Keeping Drakes Party Store Clean Excellent Student 4/9/06

Setting and Participant Description Drake’s Party Store on the the corner of Drake and W. KL Ave. 4 male employees, all college students of various races, and 1 manager.

Reason to Intervene Drake’s Party Store is having problems keeping the store clean. Night crew employees are not sorting, stacking, or boxing empty beer bottles.

Analyze the Natural Contingencies Employees are not fully cleaning because there are no current contingencies. The ineffective natural contingency and the natural competing contingency have outcomes that are too small and improbable to control behavior.

Analyze the Natural Contingencies Ineffective Natural Contingency Given amount of unfinished job tasks Sort, box, and stack bottles Infinitesimally higher amount of finished job tasks

Analyze the Natural Contingencies Natural Competing Contingency Given amount of time to chat Sort, box, and stack bottles Infinitesimally more time to chat

Specify the Performance Objectives Increase night crew employees daily tasks… Sorting Boxing And stacking bottles to 100% of the time!

Input-Process-Output Model • (Employees sort, box, and stack bottles 100% of the time) [Output] • Production: 50% Employee Discount • (Employees do not sort, box, and stack bottles 100% of the time) [Input]

Design the Intervention The manager Joe White and I got together to devise an effective plan. After hours of pondering a light bulb went off. Broke college kids love saving money!

Design the Intervention Contd. An avoidance of loss PM contingency would be most effective The opportunity for a 50 % discount is the reinforcer. It is obtained by completing bottle tasks… 7 nights a week!

Design the Intervention Three Contingency Model of Performance Management Infinitesimally higher level of finished job tasks. Given level of unfinished job tasks Sort, box, and stack bottles SD: Every night by 2:00 am Will lose opportunity for 50% discount on Thursday Will not lose opportunity for 50% discount on Thursday Sort, box, and stack bottles Fear of loss of 50% discount No fear of loss of 50% discount Sort, box, and stack bottles

Implement the Intervention A mandatory work meeting was called in place by the manager, Joe White… a verbal description of work expectations was delivered by Joe.

Implement the Intervention Contd. The following night was the start of test It will take 7 consecutive days of bottles fully done, and a handsome reward will come their way.

Evaluate the Intervention We started with a verbal rule from Joe... Finally, a 50 % discount for the employees on any item. Ineffective! Goal Accomplished! Then we gave feedback... A little better

Evaluate the Intervention

Recycle-real or hypothetical? Hypothetically, my recycle would be simple… The discount would be rewarded after 1 month if bottles are done every day

Personal Experience This was a wonderful experience! My manager was pleased with the results and wants to continue the intervention. This was a hands on learning experience that has enhanced my appreciation for behavioral analysis!

Questions or Comments???