This paper seeks to explore how we may best understand the relationship between teacher identity and national culture. Using Raymond Williams' concept of 'structure of feeling' as a starting point, it is suggested that creative cultural forms of representation of teachers may complement social scientific studies to give a more complete and richer…

Despite the growing body of literature focused on diversity management and its implications for career experiences and perceptions, team dynamics, customer service, and other dimensions of organizational performance, a significant gap remains. To address the gap, this article reviews the managing diversity literature published between January 2000…

Recent research in the areas of human performance technology (HPT), organizational development, and cross-cultural training has suggested the need for developing managerial competencies that are effective in diverse cultural settings. Some competencies such as technical proficiency, knowledge of company systems, adaptability, and the ability to…

With the widespread digitization of art, photography, and music, plus the introduction of streaming video, many colleges and universities are realizing that they must develop or purchase systems to preserve their school's digitized objects; that they must create searchable databases so that researchers can find and share copies of digital files;…

How paradoxical that evaluation, the main purpose of which is to establish value, often seems to return to the lowest value of anything that people do! Too commonly, in the authors' experience, evaluation is avoided or paid as little attention as possible. Due to its typically unloved nature, evaluation can be trapped in a low-level, minimalist…

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…

This study explored influences that perceptions of new technology implementation and planning processes, and dimensions of organizational climate have on perceptions of new technology deployment effectiveness. It also examined the extent to which dimensions of organizational climate moderates the relationships among new technology implementation,…

Although a great deal has been written about the need for more research in the HPT field, specific research questions have not recently been identified. This study used a three-round Delphi approach to identify research questions of interest to experts in the field, resulting in 100 questions that were classified under ten categories. Participants…