Human competence is a vital element for any organization that expects to survive and then thrive. Developing individual performance ability is necessary but not sufficient because trained people alone will not make an organization successful. We must determine what people should deliver and why it should be delivered in order to add measurable…

The fishbone diagram developed by Mariano Bernardez (2009a, 2009b) in the introductory article to this issue of "Performance Improvement Quarterly" depicts the origins and interrelationships of the models and approaches of many fields and researchers that have contributed to human performance technology (HPT) as it is used today. We can…

This article introduces an intergenerational strategy for organizations planning centennial celebratory events. The methods and findings from the 4-H through the Generations session conducted at the joint 4-H Leadership Conference and 4-H Leaders Forum to celebrate the Pennsylvania 4-H Centennial are reported. Youth and adult participants shared…

The International Society for Performance Improvement has always been divided by two often-conflicting views of what its purpose or mission really is. Is it primarily technology focused (focusing on the development and promotion of the field) or member focused (focusing on members' interests and their professional development)? This difference in…

This paper reviews the Development of Howard University (District of Columbia) during the period 1967-1997 as the institution adapted to broad social, cultural, and intellectual changes shaping the country during this period. The study's conceptual framework followed Mysers' theory of the six stages of the education of Blacks, especially the…

The development of modern planning theories and strategies, as applied to higher education, has been both contentious and inconsistent. Planning originated as a management function and responsibility, but by the 1960s, analysts, statisticians, and strategists were providing the rationales for the major planning decisions. The inflexibility of…

Scenario planning can help institutions change the mental models used in planning to achieve a focus on the long-term future, rather than on the immediate future. While institutional survival depends upon the ability to detect and adapt to critical changes in the environment, all institutions face a wide range of potential future scenarios. By…

An organization needs to establish an ideal and shared "vision" of what it, as well as society in general, should be like in the future. After the vision is set, the organization should define what it will deliver and should work cooperatively toward creating that vision. (AEF)

Discusses the need for coordinated efforts between an organization and its staff development support that are congruent with the articulated goals of the district, the school sites, and individual members of the organization. Strategies are presented for changing the role of staff developers in renewal efforts that support a learning organization.…

The results of a survey of college presidents, about the formal strategies used in institutional planning, are presented. Elements include environmental analysis, assessment of institutional strengths and limitations, assumptions, criteria, objectives, development of strategies and long-range plans, and performance evaluation. (MSE)

Research in organizational development and ecological psychology has demonstrated the importance of viewing organizations from a systems perspective. Organizational innovations are planned, designed, and implemented in increasingly complex and dynamic ecosystems. This paper presents a model of organizational change which was developed using a…

Having worked for several years with three Wisconsin school districts, the author describes the metaplan that emerged for developing districtwide improvement plans. He presents a completed plan to clarify the process. The participating school districts welcome inquiries. (Author/TE)

This annual report of the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) is organized around the organization's three goals: (1) improving professional practice by promoting standards of excellence among and providing information and resources to early childhood professionals; (2) improving understanding and support for high…

The discrepancy between aspiration and achievement of institutional goals is analyzed as an important variable in monitoring an innovation through its life cycle from exploration to institutionalization. Although important, this discrepancy, or hiatus, is not sufficient to support an innovation without the concurrent presence of high aspiration…

This document consists of four papers presented during a symposium on the change process in organizations moderated by John Redding at the 1996 conference of the Academy of Human Resource Development (AHRD). "Corporate Culture: Friend or Foe of Change?" (Joanne Burgess) reports a study of the characteristics of corporate culture that facilitate…