Renewed interest in research on performance improvement provides an ideal opportunity to examine how much empirical work is actually published and to identify the focus of research in the field. This paper describes a study conducted to examine the empirical research on performance improvement.



The study involved a content analysis of articles published in PIQ from 1997 through 2000. Results indicated that empirical research accounted for about one-third of all articles published in PIQ. A detailed analysis of the empirical research studies published in the journal is provided.

http://myweb.fsu.edu/jklein/articles/Klein_2002.pdf

Empirical Research on Performance Improvement.

Many studies offer insights into the relationship between employee turnover and organizational commitment and job satisfaction. Such variables predict turnover, but they do not offer possible solutions to the problem of excessive turnover. The study reported in this article addressed employee turnover in a textile plant as a multifaceted performance issue, identified various causes of turnover through a performance analysis, and analyzed the results of implementation of multiple interventions that were designed to alleviate high turnover among trainees.

How multiple interventions influenced employee turnover: A case study

One major issue in human resource development (HRD) is to determine factors that predict the performance of employees. The primary purpose of this study was to determine how level of education, training, and the working conditions of matatu (public service vehicle) drivers determined their job performance in terms of reduced road traffic accidents. Proportionate and simple random sampling techniques were employed to select 143 drivers who completed and returned the questionnaires. Multiple regression analysis was used to test the hypotheses stated. The findings indicate that the variables of driver experience and hours worked had a significant relationship with the dependent variable rates of traffic accidents per driver as hypothesized. The variables of education level, training, salary earned, and average speed traveled did not have a significant relationship with the dependent variable.

Determining the Relationship between Drivers' Level of Education, Training, Working Conditions, and Job Performance in Kenya.

THE CHIEF LEARNING OFFICER: PURSUING A GROUNDED THEORY OF EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP AT THE TOP OF THE HUMAN RESOURCE

The chief learning officer: pursuing a grounded theory of executive leadership at the top of the human resource development field

Background : A new organizational model of educational administrative support was instituted in the Department of Medical Education (DME) to better meet increasing national accreditation demands. Residency and fellowship programs were organized into four ‘Communities of Practice’ (CoOPs) based on discipline similarity, number of learners, and geographic location. Program coordinator reporting lines were shifted from individual departments to a centralized reporting structure within the DME. The goal of this project was to assess the impact on those most affected by the change. Methods : This was a mixed methods study that utilized structured interviews and the Organizational Culture Assessment Instrument (OCAI). Eleven members of the newly formed CoOPs participated in the study. Results : Three major themes emerged after review and coding of the interview transcripts: improved group identity, improved availability of resources, and increased opportunity for professional growth. OCAI results indicated that respondents are committed to the DME and perceived the culture to be empowering. The ‘preferred culture’ was very similar to the culture at the time of the study, with some indication that DME employees are ready for more creativity and innovation in the future. Conclusion : Reorganization within the DME of residency programs into CoOPs was overwhelmingly perceived as a positive change. Improved resources and accountability may position our DME to better handle the increasing complexity of graduate medical education. Keywords: medical setting; organizational culture; staff management; residency (Published: 5 October 2016) Citation: Med Educ Online 2016, 21: 31864 - http://dx.doi.org/10.3402/meo.v21.31864

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.3402/meo.v21.31864

Organizing graduate medical education programs into communities of practice.

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.

Framing: A Method to Improve Performance Analyses

Catching up to our past: Vocational education, andragogy, and real work

Strategic readiness: The making of the learning organization, by John C. Redding and Ralph E Catalanello. (1994). San Francisco: Jossey‐Bass. 202 pp., $26.95 cloth

Timothy G. Hatcher

Papers

Framing: A Method to Improve Performance Analyses

Catching up to our past: Vocational education, andragogy, and real work

Strategic readiness: The making of the learning organization, by John C. Redding and Ralph E Catalanello. (1994). San Francisco: Jossey‐Bass. 202 pp., $26.95 cloth