Author

Ann M. Backe

Date of Award

8-1983

Degree Name

Master of Arts

Department

Psychology

First Advisor

Dr. Dale Brethower

Second Advisor

Dr. Richard Malott

Third Advisor

Dr. Norman Peterson

Access Setting

Masters Thesis-Open Access

Abstract

The present study investigated the controlling aspects of employee participation on compliance to store procedures through the use of a total participative group and a group trained in the technical and beneficial aspects of the procedures. Five grocery store cashiers comprised the Participative Group and six cashiers comprised the Value- and Skill- Trained (VST) Group. The researcher conducted one meeting with the members of the Participative Group to design procedures to decrease the number of checks returned to the stores because of non-sufficient funds. Following the development of the new procedures, the Participative Group received technical training on the procedures. In a meeting conducted 1 week later, the researcher described the new procedures to the VST Group and provided this group with the same technical training given to the Participative Group. The researcher also trained the VST Group in the beneficial aspects of the new procedures. The overall average percentage of compliance to the procedures for the Participative Group was 80.83% whereas the VST Group attained an overall mean percentage of 77.04%. These results apparently supported the hypothesis that employee participation and inductive and technical training will be effective strategies to increase employee compliance; however, alternative interpretations of the data are also possible and plausible.

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