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The Premack Principle applied to quality performance behavior of part-time employees
Abstract
The main focus of this study was to assess the applicability of the first version of the Premack Principle, the probability-differential hypothesis (1959, 1965, 1971), to human resources management. It was hypothesized that part-time service sector employees' overall quality performance, measured from established organization standards, would be greater after the use of the Premack Principle. This was operationalized through employee choice of work stations. A secondary exploratory study was conducted to investigate whether the Premack Principle has an effect on two part-time employee attitudes: job satisfaction and commitment. The study was conducted in a fast food franchise. Eight employees were randomly selected to have their quality performance observed. Of these, five received the intervention: access to work their favorite station once quality standards were exceeded at a station targeted for improvement. Quality performance was measured by the Fast Food Restaurant Observation System Technique (FROST), which was an observational instrument developed from a franchisee-side survey (n = 188) that identified the most important quality aspects for each station. Observers were trained to meet 90% interrater agreement reliability on FROST. These observers used continuous observation to independently record the behavior of targeted employees on FROST during a seven-week period. Attitudes were asessed by two supplementary measures: the Job Description Index (JDI) and the Organizational Commitment Questionnaire (OCQ). Two research methods were employed. A multiple baseline design was applied to assess the applicability of the Premack Principle in improving part-time employees' quality performance. The Solomon (1949) Four-Group Experimental Design was used to analyze the self-report questionnaires, both the JDI and the OCQ. Results revealed that the study's primary focus was supported: part-time employees' overall quality performance was greater after the application of the Premack Principle. Thus, beginning empirical support was provided. The secondary exploratory study investigating the effect of the Premack Principle on part-time employee attitudes was not conclusive, as it was administered to only 44 part-time employees at the study site. Further research with a larger sample is warranted.
Subject Area
Management|Educational psychology
Recommended Citation
Welsh, Dianne H. B, "The Premack Principle applied to quality performance behavior of part-time employees" (1988). ETD collection for University of Nebraska-Lincoln. AAI8818666.
https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/dissertations/AAI8818666