Behavior Engineering Model (BEM)
Thomas Gilbert, considered the funding father of HPI, introduced the Behavior Engineering Model (BEM) in 1970s (Gilbert, 1996). BEM lays out six major categories of variables that affect workplace performance. These six categories include data, resources, and incentives of the environmental supports; knowledge, capacity and motives of a person’s repertory of behavior (Figure 1). Gilbert developed the environmental and personal registers of the model outlined above with the basic framework of the Skinnerian operant behavioral model (Skinner, 1969). This framework is Discriminative Stimulus --> Response --> Reinforcing or Aversive Stimulus (= SD --> R --> S+/-). This model is why the model is called “Behavior Engineering”. The identified six factors are those that affect behavior. Expectations/feedbacks initiate behaviors, which results in instrumentation, and then followed by reinforcing or aversive consequences. The award or punishment values of these consequences determines the probability of future repetition of this behavior. Gilbert believed that the lack of performance support at work, not an individual’s lack of knowledge and skills, is often the cause for poor performance. While effective training could have a significant impact on human performance, training often does not work alone for performance improvement. The BEM model has become a working model in performance cause analysis. Using BEM model, environmental factors should be investigated first because the cost to improve the environmental factors is usually lower while the impact of environmental factors on performance results is higher (Chevalier, 2003).
Since BEM was introduced, there have been updated version of BEM. Binder and his associates tested and refined new language for describing each cell in Gilbert’s original BEM model, and gave the updated model the name “the six boxes model of behavior influences” (Binder, 1998). The six boxes model still has the same layout as Gilbert’s model, but the labels for each cells are different (Figure 2). Now the BEM model also refers to the six boxes model. Chevalier did another update on BEM model by describing the performance influences in each cell using the language typically speaking about performance, and arranged the causes with the order in which they would be identified and remedied (Chevalier, 2003). This update made the performance influences clearer because in the original model the performance causes were mostly described in terms. With the update on the BEM model, Gilbert’s vision and original concepts have been transformed, and are often used commercially to improve business results.
Since BEM was introduced, there have been updated version of BEM. Binder and his associates tested and refined new language for describing each cell in Gilbert’s original BEM model, and gave the updated model the name “the six boxes model of behavior influences” (Binder, 1998). The six boxes model still has the same layout as Gilbert’s model, but the labels for each cells are different (Figure 2). Now the BEM model also refers to the six boxes model. Chevalier did another update on BEM model by describing the performance influences in each cell using the language typically speaking about performance, and arranged the causes with the order in which they would be identified and remedied (Chevalier, 2003). This update made the performance influences clearer because in the original model the performance causes were mostly described in terms. With the update on the BEM model, Gilbert’s vision and original concepts have been transformed, and are often used commercially to improve business results.
References
- Binder, C. (1998). The Six Boxes: A Descendent of Gilbert's Behavior Engineering Model. Performance Improvement, 37, 48-52.
- Chevalier, R. (2003). Updating the Behavior Engineering Model. Performance Improvement, 42(5), 8-14.
- Gilbert, T. F. (1996). Human Competence: Engineering Worthy Performance (1 ed.): Pfeiffer.
- Skinner, B. F. (1969). Contingencies of Reinforcement: A Theoretical Analysis. New York: Applenton-Century-Crofts.