Evaluating the Performance Improvement Preferences of Disability Service Managers: An Exploratory Study Using...

Area of Science:

• Intellectual Disability Services
• Human Resources Management
• Organizational Psychology

Background:

• Front-line managers are crucial for staff performance in intellectual disability services.
• Current understanding of managers' preferred performance improvement practices is limited.
• Effectiveness of these preferred practices compared to research-backed methods is unknown.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the validity and reliability of a questionnaire assessing managers' performance improvement practice preferences.
• To analyze the preferred performance improvement strategies of managers in Australian disability services.

Main Methods:

• A two-phase study was conducted.
• Phase 1: Questionnaire development and validation (content, concurrent, test-retest reliability).
• Phase 2: Data collection from 175 managers in Queensland disability services.

Main Results:

• The developed questionnaire showed good validity and reliability.
• Managers favored strategies targeting individual employee characteristics.
• Strategies focused on environmental factors were perceived as less effective.

Conclusions:

• Findings offer insights into the professional development requirements for front-line managers.
• Addresses the gap in understanding managers' preferences versus evidence-based practices.
• Informs training and support for managers in intellectual disability organizations.