Training is frequently the first solution proposed when organizational performance falls short — but research consistently shows that training is the right solution for a narrow subset of performance problems (those caused by lack of knowledge or skill) and the wrong solution for the majority (those caused by unclear expectations, inadequate feedback, environmental barriers, motivational issues, or process flaws). ED7631 develops the systematic, evidence-based approach of human performance improvement that gets this diagnosis right, selects interventions that address actual causes, and evaluates whether interventions produced the intended results.
Human performance improvement: the field and its foundations
From training to systematic performance analysis
- Origins of HPI: ED7631 traces the development of human performance improvement from its roots in behavioral psychology (B.F. Skinner's programmed instruction), systems theory (Gilbert's behavioral engineering model), cognitive psychology, and organizational theory. The field emerged from the recognition that training programs, however well-designed, cannot improve performance when performance deficiencies stem from factors outside the individual learner's knowledge and skill — factors like unclear job expectations, absence of performance feedback, inadequate tools and resources, or organizational processes that make it impossible for even skilled employees to perform well
- Thomas Gilbert's behavioral engineering model: The course covers Gilbert's (1978) foundational analysis of the factors that determine human performance: information (job expectations, feedback about performance), instrumentation (tools, resources, time), motivation (incentives, consequences, pay), knowledge (skills, training, selection), capacity (physical and mental ability), and motives (assessment of people's capacity to work for desired outcomes). This model reveals that only one of six performance determinants (knowledge) is addressed by training — a fundamental insight that drives the HPI approach
- Value of HPI: ED7631 examines how HPI creates measurable business value by diagnosing performance problems accurately and selecting cost-effective interventions matched to actual causes — avoiding the waste of training programs that address symptoms rather than root causes while delivering interventions that produce sustainable performance improvement aligned with organizational goals
Business analysis and performance evaluation
ED7631 develops the business analysis skills needed to ground performance improvement work in organizational strategy and business results. The course covers the analysis of organizational context (what business goals is the organization pursuing, what performance outcomes are needed to achieve those goals, and where is the gap between current and needed performance?), business linkage analysis (connecting performance improvement initiatives to specific organizational outcomes — revenue, quality, customer satisfaction, safety, compliance — in ways that justify investment and enable ROI measurement), stakeholder analysis (identifying the business clients, subject matter experts, managers, and performers who have different perspectives on performance problems and different stakes in improvement solutions), and environmental scanning (analyzing the organizational factors — culture, leadership, strategy, structure — that will shape how performance improvement initiatives are received and implemented).
Gap identification and cause analysis
ED7631 develops the performance analysis skills that distinguish HPI from training-as-default approaches. Gap identification involves systematically comparing current performance to desired performance using observable, measurable data — not subjective impressions about what employees "should" be doing. The course covers performance data analysis (working with metrics, productivity data, quality data, and other performance indicators), benchmarking (comparing performance against industry standards or high-performing peers), and the structured needs assessment processes (front-end analysis, performance analysis, task analysis, learner analysis) that generate actionable information about the nature and scope of performance gaps. Cause analysis examines why gaps exist — applying Gilbert's behavioral engineering model and other diagnostic frameworks to identify the actual causes of performance problems. The course develops skill in distinguishing between knowledge/skill causes (where training or learning interventions are appropriate) and non-knowledge causes (where management, process, environmental, or motivational interventions are needed), and in using interviews, observations, surveys, and document analysis to collect cause analysis data.
Intervention selection, implementation, and evaluation
ED7631 covers the full range of performance improvement interventions available to HPI practitioners. Instructional interventions address knowledge and skill gaps: formal training (classroom, online, blended), job aids and performance support tools, coaching and mentoring, apprenticeship and on-the-job training. Non-instructional interventions address the other five categories of Gilbert's model: feedback and measurement systems (addressing information deficiencies), tools and resource improvements (addressing instrumentation deficiencies), incentive and recognition systems (addressing motivation deficiencies), job redesign and selection system improvements (addressing capacity issues), and organizational redesign and process improvement (addressing structural barriers to performance). ED7631 develops the capacity to match interventions to causes — not simply selecting familiar interventions but systematically reasoning from cause analysis data to the interventions most likely to address identified causes cost-effectively. The course concludes with evaluation methodology: applying Kirkpatrick's four-level model (reaction, learning, behavior, results) and Phillips' ROI methodology to evaluate whether interventions produced the intended results, and using evaluation data to improve future performance improvement initiatives.
ED7631 assignments include performance analyses, gap studies, cause analyses, intervention designs, and evaluation plans applied to real organizational projects
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Performance analyses, gap studies, cause analyses, intervention designs, evaluation plans, ROI calculations.
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Frequently asked questions
This is the central diagnostic question of human performance improvement, and ED7631 develops the analytical capacity to answer it rigorously. Training is the right solution when the performance gap is caused by a genuine knowledge or skill deficiency — when employees lack the knowledge, skills, or information they need to perform the desired behavior, and when providing that knowledge or skill will actually result in improved performance in the job environment. This describes a narrower set of performance problems than most managers assume. Training is not the right solution (and should not be selected as the intervention) in several common situations. First, when employees already know how to perform the desired behavior but choose not to — this is a motivation problem, not a knowledge problem, and training will not change the choice. Second, when employees lack the tools, technology, or resources needed to perform well — giving them more knowledge about how to use inadequate tools will not improve performance. Third, when performance expectations are unclear or inconsistent — employees cannot perform to a standard they don't know or that changes unpredictably. Fourth, when the work environment itself prevents performance — poor job design, conflicting priorities, inadequate time, or organizational processes that make correct performance impossible will defeat even the most capable, well-trained employee. Fifth, when performance feedback is absent or delayed — employees cannot self-correct without accurate, timely information about how their performance compares to expectations. In these situations, the appropriate intervention might be clarifying expectations (an information intervention), providing tools (an instrumentation intervention), redesigning incentives (a motivation intervention), selecting for different capabilities (a capacity intervention), or redesigning the job or process (a structural intervention) — none of which involve training. ED7631 develops the diagnostic rigor to distinguish these causes and select interventions accordingly.