What happens when researching the radical unveils the simplest of solutions? This article tells the story of the 2007 ISPI Annual Conference Encore Presentation, Healthcare, Heal Thyself, sharing the findings of an exploration into high-performance health care facilities and their relevance to all organizations today. It shows how to overcome…

Security incidents resulting from human error or subversive actions have caused major financial losses, reduced business productivity or efficiency, and threatened national security. Some research suggests that information system security frameworks lack emphasis on human involvement as a significant cause for security problems in a rapidly…

Total quality management based governance models tend to focus on incremental improvements within the boundaries of a single organization. This may limit the benefits of information technology because they are not complex enough to address business or performance problems that extend beyond the boundaries of a single organization. The research…

Development research methodology (DRM) has been recommended as a viable research approach to expand the practice-to-theory/theory-to-practice literature that human performance technology (HPT) practitioners can integrate into the day-to-day work flow they already use to develop instructional products. However, little has been written about how it…

Library Web sites must compete against easy-to-use sites, such as Google Scholar, Google Books, and Wikipedia, for students' time and attention. Library Web sites must therefore be designed with aesthetics and user perceptions at the forefront. The Music and Performing Arts Library at Urbana-Champaign's Web site was overcrowded and in much need of…

Research indicates that numerous variables have an impact on a leader's effectiveness. This study explores the behaviors associated with leadership effectiveness in driving change. The findings confirm previous research that identifies change effectiveness skills, while isolating the specific leader behaviors deemed most valuable to implementing…

The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of three different interface types on Web-based instruction: a text-based interface, a graphical interface and a metaphorical interface. In order to determine differences among three interface groups, we compared learning performance, cognitive load, usability, and appeal with various data…

Discusses the use of questionnaires and surveys in the field of performance technology and suggests the usefulness of interviews. Provides an overview of three types of interviews that are useful to performance technologists, explains how to conduct interviews, and describes advantages and limitations of interviewing in person versus on the…

Explains process mapping as an analytical tool and a process intervention that performance technologists can use to improve human performance by reducing error variance. Highlights include benefits of process mapping; and critical success factors, including organizational readiness, time commitment by participants, and the availability of a…

Discusses the use of total quality management (TQM), work process flow diagrams, and ISD (instructional systems development) tools with HPT (human performance technology) to address performance gaps in the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA). Describes performance goals, which were to improve accuracy and reduce backlog of claim files. (LRW)

Confirms that intellectual and professional tools be in good working order, avoid superstition, and refrain from faddish/ineffective interventions. HPT (Human Performance Technology) must keep sharpening its saw based on measured results and set clear and measurable goals/expectations; put the means of measuring progress against those goals in the…

Discusses methods of getting results data after a training intervention and suggests involving the client as much as possible to develop an indicator of results achieved. Suggests that the more involvement the client has in results measurement, the more believable the numbers and the greater your credibility as provider of results-proven service.…

Discusses the performance technology design process and the fact that the analysis phase is often being eliminated to speed up the process. Proposes a rapid analysis model that reduces time needed for analysis and still ensures more successful value-added solutions that focus on customer satisfaction. (LRW)

People interact with products and vehicles in a physical manner. They push lawn mowers, they hold mixers, and they drive cars and trucks. This interaction is greatly improved when there is a physical, dimensional match between the people and the products and vehicles they use. However, people vary in size and shape. The study and application of…

In Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass, Lewis Carroll established an absurd world that tickles the reader's mind with reversals and twists of the ordinary. Occasionally, in one's day-to-day encounters with other persons, one comes across people with an oppositional personality that suggests that they live in a Lewis Carroll world of…