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…

This article presents a partnership effort among managers, trainers, and employees to spring to life performance improvement using the performance templates (P-T) approach. P-T represents a process model as well as a method of training leading to performance improvement. Not only does it add to our repertoire of training and performance management…

Purpose: This paper aims to examine the importance of new employee orientation (NEO) programs, the quality of typical NEOs, and how to improve NEOs. Design/methodology/approach: The paper provides a viewpoint of the importance of new employee orientation programs, the quality of typical NEOs, and how to improve NEOs. Findings: Although western…

Discusses changes in organizational training systems in light of new ideas about organizational development and learning. Topics include the difference between training and learning, old assumptions about the functions of training, how training can be detrimental to organizational development, how to initiate change, and expanding training…

Distinguishes between organizational development (OD) and therapy. OD is defined as a mechanism for problem solving in complex socio-technical systems. Describes possible drawbacks and advantages of the OD process. Provides examples of how OD has helped managers and non-managers work together. (CSS)

Academic leaders face particular challenges when they assume formal leadership roles in higher education. For the most part, they have had little prior engagement with the political, economic and strategic context of their institution and limited leadership networks on which to draw. The University of Western Australia has trialled a number of…

Addresses the question of training transfer; i.e., transferring knowledge gained in training courses back into work situations. States that training staff should systematically analyze course content and identify recipients of proposed changes in order to help course members apply new knowledge. Lists four main practical implications to help…

Presents a description of some of the needs in the 60's which generated the efforts to create the training materials and support training of trainers, the issues that seemed to need answers, a number of actions which have been taken, answers found for some of the issues, and suggestions of work yet to be done. (Author/AM)

Designed to train consultants to apply differential diagnostic techniques and intervention strategies in helping a client system move through phases of an improvement effort, this manual provides and outlines the steps necessary to accomplish this goal. A differential diagnostic matrix for diagnosing problems in human systems is introduced. The…

Presents an exercise to facilitate employee understanding and implementation of planned organizational change, along with techniques to introduce the concept of change into organization development workshops or supervisory training efforts. Describes barriers that stimulate resistance to change and ways to promote acceptance of organizational…

This publication is fifth in a series of technical assistance papers intended to assist Federal agency personnel in the design and implementation of executive personnel management programs. This document focuses primarily upon team building, one of a variety of techniques of organization development designed to improve the way in which work is…

This document contains three papers from a symposium on changing organizational forms. "Goal Integration in a Multi-divisional Organization" (Richard J. Torraco, Mary Finnegan), reports on a study that examined how goals are integrated into organizational activities once they have been identified, proposes a model of goal integration,…

The process of making better people managers was examined. Data were collected through interviews with managers and staff at five case study organizations in the United Kingdom and through interviews with a sample of business schools and management developers. The study established that managers must be able to do the following things: (1) empower…

A study examined the problems encountered when organizations adopt management strategies based on teamwork and total quality management (TQM) and the effectiveness of training in avoiding such problems. Survey instruments were mailed to 85 individuals involved in implementing work teams at 85 companies in 4 Missouri cities; 23 responses (27.1%…

The General Accounting Office (GAO) examined selected experiences that six government agencies implemented to help empower or involve frontline employees. The agencies reviewed were as follows: the Federal Aviation Administration; the Federal Emergency Management Agency; the Internal Revenue Service; the Office of Personnel Management; and the…