Newsletter
Volume 29 | 2006 | Number 2
OBM Network
By Dr. John Austin
The OBM Network, founded in 1982, exists in order to develop, enhance, and support the growth and vitality of Organizational Behavior Management through research, education, practice, and collaboration. The membership year of the OBM Network begins and ends on November 1. Year-to-date, the Network has 155 members. In each of the three previous years, the Network has exceeded its previous membership record. Cumulative monthly membership data from the three previous years are to the right, in Figure 1. The OBM Network recently adopted a graduated cost membership plan, similar to that of ABA, based on the GDP of the potential member’s home country as relative to the US-GDP. More information on membership and how to join can be found at www.obmnetwork.com (Membership Coordinator: Julie Slowiak).
Figure 1. Membership data by month.
Figure 2 shows the number of members who are new versus returning members. The OBM Network has been working at increasing our retention of members, and these measures provide an index of our progress in that regard.
Figure 2. Repeat members versus new members by member type.
Figure 3 shows the number of members by membership type since 2004.
Figure 3. Membership by member type.
Figure 4 shows the number of members affiliated with each of several universities, by member type.
Figure 4. University affiliation of members by member type.
Figure 5 shows the number of members affiliated with organizations other than universities, by membership type.
Figure 5. Company affiliation of members by member type.
The OBM Network Web site (Web master: Doug Johnson) has consistently grown in size and number of visits over the past several years (see data below, Figure 6).
Figure 6. Web site visits per month.
For example, in November of 2005, the Web site surpassed 100,000 visitors.
There was a new look to the site unveiled in each of the three previous years, and another new look was unveiled in May 2006. The newest version of the Web site includes a site search capability, a Journal of Organizational Behavior Management information page, and a store/donations page. In addition, there are numerous free resources about OBM on the Web site and more are added every month. Finally, we began a Google Discussion group this year, through which all members of the OBM Network can post messages and anyone from the public can read dialogues.
Three issues of the on-line newsletter (Newsletter Editor: Nicole Gravina) were sent to members this year. Many articles published were contributed by leaders in the field including: Dr. Leslie Braksick, Dr. Don Hantula, Dr. Ramona Houmanfar, Dr. Tim Ludwig, Dr. Dick Malott, and Dr. Bill Redmon. Most newsletter articles are viewed hundreds of times within six months of being posted in the articles section on the Web site. In addition, through a cooperative agreement with Haworth Press, OBM Network members receiv e four hard copy and electronic (on-line and CD) issues of the Journal of Organizational Behavior Management each year.