Has OBM Found Its Heart? An Assessment of Procedural Acceptability Trends in the Journal of Organizational Behavior Management

Abstract

ABSTRACT Procedural acceptability measures can be used to inform and improve the long-term viability of interventions in Organizational Behavior Management (OBM). However, little is known regarding the use of procedural acceptability assessments across studies employing OBM methodology. In the present review, we evaluated the use of procedural acceptability measures across all articles in the Journal of Organizational Behavior Management (JOBM) for the first decade (1977–1986) and the most recent decade (2010 to 2019). We coded each article for industry, organizational performance problem type, participant type and reported use of procedural acceptability measures. Formal procedural acceptability measures were reported in 20% of articles included from the first decade and 35% of articles included from the most recent decade of JOBM. The use of procedural acceptability measures appears to be on an increasing trend, but the frequency of reported use of acceptability measures differed across industries. Furthermore, most articles included limited information on how acceptability was assessed. Unique considerations for the use of procedural acceptability measures in OBM and recommendations are discussed.