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Functions of Organizational Leaders in Cultural Change: Financial and Social Well-Being
Abstract
Social responsibility looms as a key feature of leadership decision making and citizenship behavior as the world’s resources are depleted, health and education crises increase, and communities, societies, and cultures adapt to a new context shaped by emerging technologies, political upheavals, global warming, and other drivers of behavior change. In this article we call for future work in behavior analysis, emphasizing the importance of organizational leaders’ decision-making behaviors in establishing organizational practices that support prosocial behavior and eliminate aversive conditions within cultural systems. The discussion expands on recent behavior analytic literature on cultural change and leadership behavior by first providing a summary of popular definitions of human well-being and relating this concept to prosocial behavior. By drawing upon these definitions, we then summarize the behavior analytic concepts of metacontingencies and macrocontingencies as a framework from which behavior analysts can continue work to promote prosocial behavior and human well-being writ large.
... Tema de realce à RSC é o perigo do capitalismo descontrolado, que, de maneira irrefletida, expõe organizações a ações com ampliação das desigualdades sociais e econômicas, bem como exploração, marginalização, e, também, prejuízos à saúde física e mental em contextos de trabalhos cada vez mais precarizados (Biglan, 2020). Nesse escopo, a ênfase na maximização de ganhos com ênfase na lógica de consumo converge com os desafios do século XXI, quando, também, são crescentes as demandas ambientais e sociais de consumidores (Houmanfar, Alavosius, Morford, Herbst & Reimer, 2015). ...
... A ordenação valorativa no caminho desse futuro em que as questões socioambientais possam ser consideradas assume maior relevo, ampliando o estudo das necessidades e demandas socialmente constituídas (Houmanfar et al. 2015). A atenção à sustentabilidade é pauta corrente desde os Objetivos do Desenvolvimento do Milênio (ODM), com marco fundador a Resolução nº 55/2 da Assembleia Geral da ONU, "Cúpula do Milênio das Nações Unidas", realizada em 2000 e, posterior, Objetivos de Desenvolvimento Sustentável (ODS). ...
A pesquisa visa desenvolver argumentos sobre relação entre a área da Gestão de Pessoas (GP) com o campo da Responsabilidade Social Corporativa (RSC) por meio de revisão integrativa da literatura. Para tanto, segue-se com uma abordagem descritiva, por meio de seleção de artigos disponíveis no Scientific Electronic Library Online (Scielo) e Scientific Periodicals Electronic Library (SPELL), dos últimos 5 anos com coleta de dados em novembro de 2021. Após 4 levantamentos com os descritores ‘gestão’ e ‘responsabilidade’ ‘pessoas’ ou ‘recursos humanos’, resultou em 47 artigos no SPELL e 21 artigos no Scielo. Com a análise de conteúdo foram tecidos argumentos em torno da integração das categorias ‘Recursos humanos e organizações sociais’, ‘Organizações sociais e a representação voluntária’, ‘Dilemas éticos sobre as informações’, ‘Guardiões da ética’, ‘Suporte’, ‘Mão-de-obra, capital e qualidade’, ‘Servidores públicos’, ‘Conduta humanizadora dos processos’, ‘Gestão de recursos humanos no setor público’, ‘Público interno, postura socialmente responsável’, ‘Negociações’, ‘Criatividade, função geração de ideias’, ‘Avaliação de desempenho e participação’, ‘Recursos humanos, Leis e Teletrabalho’, ‘Pró-negócio inclusivo e Sustentável’, ‘Ausência de modelo transcultural (oriente e ocidente)’, ‘Discursos versus prática’, ‘Ecossistema, diversificação da economia local’, ‘Equidade de gênero, diversidade geracional, interseccionalidade – diferenças sociais, de gênero e competências’, ‘Hierarquias, burocracias excessivas’, ‘Economia do conhecimento’, ‘Visão de mundo progressista’. Os argumentos envolvem a urgência face a emergência dos estudos com foco no pensar coletivamente sobre como responder às necessidades da sociedade, convocando as pessoas para projetar organizações mais colaborativas, resilientes e responsivas.
... Moreover, the very study of leadership deserves permanent attention before society and organizations due to constant changes with social, political and economic impacts (Macedo, Rodrigues, Johann & Cunha, 2011). Similarly to EI, leadership is also recurrently studied from the perspective of improving productivity and performance (Birasnav, Rangnekar & Dalpati, 2011, Chee & Choong, 2014, by permanent activation in relation to adherence to predefined goals, in general, associated with behavior management to add financial value (Birasnav, Rangnekar & Dalpati, 2011;Houmanfar, Alavosius, Morford, Herbst & Reimer, 2015). ...
... Behavior analysis provides units of analysis and assessment tools that may guide potential solutions to the most serious challenges that humanity faces. This timely paper considers the important role leaders' verbal behaviors play to develop systematic strategy for cultural change (Houmanfar et al., 2015). These include providing sufficient rule exposure, creating a learning history, providing explicit and complete rules, ensuring that instructed behavior is sufficiently learned, establishing rules that have strong function-altering effects, avoiding conflicting rules, building speaker credibility, and sufficient reinforcement for rule following (e.g., new policies that provide incentives). ...
... Financial behavior is the most prominent factor influencing financial well-being directly or indirectly (through a mediating factor). For instance, Houmanfar et al. (2015) and Zyphur et al. (2015) exhibit financial behavior that directly influences financial well-being, while Donnelly et al. (2012) and Postmus et al. (2015) propose financial management and financial education as mediating variables. Ng & Diener (2014) conclude that financial happiness influences life satisfaction through social capital, a fact substantiated by Lane (2017). ...
... Um ponto preliminar sobre o qual havia consenso era que os conceitos discutidos não estavam sendo assumidos como sendo os únicos necessários na análise dos fenômenos culturais. Esses conceitos foram priorizados porque estavam sendo vistos como ferramentas conceituais úteis para orientar a análise experimental (e.g., Costa, Nogueira, & Vasconcelos, 2012;Marques & Tourinho, 2015;Saconatto & Andery, 2013;Smith, Houmanfar, & Louis, 2011;Velasco, Benvenuti, & Tomanari, 2012;Vichi, Andery e Glenn, 2009) e para a compreensão e mudança de fenômenos culturais contemporâneos (e.g., Houmanfar, Alavosius, Morford, Reimer, & Herbst, 2015;Machado e Todorov, 2008;Malott, 2003;Naves & Vasconcelos, 2008;Sandaker, 2009Sandaker, , 2010Todorov, 2009Todorov, , 2013. ...
Este artigo representa uma tentativa de buscar consenso a respeito de termos frequentemente utilizados pelos autores do artigo, pesquisadores que compartilham o interesse de estender a visão de mundo behaviorista para fenômenos culturais. Definições de metacontingência, macrocomportamento, macrocontingência, linhagem cultural-comportamental e cúspide cultural foram acordadas e são relatadas neste artigo. Além disso, o artigo apresenta pontos adicionais discutidos pelos seus autores a respeito das discussões que levaram às definições. Espera-se que esta terminologia continue a ser refinada a partir de mais estudos e aplicações.Palavras-chave: metacontingência; macrocomportamento; macrocontingência; cúspide cultural; linhagem culturo-comportamental; transmissão cultural
... Behavioral sciences allow us to contribute to cultural change and promote well-being (Houmanfar et al., 2015). The overlap between RJ and behavior analysis may enable behavior analysts to help police and other community organizations to effectively use RJ practices. ...
Broadly defined, restorative justice (RJ) is a set of procedures based in Indigenous peacemaking practices that reduces recidivism and guides the effective reparation of harm. RJ practices provide harm-affected parties an opportunity for engagement in the resolution process, which theoretically enhances community well-being. RJ practices overlap significantly with behavior-analytic principles. Implementing RJ practices from a context-focused, appetitive-based approach that focuses on classes of behaviors may address harmful behaviors within police organizations. RJ practices may also facilitate changes in contexts that support behaviors valued by the community. The current review discusses criminal and restorative justice, RJ processes and practices, the effectiveness of RJ in various contexts, how RJ overlaps with behavior-analytic principles and existing behavior science models in general, research suggestions, and recommendations for behavior analysts implementing RJ within police organizations and communities to address officer misconduct.
... Behavioral sciences allow us to contribute to cultural change and promote well-being (Houmanfar et al., 2015). The overlap between RJ and behavior analysis may enable behavior analysts to help police and other community organizations to effectively use RJ practices. ...
Broadly defined, Restorative Justice (RJ) is a set of procedures based in Indigenous peacemaking practices that reduces recidivism and guides the effective reparation of harm. RJ practices provide harm-affected parties an opportunity for engagement in the resolution process, which theoretically enhances community well-being. RJ practices overlap significantly with behavior-analytic principles. Implementing RJ practices from a context-focused, appetitive-based approach that focuses on classes of behaviors may address harmful behaviors within police organizations. RJ practices may also facilitate changes in contexts that support behaviors valued by the community. The current review discusses criminal and Restorative Justice, RJ processes and practices, the effectiveness of RJ in various contexts, how RJ overlaps with behavior-analytic principles and existing behavior science models more generally, research suggestions, and recommendations for behavior analysts implementing RJ within police organizations and communities to address officer misconduct.
Climate scientists warn of dire consequences for ecological systems and human well-being if significant steps to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions are not taken immediately. Despite these warnings, greenhouse gas concentrations continue to rise, indicating that current responses are inadequate. Climate warnings and reactions to them may be analyzed in terms of rules and rule-governed behavior. The literature on rule-governed behavior in behavior analysis has identified a variety of factors that can reduce rule following, including insufficient rule exposure, insufficient learning history and rule complexity, incomplete rules, instructed behavior not sufficiently learned, rules having weak function-altering effects, conflicting rules, lack of speaker credibility, rule plausibility and inconsistency with prior learning, and insufficient reinforcement for rule following. The present paper aims to analyze how these factors might impact responses to climate change, and possible solutions and strategies are discussed. Much of the theory and research on climate-change communication has come from outside of behavior analysis. Thus, the paper also aims to integrate findings from this literature with a behavior-analytic approach to rule control. Interpreting climate warnings and climate solutions in terms of rule-governed behavior may improve our understanding of why such rules are not more effective, and aid in the development of verbal and nonverbal strategies for changing behavior and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Unlabelled:
Promoting an inclusive culture can be critical to the progression of diverse groups. Practicing inclusive behavior is one important step toward fostering inclusion. Applied behavior analysis can contribute much to this topic given its use of practical methods to encourage socially significant behavior change (Baer et al., 1968). Proper pronoun use is one inclusive behavior that helps support gender minorities. Whereas self-assessment has been recommended to increase cultural awareness, this has not been confirmed through research. Thus, the purpose of the present study was to assess the effects of a specific approach to self-assessment (behavioral self-monitoring; BSM) on the percentage of correct pronouns used by graduate students during a simulated work task. Results indicate that BSM was effective in promoting proper pronoun use when it followed BSM training, and the effects maintained over time.
Supplementary information:
The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40617-021-00669-2.
Behavior analysis has a long and strong tradition in Brazil. Following the introduction of the concepts of metacontingencies and macrocontingencies, Brazilian researchers and universities developed prominent areas of research and training in the behavior analysis of culture. This article aims to review and characterize the Brazilian literature (in the form of articles, dissertations, and theses) related to the behavior analysis of sociocultural phenomena in general and the experimental studies with meta- and macrocontingencies as units of analysis (between 2015 and 2020) in particular. The choice of different descriptors and the inclusion of dissertations and theses extend previous reviews and help demonstrate the contribution of the country’s graduate programs in training young scientists in the field. The results showed an increasing number of studies since 2002; the predominance of basic studies, mainly experimental; and a greater number of studies based on the concept of metacontingency. This analysis demonstrates the need for international and interinstitutional collaborations. We conclude that Brazilian graduate programs in psychology had a pivotal role in the development of interpretative and experimental research on metacontingencies. Furthermore, the growing impact of conceptual and experimental studies by these academic groups suggests their strong commitment to expanding the behavior analysis of culture by training a new generation of researchers and practitioners.
Translated and published article
There is often much confusion among consumers in the U.S. as to which food products are healthy for humans and which products are not. One reason why this occurs may be seen in the disconnect among results of various scientific research studies. A prominent example involves one set of research results that indicate that meat and dairy products are healthy for humans to consume (Biesalski, 2005; Pereira & Vincente, 2013), while results from other research indicate that animal-based foods are detrimental to human development and can lead to health issues (Campbell & Campbell, 2006; Esselstyn, 2001). This paper aims to define and identify some externalities/internalities that exist within the food industry as well as utilize a behavioral systems approach, including an analysis of the relevant meta and macrocontingencies and the interlocked relationship formed between the two. Additionally, the three processes of selection within the metacontingency (leadership practices, aggregate product by consumers, and group rules) are addressed as they relate specifically to the food industry in hopes of offering potential solutions for change initiatives at each level. Various strategies for changing the current practices surrounding the production and consumption of potentially harmful food products are also addressed, with a focus on the altering of leadership practices and changes in consumer behavior. By utilizing what we know about organizational practices and how to better those practices through incentives (i.e., tax breaks, cooperatives), we can hope to see healthier options for food available to all U.S. consumers.
Recently, researchers have linked the availability and popularity of energy dense fast-foods to an increasingly obesogenic environment. Such availability has led to both over consumption and under nourishment, especially in lower income neighborhoods that fail to offer healthier alternatives. These “food deserts” play their part in both the increasing trend of obesity and the climbing costs associated with treating obesity-related disorders. In order to address this issue, food environments could be engineered by employing creative zoning in at-risk areas. Zoning allows municipalities to support developments that promote health, safety, and public welfare; in this context, zoning law could be utilized to support healthy, and more affordable, lifestyles. However, there is currently a lack of both empirical and public support for such an intervention on any scale. These issues could be addressed through the utilization of convenient pilots and the formation of relationships with target communities, culminating in the implementation of small-scale designs and, ultimately, large-scale intervention studies. In doing so, a foundation may be built upon which the development of a legitimate, environmental design approach to targeting obesity may be feasible.
Concepts and terms of the “operant paradigm”, based on the empirical law of effect, are suggested as alternatives to the hypothetical path-goal motivation construct which provides the major premise of the path-goal theory of leadership. Hypotheses in the path-goal theory may be explained by acognitive arguments as well. The resulting interpretation supports the basic propositions comprising the path goal theory without supporting the validity of the motivational model. Advantages and disadvantages of the acognitive alternative premise for a path-goal theory are discussed.
This chapter discusses positive human behavior in the context of a changing global climate. Critical foundations of the science of behavior include understanding the behavior of individuals and groups as being dynamic and adaptive. Behavioral science identifies functional relations between manipulable environmental variables and observable behaviors as the primary purpose of psychological investigation. The massive changes needed to address the problem of climate change require that virtually every organization in society change some of its practices. In approaching what changes must occur, the chapter considers the various types of organizations, by category, in search of a strategy for influencing the population of organizations. The challenge for the contextual behavioral science community is to do the extensive and difficult research needed to pinpoint the variables that will bring about the massive, yet crucial, changes in individual behavior and organizational action.
Uniqueness of person, organization, and environmental situation is a fact of life. Imitating practices that occurred in a different unique environment does not work well. Improving organizational performance requires managing within the constraints of two sets of variables that are specific to each organization: variables that connect the organization to the environment and variables that support individual human performances. Organizational variables include those relevant to two specific categories of value-adding outputs (the financial marketplace and the consumer service marketplace), and four specific categories of costly but necessary inputs (money, technology, materials and labor). The paper specifies ten guidelines for understanding and managing the interplay between the organizational variables and psychological variables. The guidelines permit systemic organizational and performance management which enables organizational improvement.
The International Biophilia Rehabilitation Conference (IBRC) has reached now to its 11th Edition - that will be held on the 12 and 13th of September, 2014, in Seville, Spain.The collaboration, started in 2011, of the Romanian Society for NeuroRehabilitation (RoSNeRa) - which is also a co-sponsor/ -organizer of this edition - with the International Biophilia Rehabilitation Academy (IBRA), has been consolidated, over time, including with the contribution of the President, together with some diligent colleagues, members of the RoSNeRa, to the development of the Biophilia Rehabilitation Journal.
As a consequence of the consolidation of our collaboration, the promotion of this event we have made, will hopefully result in an enhanced participation of Romanian colleagues at the IBRC 2014.
Through this new and hopefully very fruitful international academic joint event, we want, including with the contribution of the above mentioned Romanian scientific society - and of others which focus on Rehabilitation - to make a step forward in the Rehabilitation multidisciplinary collaborative research, at a global level, in order to better approach the needs of a population characterized, on one hand, by the growing number of persons with neural (mainly motor, cognitive/ communication, respectively sensorial) and/or some muscle-skeletal, severe disabilities and on the other, by continuous and accelerated demographic aging - i.e. with more elderly, that are prone to poli-pathology - in need, including for Rehabilitation and/or Assistive facilities/ technologies.
To be emphasized that our common endeavors to develop, at global level, Rehabilitation, are subsumed in the general very strong and important trend towards multimodal combating of disabilities, supported and boosted by the World Health Organization (WHO), together, mainly, with the International Society of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine (ISPRM), the World Federation for NeuroRehabilitation (WFNR), the International Spinal Cord Society (ISCoS) and the World Bank: as it is known, on the 23rd of May 2014, the 67th World Health Assembly endorsed the “WHO global disability action plan 2014-2021: Better health for all people with disability” and, as it is determined within a very recent related press release of the ISPRM leadership: ”Disability and Rehabilitation is now a major area of the agenda of WHO”.
So, personally and on behalf of my Romanian colleagues who are actively working for the overall development and improvement of Rehabilitation, I wish a great success to the 11th IBRC, 2014.
