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What is HPT?
HPT Process (.pdf)
or (.gif)
Non-Instructional Interventions
Instructional Interventions
The Future
References
Links
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Non-Instructional Interventions
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| When people think of improving the performance of
workers in a work setting, they often think providing training of some
sort or another is the answer. While some of HPT's origins come from
the instructional design field, HPT offers so much more than just
instructional interventions. The following is a list of
non-instructional interventions that Human Performance Technologists often
incorporate into an overall performance solution for an organization: |
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Electronic
Performance Support System (EPSS)
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Workplace
Design
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Knowledge
Management (KM)
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Just-in-Time
Support
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Communities
of Practice
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Multimedia
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Internet
and Intranets
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Corporate
Culture changes
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Process
Re-engineering
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Job
Aids
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| These are some of the more common tools / solutions that can
be utilized to improve workplace performance. Let's take a look at a
couple of these in more depth and understand how they work and why they
would be appropriate in some cases.
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| Electronic Performance Support System (EPSS) |
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What is an EPSS? The Electronic version of Performance
Support Systems are one of numerous tools of the technology age that
provide workers with almost instant access to information vital to do
their jobs. Nailing down exactly what an EPSS is turns out to
be somewhat unclear, as it is a very new concept within the HPT field and
it can have many different variations. EPSSs are a result of the many technology changes in the past 2 decades.
Check out this document for a definition
and some examples of EPSSs used in business.
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| In this next example of Electronic
Performance Support Systems, Sue Larke provides another variation of how
to define EPSS. She give some great case studies where EPSSs used as
an HPT intervention provide information and knowledge to workers when and
where they need it in order to improve their ability to do their jobs
effectively.
More and more jobs are coming to rely on technology and as such, the
more performance support systems are becoming technology-based. When
work needs require quick access of information, training is not always the
answer, as it had been in the past. EPSSs can be designed, in many
cases, to give workers instant access to procedures, tables, charts, and
other information the need to do their job efficiently and effectively
without having to memorize the data. This is especially helpful when
the data is subject to change or requires calculation or other
manipulation on a case-by-case basis.
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| Corporate Culture changes |
| How does Corporate Culture affect individual worker
performance? IN A BIG WAY!
It is possible that corporate culture has more effect on workplace
performance than any other single factor. Certainly corporate
culture is pervasive, affecting most if not all workers in an area.
Culture can be localized, say within a department or division, or it can
be organization-wide.
Understanding how corporate culture is impacting performance is very
important, but can be quite elusive if not analyzed carefully.
Another aspect of HPT skills is the means and methods to get at the root
of performance problems brought on by problems or inconsistencies within
the culture of the organization. Dan Tanguay provides an excellent
illustration of how important this process of analysis is, how it can be
accomplished, and how effective addressing such issues can be in his
article on Cultural Analysis.
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| Culture within an organization has a huge impact on
productivity, motivation, and teamwork. When productivity problems
exist, the HP professional looks at culture as one are of
consideration. Using the right tools and methods, if problems exist
within the culture that are hindering performance, the HP professional can
often help. They can shed light on issues that may be impacting how
employees feel about the company and themselves and how these affect their
work accomplishments.
The following article by Linda Ackerman provides a good summary of how
corporate culture influences productivity and accomplishment. Two
case studies are provided in the article that provide useful application
of corporate culture changes being implemented. Corporate
Culture
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| Much more could be said about analyzing, managing, and
changing corporate culture to enhance worker morale, motivation, and thus
performance. The following website provides an interesting set of
tools for the HP technologist to use to affect culture within an
organization: http://www.durationsoftware.com/tools/culture.htm
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| Job Aids |
| What is a Job Aid?
According to Rossett and Gauier-Downes (1991), a Job Aid:
- is a repository for information, processes, or perspectives
- is external to the individual
- supports work and activity
- directs, guides, and enlightens performance
Donald Clark (2000) adds the following description of a job aid:
Job aids include
anything that when added to the work situation improves job performance
by guiding, facilitating, or reminding the performers in their
accomplishment of job tasks. This method of providing an alternative to
improving job performance opened the door to other interventions to
changing job performance.
There is distinct overlap between job aids and performance support
systems. There is also some degree of overlap as to whether job aids are
used as instruction or non-instructional interventions. Consider the
following job aid game as an example if
an instructional intervention, even while Stolovitch
and Keeps (1999) consider job aids to be interventions of the
non-instructional type. Clearly, how the tool is used determines
when and where it should be used.
Clark goes on to describe job aids as instructional interventions,
stating that "Job
aids are considered instructional interventions because they also mediate
knowledge and skills problems. However, job aids are not really intended
to produce learning, as they are a substitute for learning. Learning that
does occur as a result of using the job aid (surely considerable at times)
is incidental."
One of the better reference sites to explain, illustrate, and provide
practice on job aids can be found here.
Be sure to click on the "Jump to" menu and try out the "Job
aid or Not" demo!
Another interesting reference on job aids is provided a student in the
Department of Educational Technology Department of San Diego State
University.
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