Performance improvement: The means to process improvement

Successful problem solving and improvement require more than the discovery of a workable solution. At some point, the results need to become part of daily routines and locked in place so that these new practices do not revert to old, less productive habits. Using performance improvement steps to secure the change can ensure that process owners will not revisit the same set of issues in the future.     

The HPT model applied to a kayak company's registration process

This case study describes the step‐by‐step application of the traditional human performance technology (HPT) model at a premier kayak company located on the coast of North Carolina. The HPT model was applied to address lost revenues related to three specific business issues: misinformed customers, dissatisfied customers, and guides not showing up for tours or lessons at the kayak company. The case study includes problem statements, organizational analysis, environmental analysis, gap analysis, cause analysis, and proposed interventions.     

Successfully using HPT internationally: An international performance model

This article introduces a new international model that focuses on culture while including familiar elements of human performance technology (HPT). HPT adaptation for cultural differences is an essential part of our profession. We must be sensitive and flexible to succeed in an ever‐changing global environment.     

A public sector HPT maturity model

Officials of public organizations with responsibility for embedding Human Performance Technology (HPT) can use the maturity concept as a way to plan implementation and gauge evolution so that it supports broader policy, program, or organizational goals. This article describes such a model, which can help managers decide where to concentrate their efforts and in what priority. Over time, the model may help them make better decisions in using public resources to return the greatest value to taxpayers.     

The HPT Model Applied to a Yoga Studio's Performance

This case study describes how the human performance technology model has been applied to enhance the performance of a small yoga studio—Salty Dog Yoga & Surf of Carolina Beach, North Carolina. An analysis of Salty Dog's organizational performance revealed several ongoing challenges, including issues with sales, strategic planning, and division of labor. An environmental analysis found that Carolina Beach's market is strong enough to support a full‐time local yoga studio, while an organizational analysis uncovered multiple issues with strategic vision, resource deployment, and training policies.     

Improving Retail Sales Performance by Integrating HPT with Marketing Strategies

In order to accomplish organizational goals within constraints, marketers need to develop and implement marketing strategies effectively and efficiently. Trainers equipped with human performance technology (HPT) skills and knowledge may contribute substantially to strategy development and implementation and eventually contribute to organizational success. In this article, we demonstrate how HPT improved retail sales performance in an organization in the Chinese telecom industry. The outcomes highlight the benefits of integrating HPT with marketing strategies and the importance of forming partnerships between training staff and marketing professionals.     

Training Older Workers: Implications for HRD/HPT Professionals

In corporations across America, a race is on to find new ways to maximize human capital. An emphasis on lifelong learning will be vital for the success of our future workforce. As demographic shifts occur, the “older worker” will emerge as a primary target for this human development effort. This article explores the implications of this demographic shift for the human resource development and human performance technology (HRD/HPT) professional and recommends strategies for meeting this business need. First, we discuss the realities of this demographic shift and compare our current workforce demographics to those of the future. Next, we examine the common myths about the “older worker,” as well as what current research reports about this special population. Finally, we examine the impact of this trend on our profession. We discuss strategies for modifying the workplace environment, reassessing workforce motivational strategies, and altering training practices in order to serve this older worker population. In conclusion, we look at the implications for the future in HRD/HPT research.     

HPT in the classroom: Practical applications

Human performance technology (HPT) is an area of professional practice most often found in the business world rather than in education. As adjunct professors at several universities, we have incorporated the principles of HPT into our classes. This article describes some of the courses where we have used aspects and models of HPT to teach students about subject areas in business. In addition, an entire graduate program based on HPT has been started at ITSON University in Mexico.     

Guiding and modelling quality improvement in higher education institutions

The article considers the process of creating quality improvement in higher education institutions from the point of view of current organisational theory and social-science modelling techniques. The author considers the higher education institution as a functioning complex of rules, norms and other organisational features and reviews the social mechanisms and processes through which agencies can stimulate quality improvement. The article provides a few examples of how these social processes might be modelled using social simulation techniques, including agent-based models, discrete event simulation and other modelling techniques developed for representing complex social processes of coordination and cooperation. A better representation of universities as complexes of organisations will support more effective quality improvement by higher education leaders and external agencies.