Is Human and Organizational Performance (HOP) Compatible with Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA)?
With the rise of “New View” approaches like Human and Organizational Performance (HOP), there have been increased conversations about the applicability of the science of behavior and behavior-based safety (BBS) to HOP. Many pioneers and proponents of HOP have even gone to social media and beyond to claim an incompatibility with BBS. I’ve personally been brought into many of these conversations online, at conferences, and even at client sites by senior leaders. Now I recognize that everyone has their own perspectives and interpretations of approaches like HOP, BBS, and others, some accurate, some informed, and some not. But we’re all working toward a common goal – helping keep people safe. For this reason, I wanted to offer some opening points of clarification in case you happen to engage in these conversations or if you would like to work together with me on collaborations across these spaces.
Regardless of what safety philosophy you’re working under, all behavior arises in response to some prompting event—such as training, signage, reminders, or intrinsic/extrinsic motivators. Behavior persists or stops based on its outcomes, good or bad, from the individual’s perspective. Simply put, people behave in ways that work for them—that’s a foundational principle of science.
You cannot achieve results without behavior, meaning you cannot operate effectively while being "anti-behavior-based." However, you can oppose BBS or what you believe BBS to be based on past experiences. If at-risk behaviors occur, performance diagnostics and root cause analyses are essential—they’re a core component of behavioral safety. Without these practices, it’s not behavioral safety.
At its foundation, behavioral safety is about setting workers up for success and providing them with meaningful support. This cannot be achieved by focusing solely on one level of an organization. If you’ve encountered conflicting definitions of BBS or behavior change, then what you’ve seen likely wasn’t true behavioral safety. That’s not a matter of opinion—it’s backed by decades of scientific research. Let’s work together and keep the conversation going.
Posted by Nic Weatherly, Ph.D.
Dr. Weatherly is the CEO and Managing Consultant at Deliberate Coaching International with a proven track record of maximizing operating revenues and organizational and staff performance by building holistic systems and targeted training programs, linking performance-improvement initiatives to key business metrics, and strategically aligning short- and long-range goals to the organization’s mission, vision, and values.
