Industrial–Organizational Psychology and the Practice of Performance Improvement

This article provides a historical overview of industrial–organizational (I‐O) psychology and its relationship to the field of performance improvement (PI). I‐O's history is initially described within the context of the broad science of psychology. Key points of intersection between I‐O and PI are identified, including the behaviorist movement and I‐O psychologist Dr. Thomas F. Gilbert. The article then briefly reviews the typical training for doctoral and master's‐level I‐O students and concludes with observations regarding the field of PI from the viewpoint of an I‐O psychologist.     

Missing link: Integrated individual leadership development,employee engagement,and customer value‐added improvement

Long‐term care is a key public issue that affects all of us in some way at some time of our lives. Nowhere is performance improvement and quality management more imperative. Through an 8‐month field study and follow‐up case study, we discuss how using an integrated approach to individual leadership development, employee engagement, and customer value‐added improvement might provide the missing link toward sustaining and growing organizational culture change in a very demanding environment.     

How the Organizational Learning Process Mediates the Impact of Strategic Human Resource Management Practices on Performance in Korean Organizations

The primary purpose of this research is to examine the structural relationships among several workplace‐related constructs, including strategic human resource management (HRM) practices, organizational learning processes, and performance improvement in the Korean business context. More specifically, the research examined the mediating effect of the organizational learning processes at three levels—individual, group, and organizational—to explain the relationship between strategic HRM practices and performance improvement. A total of 640 cases were used for data analysis, with general multivariate analyses and structural equation modeling. The results suggest that the learning processes at the three levels have a significant direct impact on organizational performance and that they also serve as a mediating interaction construct to maximize the effect of strategic HRM practices. The article provides conclusions, discusses the limitations of the research, and makes further recommendations.     

A Review of Organizational and Human Performance Frameworks

The frameworks or models used to conceptualize workplace performance are as diverse as the organisations they attempt to mirror. The purpose of this review was to examine a sample of the frameworks used to model human performance in organizations with respect to: 1) change orientation, 2) theoretical basis, 3) organizational results level, 4) unit of analysis, and 5) performance analysis. Organizational system and performance system frameworks were contrasted with systematic process models of performance improvement. Frameworks are defined as system‐orientod representations of the flow or linkages of resources, inputs, processes, goals, and results within and external to an organization. Performance improvement process models are defined as representations of systematic processes that define steps to be taken to implement a particular solution or identify a problem. It is recommended that solution designers blend frameworks of organizational system and performance system architectures into systematic, participatory design processes.     

Developing and executing strategy: Using the balanced scorecard for alignment and accountability

The balanced scorecard is a strategic performance management system that charts the course and evaluates the strategic goals of an organization. Practitioners in the field of performance improvement are results focused, with efforts purposefully channeled toward achievement of successful outcomes for their clients. Using a systematic and systemic approach, performance improvement practitioners are uniquely qualified to guide their practice using a balanced scorecard as a tool toward achieving measurable and results‐focused objectives.     

Theory development and convergence of human resource fields: Implications for human performance technology

This study examines major theory developments in human resource (HR) fields and discusses implications for human performance technology (HPT). Differentiated HR fields are converging to improve organizational performance through knowledge‐based innovations. Ruona and Gibson (2004) made a similar observation and analyzed the historical evolution and convergence of three HR‐related fields: human resource management (HRM), human resource development (HRD), and organization development (OD). A field left out in their analysis is HPT. Many learning professionals recognize HPT as a more comprehensive approach to improving organizational performance issues (Molenda & Pershing, 2008; Pershing, 2006). However, little research has been done to advance the theory development of HPT and discuss its relationships within HR fields. This study adds a new perspective to that of Ruona and Gibson's historical analysis of HR fields by examining convergence issues from a theory development perspective.     

Framing: A Method to Improve Performance Analyses

Due to the rapid rate of organizational change, performance improvement professionals need innovative ways to analyze issues affecting performance. Because most organizations lack resources to address all performance concerns in a timely manner, performance improvement professionals need a myriad of performance analysis tools. This research focuses on framing as an innovative tool in performance analysis. Framing is a method of attributing different perspectives to performance analysis data and understanding the beliefs and organizing principles within an organization. Using qualitative coding and analysis techniques, the four frames of structural, human resources, political, and symbolic were applied to a sample of interview and observation data taken in a large public research/teaching hospital. Results revealed that the human resource frame was the predominate frame and that framing is an innovative method of analyzing organizational culture and making meaning in organizations, adding another dimension to performance analysis techniques.     

Art and Science in Challenging Needs Assessments: A Case Study

This paper describes a needs assessment project that implemented two distinctive features to address challenges often faced in the needs assessment process. First, a pre‐assessment planning process was developed that successfully educated clients about the analysis process, generated management commitment, identified and prioritized key performance issues, and established an outcomes‐oriented strategic focus for the assessment. Second, to analyze team performance issues, a theory‐to‐practice process was developed that involved the use of discovery‐oriented inquiry within the project context (an inductive approach) with a deductive approach grounded in existing academic research and theory. The complementary and integrated use of these approaches yielded a more comprehensive understanding of the team performance problems, thorough analysis of those problems, and more focused and refined performance improvement recommendations.     

An analysis of the effects of selected management practices on organizational productivity and performance

Manager perceptions of their effectiveness in administering selected management practices were investigated using a management practices survey of 20 key management practices. Managers perceived they were most effective in providing performance management and least effective at ensuring their subordinates were provided consistent staffing and work input. A second study found the survey statistically reliable and valid. Twelve of the 20 management practices surveyed significantly correlated with organizational productivity, with performance management practices yielding the most significant relationship. The selected practices were derived from the disciplines of industrial engineering, industrial/organizational psychology, and organizational behavior management. An expansion of in‐house and university management training to include all of these management practices was recommended.     

Impact of senior design project for the development of leadership and management skills in construction management

Senior design courses are a core part of curricula across engineering and technology disciplines. Such courses offer Construction Management (CMG) students the opportunity to bring together, assimilate and apply the knowledge they have acquired over their entire undergraduate academic programme to an applied technical project. Senior or Capstone design course engages students in a real-world project, enhance leadership development, and prepare to manage and lead project teams. The CMG programme's multidisciplinary approach at Alabama A&M University, combines essential components of construction techniques with concepts of business management to develop technically qualified individuals for responsible management roles in the design, construction and operation of major construction projects. This paper analyses the performance of the students and improvement due to the interaction with the faculty advisors and industrial panel during the two semester Capstone project. The results of this Capstone sequence have shown a continuous improvement of student performance.     

Object‐Oriented Performance Improvement

In this paper, a framework to support an object‐oriented approach to performance analysis is described. The framework includes the use of collaboration, automation, visual modeling, and reusable repositories of analysis knowledge. The need for a new framework is related to the increasing concern with the cost effectiveness of student and employee development. Efforts to improve the return‐on‐investment in such development have been hindered by a craft orientation to the design and construction of learning and performance support materials. One solution to this problem has been to enhance the reuse of such materials. Rather than build every new system from scratch in a craft‐oriented manner, it is envisioned that systems will be constructed largely of standardized, reusable objects shared through Web‐based repositories. Currently, the main focus is on the technological framework necessary for an object‐based approach to learning system development. There appears to be little consideration of the changes in analysis and design thinking required for the move towards object‐based systems. Such systems should still be required to be directly linked to performance problems and opportunities at both the organizational and individual system levels.     

Team performance improvement: Mediating roles of employee job autonomy and quality of team leader–member relations in supportive organizations in the Korean business context

The purpose of this research was to examine the mediating roles of job autonomy and the quality of the leader–member relationship to explain the impact of organizational support on team performance. A total of 228 cases collected from Korean business organizations were used for data analysis. Hierarchical multiple regression, Type 1 SS‐based general linear modeling, and structural equation modeling were used for analyses. All results were compared to examine the magnitude of the interactions of two mediating variables—job autonomy and leader–member relation quality—to predict the influence of organizational support on team performance. Results include (1) two mediating variables played partial mediating roles; (2) between the mediating variables, leader–member relations maximized the magnitude of job autonomy; (3) organizational support was the commanding predictor for team performance, while it was found to be a statistically nonsignificant factor, which did not directly influence team performance. Conclusions are described, followed by limitations and future research recommendations.     

Increasing Personal Efficiency: A Case Study

A case study demonstrating how a poorly functioning academic was helped to successfully re‐organize his life and his work is described. More efficient management of time was the means through which this re‐organization took place. Details of effective time‐management techniques are given, together with data indicating the value of the approach in producing improved teaching and research performance.     

Creating the Potential for Organizational Learning Through Interactive Simulation Debriefing Sessions

High‐end and high‐cost technologies such as interactive simulation are increasingly being applied to government operations such as police, emergency management, SWAT, and fire fighter training to maintain readiness and improve performance. The simulation experience, when combined with after‐training debriefing sessions, creates the potential for organizational learning. This research reports findings from field observations of debriefing sessions following organizational operations in interactive simulation systems. The findings focus on the relationship of different debriefing session techniques to identification of potential organizational learning opportunities.     

An Optimization of Human Performance Technology Intervention Selection Model: A 360‐Degree Approach to Support Performance

The human performance technology (HPT) model suggests various interventions to meet organizational challenges. While the original model includes a matrix to match an intervention according to a performance analysis, accumulated experience and recent research show that there are several parameters that will influence the validity and effectiveness of the solution. This article offers a 360‐degree approach to support the use of a performance model that helps practitioners to select the proper HPT intervention according to key attributes that influence the solution. Successful implementation, such as target audience characteristics and work processes that are at the heart of organizational needs, are examples of the benefits provided by this approach. The model is based on research conducted by Gal and Nachmias (2011, 2012) concerning performance support solutions success factors in corporate settings. In addition, experiences gained by both authors as they implemented HPT solutions in large organizations are considered.     

Implications of job rotation literature for performance improvement practitioners

Job rotations have existed as a means of developing individual knowledge and skills since the industrial revolution, and in today's dynamic global workplace, they afford organizations an opportunity to manage changing psychological work contracts and employee desires for self‐managed careers. Through the systematic mining of psychology, business, management, and educational databases, this literature review provides a summary of job rotation practices, individual and organizational benefits, likely costs associated with job rotations, and implications for practitioners. Findings indicate that while employees seek learning and marketability over job security and stability, organizations strive to maintain continuity and internal growth and development of their workforce. Job rotations can appease both individuals and organizations through enhanced knowledge and skills, facilitation of greater job satisfaction, and identification of individual strengths for optimal organizational performance. However, these benefits come at a price to the individual and the organization in the form of increased work/life conflict, potentially higher training costs, and possible lower work unit morale. Conclusions are presented on the practical implications and recommendations for implementing job rotations and integrating the practice into performance improvement models.     

Applying Case‐based Reasoning in Knowledge Management to Support Organizational Performance

Research and practice in human performance technology (HPT) has recently accelerated the search for innovative approaches to supplement or replace traditional training interventions for improving organizational performance. This article examines a knowledge management framework built upon the theories and techniques of case‐based reasoning (CBR) and Nonaka's (1991, 1994) knowledge conversion model to shed light on how organizational performance can be enhanced by leveraging organizational knowledge represented as cases to support learning, working, and innovation of knowledge workers. This framework offers HPT practitioners new ways of thinking and methods for the design of performance support interventions by which organizational knowledge is stored, codified, delivered, and acted upon in context, on demand, and at the point of need. This paper describes a project, Knowledge Innovation for Technology in Education (KITE), which was designed to support professional development of teachers using CBR and knowledge conversion theories.     

Traits and skills theories as the nexus between leadership and expertise: Reality or fallacy?

The assumption that effective leaders differ in some identifiable and fundamental ways from other people is still a large part of mainstream industrial‐organizational psychology. Based on a research review on the trait theory of leadership and the concept of expertise, this article finds a convergence between leader and expert traits. Results suggest that leaders and experts may share similar characteristics, with expertise encompassing skills theory. Implications for performance improvement and human resource developers are discussed.     

Confirmative Evaluation of Training Outcomes

This article explores the use of an evaluation model of learning and development utilizing formative, summative, and confirmative steps, along with a framework for developing evaluation tools aligned with organizational change goals. A case study is presented in which formative, summative, and confirmative evaluations were used to assess materials and learners following implementation of a new performance management process, tools, and supporting training. A specific model for developing evaluation tools and techniques is introduced as a way to integrate the evaluation process with the specific content of a learning and development intervention, as well as link to higher‐order cultural change goals. Results of the case study suggest that evaluation tools can provide evidence of improvement and target areas for further work. Recommendations are provided for the researcher or practitioner interested in applying the same or similar models to evaluation.     

Performance analysis case study of United States to India software development migration process

This performance analysis case study examines the migration of Custom Software Solutions, Inc. software development and maintenance, according to Gilbert's (1996) human performance theory, from teams in the United States to teams in India. Findings reveal the need for changes in project management guidelines, cross‐team communication, resources, and organizational clarity. Suggested interventions include improving project management and organizational communication practices and establishing new protocols such as Web‐based project forums and interactive learning modules.