., Wilder, D. A., & Binder, C. (2005). The use of functional assess-
ment and frequency building procedures to increase product knowledge and
data entry skills among foremen in a construction organization. Journal of
Organizational Behavior Management, 25(2), 1–36.
Petty, M. M., Singleton, B., & Connell, D. W. (1992). An experimental evaluation of
an organization incentive plan in the electric utility industry. Journal of Applied
Psychology, 77 , 427–436.
Prue, D. M., & Fairbank, J. A. (1981). Performance feedback in organizational behav-
ior management: A review. Journal of Organizational Behavior Management,
3(1), 1–16.
Rummler, G. A., & Brache, A. P. (1995). Improving performance: Managing the white
space on the organizational chart. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Sulzer-Azaroff, B., & Mayer, G. R. (1991). Behavior analysis for lasting change. Fort
Worth, TX: Harcourt Brace College.
Sulzer-Azaroff, B. (1978). Behavioral ecology and accident prevention. Journal of
Organizational Behavior Management, 2(1), 11–44.
Therrien, K., Wilder, D. A., Rodriguez, M., & Wine, B. (2005). Preintervention anal-
ysis and improvement of customer greeting in a restaurant. Journal of Applied
Behavior Analysis, 38, 411–415.
Welsh, D. H., Luthans, F., & Sommer, S. M. (1993). Organizational behavior modifi-
cation goes to Russia: Replicating an experimental analysis across cultures and
tasks. Journal of Organizational Behavior Management, 13(2), 15–35.
**## Reflectmodule6.docx**
Reflect
Module 6
Pinpoint a nuisance/undesired behavior that you've observed in your current or past workplace. Create two ABC tables, one for the nuisance behavior, and one for the desired behavior (see example below). Provide examples of the antecedents and consequences for both, and categorize 3 of the consequences per table (6 total) using Daniels' PIC/NIC analysis categories. How would you change the antecedents and consequences to get less of the nuisance behavior, and more of the appropriate alternative behavior?
| | | |
| — | — | — |
| **Antecedent** | **UndesiredBehavior** | **Consequence** |
| | | |
| | | |
| — | — | — |
| **Antecedent** | **DesiredBehavior** | **Consequence** |
| | | |
**Reflection Paper Rubric (25 points)**
Reflection papers consist of brief responses to a prompt related to the information shared in each week’s module. Using both the assigned materials and external references, the student should thoughtfully and thoroughly respond to the prompt. Reflection paper assignments will be graded as follows:
| | |
| — | — |
| **Category** | **5 points** |
| **Reflection Length* *(excludes reference section and direct quotes from references that are longer than 5 words)** | Reflection paper content was greater than 150 words. |
| **Grammar, Usage, and Spelling** | Reflection paper contained less than 2 grammar, usage, or spelling errors. |
| **References and Utilization of Outside Resources** | The author used references from peer-reviewed behavioral sources in APA format and cited one or more<br>original behavioral references, outside of the assigned readings. Hyperlinks to the cited external references are provided. |
| **Addressing the Prompt** | The author’s reflection paper clearly responds to the assignment prompt, develops <br>ideas cogently, organizes them logically, and supports them through empirical writing. |
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Journal of Organizational Behavior Management
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Improving Closing Task Completion in a Drugstore
Rhiannon Fante , Ora L. Davis & Vivian Kempt
To cite this article: Rhiannon Fante , Ora L. Davis & Vivian Kempt (2013) Improving Closing Task
Completion in a Drugstore, Journal of Organizational Behavior Management, 33:1, 77-83, DOI:
10.1080/01608061.2012.758020
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Journal of Organizational Behavior Management, 33:77–83, 2013
Copyright © Taylor & Francis Group, LLC
ISSN: 0160-8061 print/1540-8604 online
DOI: 10.1080/01608061.2012.758020
Improving Closing Task Completion
in a Drugstore
RHIANNON FANTE
Stephen F. Austin State University, Nacogdoches, Texas, USA
ORA L. DAVIS
Mexia State Supported Living Center, Mexia, Texas, USA
VIVIAN KEMPT
Stephen F. Austin State University, Nacogdoches, Texas, USA
A within-subject ABAB reversal design was utilized to investigate
the effects of graphic feedback and goal setting on employee closing
task completion. Goal setting was contingent upon baseline perfor-
mance and graphic feedback was posted weekly. It was found that
goal setting and graphic feedback improved employee closing task
completion.
KEYWORDS closing task completion, goal setting, graphic feed-
back
Research in the field of organizational behavior management has shown the
effectiveness of implementing feedback to improve performance (Komaki,
Barwick, & Scott, 1978; Sulzer-Azaroff, 1978). For example, feedback has
been used successfully with: a university hockey team (Anderson, Crowell,
Doman, & Howard, 1988); an electric utility industry (Petty, Singleton, &
Connell, 1992); bank tellers (Crowell, Anderson, Abel, & Sergio, 1988); a
textile factory (Welsh, Luthans, & Sommer, 1993); hotel banquet staff (LaFleur
& Hyten, 1995); and nursing home staff (Hawkins, Burgio, Lanford, & Engel,
1992).
Although there is a significant amount of literature on the topic of perfor-
mance feedback, no singular definition exists. Common definitions include:
Rhiannon Fante is now affiliated with St. Clair County Community College. Work on this
article was completed while Fante was at Stephen F. Austin State University.
Address correspondence to Dr. Rhiannon Fante, St. Clair County Community College,
200 North Building, 323 Erie St., Port Huron, MI 48061-5015, USA. E-mail: rmfante@sc4.edu
77
78 R. Fante et al.
(a) information that is given to a worker regarding the quantity or quality
of their past performance (Prue & Fairbank, 1981), (b) information sent out
back to the responder after a specific performance (Sulzer-Azaroff & Mayer,
1991), (c) information that tells performers what and how well they are doing
on particular tasks or on the job overall (Rummler & Brache, 1995), and (d)
descriptions about performance that allows an individual to adjust his or
her performance (Daniels, 1994). It has also been shown that adding behav-
ioral consequences and/or goal setting to feedback improves the overall
behavioral effects and consistencies (Alvero, Bucklin, & Austin, 2001; Earley,
Northcraft, Lee, & Lituchy, 1990; Loewy & Bailey, 2007).
Our purpose in this study was to assess the effects of goal setting and
graphic feedback on closing task completion in a drugstore. Completing
nightly closing tasks (i.e., cleaning, organizing, and stocking items) was
deemed important to the overall sanitation and smooth operation of the
establishment. We build upon the research of Austin, Weatherly, and Gravina
(2005), and Lowey and Bailey (2007) by examining the effects of goal set-
ting and graphic feedback on closing task completion. For the purpose
of the current study, we defined performance feedback as graphic depic-
tions of employee performance, thus serving a discriminative function (i.e.,
information regarding past performance.)
METHOD
Participants and Setting
This study was conducted in a drugstore and the participants were 10 part-
time and 10 full-time employees. Employees varied in the length of time that
each had been employed as well as their job titles and responsibilities. Work
schedules were determined weekly by the managers and all employees that
were scheduled to work the closing shift were responsible for completing
specific closing tasks throughout the drugstore each night. Participation in
this study in no way affected participants’ employment or promotional status.
Apparatus and Materials
NIGHTLY CHECKLIST DOCUMENT
All employees were individually given a nightly checklist form upon training
and therefore, all employees were aware of the closing task responsibilities.
The checklist consisted of 13 different tasks per department (i.e., straighten
magazines and items in front of counter, fill mini cooler, take out trash, etc.).
In addition to being given the nightly checklist upon hire, the checklist was
also displayed on a board in the employee break room at all times.
Improving Closing Task Completion 79
Dependent Variable
The dependent variable was the number of closing tasks completed per
night. Closing task completion was expressed as a percentage of tasks
completed per night and was calculated by dividing the number of tasks
completed divided by the total number of tasks and multiplying by 100.
A data sheet detailing each closing task for each department was cre-
ated. The data sheet was the same as the nightly checklist that the employees
first received during their initial training. Data were collected by recording
completed and uncompleted tasks by viewing the finished products of each
task and then checking the appropriate “yes” or “no” check box on the data
sheet. Data collection was conducted by the researchers and managers each
night.
Interobserver Agreement
A second observer independently collected data to assess interobserver
agreement (IOA). Point-by-point IOA was calculated by dividing the number
of agreements by the number of agreements plus disagreements and multi-
plying by 100. IOA data were collected for 30% of all observation sessions
across all phases and averaged 92%.
Experimental Design and Procedure
A within-subject ABAB reversal (where A was baseline and B was the goal
setting and graphic feedback) design was used to evaluate the effects of the
intervention on employee closing task completion.
BASELINE
During the baseline phase of this experiment, the researchers and closing
store manager collected data on closing task completion. The purpose of
this phase was to establish the level of the employees’ performance prior to
the intervention and this phase thus served as the control condition.
GOAL SETTING AND GRAPHIC FEEDBACK
Following baseline, a task completion goal was set for all employees. The
goal was determined by the managers and was based on the employ-
ees’ baseline performance. During this phase the managers set a goal of
a 15% increase from the employees’ average performance during baseline.
In other words, employee performance during the first baseline phase aver-
aged 65.8% and therefore, the goal was set at 80.8%. The store closing task
completion goal and graphs depicting the employees’ performance were
80 R. Fante et al.
posted weekly on a sheet of paper next to the nightly task checklist in the
employees’ break room. In order to ensure that no verbal feedback from
the managers occurred, the researchers specifically told the managers not to
discuss the employees’ performance or the graphs with the employees. The
researchers also regularly asked the employees if the managers were dis-
cussing their performance with them. Data collection procedures were the
same as those described in baseline.
RETURN TO BASELINE
During this phase, the goal setting procedure and graphic feedback were
withdrawn. Data collection was the same as described above.
GOAL SETTING AND GRAPHIC FEEDBACK
During this phase, the managers set a goal of a 20% increase based on
the employees’ average performance during the return to baseline phase.
In other words, employee performance averaged 64.1% during the return
to baseline phase and therefore, the goal was set at 84.1%. The graphic
feedback and data collection procedures were the same as described above.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Figure 1 displays the total percentage closing task completion for all depart-
ments (photo, front register, and cosmetics). Task completion averaged 65.8%
during baseline (range: 56.4%–76.9%) and increased to an average of 82.6%
(range: 76.9%–87.2%) during the goal setting and feedback phase. Task com-
pletion dropped to an average of 64.1% (range: 61.5%–66.7%) during the
return to baseline phase and task completion again increased to an aver-
age of 92.3% (range: 89.7%–94.8%) when goal setting and feedback were
implemented.
In this study graphic feedback and goal setting were effective in increas-
ing closing task completion for the store. Previous research in the field
of organizational behavior management has recommended that researchers
attempt to identify sources of variability to determine factors that may con-
tribute to unplanned behavior changes (Fante, Gravina, & Austin, 2007;
Pampino, Wilder, & Binder, 2005; Therrien, Wilder, Rodriguez, & Wine,
2005). Therefore, it is important to note that during the first baseline phase,
the district manager was conducting a store evaluation. The district manager’s
presence during the first couple days of baseline might explain why the data
in this phase appeared to be high, especially for the first observation day.
Improving Closing Task Completion 81
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18
P
e
r
c
e
n
t
a
g
e
o
f
C
lo
s
in
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T
a
s
k
C
o
m
p
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io
n
Observations
Baseline Baseline
Total
Feedback
Goal 1
Goal 2
Feedback
FIGURE 1 Percentage of closing task completion for all departments across each condition.
Furthermore, variability in the data could have been the result of
the difference in the amount of experience the employees had on the
job. Anecdotal data showed that the newer employees completed a lower
percentage of closing tasks when compared to older more experienced
employees. Other variables that might be responsible for the minor varia-
tions in the data include the manager assigned to the closing shift during
nights of observation. The researchers observed that the employees tended
to complete a higher percentage of closing tasks when the manager helped
the employees versus completing his own work in his office.
Another possible variable that may have affected data collection might
have been store activity. It was observed that during busy days (i.e., many
customers and shift tasks) employees took longer to complete closing tasks
and completed less. During slow days (i.e., few customers and shift tasks)
employees took a shorter time to complete tasks and completed a higher
percentage of them. Lastly, another factor that may have affected closing task
completion might have been the presence of the researchers. The employees
might have wanted to perform well, or improve on performance during the
feedback and goal setting phase, not because of the feedback and goal
setting, but simply because they knew a study was being conducted and
they wanted to please the researchers.
Because a number of variables may have affected the dependent vari-
able a detailed functional or descriptive analysis would have been useful
82 R. Fante et al.
in determining which variables might have been responsible for affecting
performance. The information gained from the results of such analyses may
have resulted in the development of an alternative intervention. However,
graphic feedback and goal setting were delivered together and therefore it is
not possible to determine which component, or if the combined delivery of
the components, was responsible for the results. Regardless, the intervention
was simple cost effective solution that improved the overall organization and
cleanliness of the drugstore and management expressed satisfaction with the
results.
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