Drawing on cognitive load theory and mood theory, this article examines several key factors that threaten the validity of survey data. These include respondents’ response biases and misuse of survey instruments which can occur during the comprehension, retrieval, judgment, and reporting stages of the survey response process. Practitioners and researchers are encouraged to consider both cognitive and emotional dimensions of respondent behavior when designing, administering, and interpreting surveys to reduce biases and improve data quality.
As organizations increasingly prioritize inclusive, empathetic, and culturally aligned communication, professionals must adjust their tone to reflect these values—especially in written formats like email. This article, authored by ChatGPT and reviewed by two scholar-practitioners with EdDs from tier 1 universities, explores how Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Natural Language Processing (NLP) can support professionals in adapting their email tone to fit organizational culture, drawing on Human Performance Technology (HPT) principles and Bloom’s framework of knowledge, skills, and attitudes (KSAs). Through a case study of a retired military professional navigating a new healthcare role, the article illustrates the challenges of shifting from a direct, authoritative tone to one more emotionally attuned to a caring workplace culture. By utilizing AI tools, the professional was able to “tone down” communications, improving workplace acceptance and psychological safety. The article discusses the benefits, such as increased efficiency and cultural alignment, alongside challenges, including ethical and privacy concerns. Recommendations are offered to guide professionals in leveraging AI and NLP for tone adjustment, with seven best practices and considerations for future research. This study highlights AI’s potential to bridge communication gaps, align with HPT’s dual focus on quantitative and qualitative improvement, and enhance organizational cohesion through more sensitive, culturally congruent communication.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) presents a distinctive environment for human resource management (HRM), shaped by rapid economic growth, a multicultural workforce, and strong national traditions. The UAE’s emergence as a regional business hub has been strategically driven by policy decisions that encourage foreign investment, most notably, the establishment of free zones allowing 100% foreign ownership. These zones have not only fueled the country’s re-export economy but also attracted multinational firms with globally standardized human resources (HR) systems. Additionally, Dubai’s positioning as a pioneer in e-government services across the Arab world has reinforced the nation’s broader vision of modernization and institutional development, shaping how both domestic and international organizations operate (Waxin & Bateman, 2016). Organizations continue to globalize and diversify; balancing international HR standards with local expectations, cultural values, and national policies such as Emiratization remains a core challenge. Limited research has explored how employees perceive key HR practices across different organizational types within the UAE. Addressing this gap, this study adopts a quantitative survey approach, drawing on institutional theory, a resource-based view, and contingency theory to analyze employee perceptions across local and international organizations. Human capital employees’ skills, capabilities, and motivation is one of the most valuable strategic assets for organizations, particularly in the UAE’s knowledge-driven economy. However, the effectiveness of HR systems relies not just on formal design but on how employees perceive and experience them. Positive perceptions of fairness, support, and investment from HR practices foster trust, which drives engagement, retention, and organizational commitment—critical outcomes in the UAE’s multicultural workforce. Because leaders’ assumptions about HR effectiveness may not match employees’ lived experiences, directly capturing perceptions provides essential, employee-centered insights. Beyond comparing structural differences between national and international organizations, understanding emotional and psychological responses to HR practices reveals a deeper layer of influence on behavior. Moreover, when employees view HR practices as fair and improving, it strengthens organizational reputation and can build national pride in the capacity of local organizations to meet or surpass international standards. Findings reveal that employee perceptions of HR practices, including recruitment and selection, performance appraisal, job design, work–life balance, teamwork, and job security, are more aligned than different across organizational types. This suggests a growing convergence of HRM practices in the UAE, reflecting improved adaptation to employee expectations in a dynamic, multicultural labor market. These insights offer practical implications for HR leaders seeking to foster employee trust, strengthen organizational commitment, and align HRM strategies with both global standards and local cultural values.
This article presents SPICE as a paradigm proven effective for introducing project management to people who are new to the project management process. The content is based on the premise that the efficient management of a project is a major component of performance improvement. The SPICE paradigm is founded on the ideas offered by the Project Management Institute (PMI), which has evolved during the past decade, and has been successfully used to teach a college-level introductory project management course for non-business majors since 1999. The paradigm is based on the five concepts of Start, Plan, Implement, Control, and End (SPICE).
Generative artificial intelligence (AI) brings exciting prospects for learning and development (L&D) professionals as those tools can support their performance. This article illustrates how AI tools can help them jumpstart scenario-based e-learning projects with drafts of characters and scenarios, brainstorm evaluation questions, and suggest sample survey items with appropriate response scales. However, L&D professionals should exercise caution before uploading data to AI systems for data analysis, and may need multiple attempts with different prompts to generate appropriate outputs when using text-to-image AI tools.
The six-sigma methodology has been adapted by industry as a business management tool to improve operational capabilities and reduce defects in any process (Mittal et al., 2023). This study aims to present a case study on the implementation of the Six Sigma DMAIC methodology, targeting a 50% reduction in the usage of rental and portable air compressors at a facility. Approximately $824,000.00 per year was spent on compressed air and a good portion of that was wasted on running it inefficiently. Also, the air quality (i.e., oil and water) and equipment reliability impacts the operation of the facility. There was $274,000 spent on portable and rental compressors to keep the plant operational. After implementing some of the Six-Sigma project findings the facility was able to assume an approximate 50% decrease in portable and rental compressor usage, which would yield up to $164,000 per year in cost savings.
This paper introduces the Key Value Chain Analysis (KVCA) methodology, designed to systematically identify pain points and opportunities within business value chains. Drawing from the literature on Human Performance Improvement (HPI) and marketing management, the three-step KVCA methodology enables business executives to transition from heuristic, overly simplistic approaches to comprehensive, data-driven analysis. This paradigm shift mitigates cognitive biases that often lead to suboptimal decisions and unintended consequences. Documented successes across various industries in China demonstrate that KVCA can help business executives enhance revenue, profitability, customer satisfaction, and operational efficiency by addressing a critical gap in the literature.
Umbrella U.S., Inc., is the U.S. branch of a global nonprofit advocacy organization focused on improving the economic security of the neurodivergent population through community involvement, education, and sustainable change initiatives. Volunteer retention was the local organizational issue at hand. I conducted an applied improvement project in collaboration with the executive director to address this problem. The intervention solution targeted the volunteer onboarding process and included a volunteer onboarding survey, a task-mapping process to align volunteer strengths with tasks, and formal task and role descriptions. The improved clarity that resulted from the alignment of strengths to tasks and the tangible descriptions of the task and role profiles created pathways that empowered volunteers to contribute to the organization in meaningful ways. The community played a crucial role in the solution, offering a safe and welcoming space for volunteers to share strengths and support needs while fostering a sense of belonging.
This study spotlights ComRef, Inc. (a pseudonym) strengths to amplify sustained heating, ventilation, air-conditioning, and refrigeration technician retention. Guided by human performance technology and ISPI standards (ISPI, n.d.; Van Tiem et al., 2012), our doctoral team led appreciative dialogues and a collaborative survey across 12 high- and low-retention branches. We identified a positive core, technical excellence, peer camaraderie, and exemplary local leadership that fosters loyalty. Cocreating a vision for an optimal technician experience, we recommend predictable, incentive-driven on-call rotations; streamlined, technician-centered workflows; nurturing leadership development; and equitable, union-inspired protections. Grounded in existing successes, our evidence-based interventions position ComRef, Inc. as a thriving, continuously improving employer of choice.
Skilled technician shortages are threatening the long-term stability of heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration (HVAC-R) and skilled trades industries across the U.S., and one leading national commercial refrigeration company is no exception. Facing a rise in technician burnout, inconsistent field conditions, and recruitment challenges, the organization sought a systems-based performance improvement solution to retain talent and strengthen workforce sustainability. This case study explores how our team applied a multifaceted methodology grounded in the Performance Improvement/HPT Model (Van Tiem, Moseley, & Dessinger, 2012), supported by Lewin's Change Framework (Lewin, 1947), the Five Whys cause analysis, and the Full-Scope Evaluation Model (Dessinger & Moseley, 2006). This approach provided a structured, data driven process to investigate performance gaps and implement targeted interventions. Our analysis included organizational, environmental, and gap assessments, supported by survey data from 91 field technicians. From this analysis, three critical performance gaps were identified: burnout due to heavy workloads and scheduling, technician shortages due to low industry awareness, and inconsistent working conditions tied to supervisory practices. To address these gaps, we used design thinking (Brown, 2009) to develop innovative, technician centered interventions that blended human needs, technology, and organizational goals. These solutions include digital scheduling upgrades, an on-call rotation system, foreman and dispatcher training, and the integration of technician input into scheduling. In addition, we developed a social media campaign and brand strategy to improve recruitment and public perception of the HVAC-R field. These interventions are designed to reduce burnout, improve retention, and position the 3 organizations as an employer of choice. While this case study is tailored to a single client, the challenges and solutions have broader applicability. This project demonstrates how performance improvement professionals can combine multiple frameworks to deliver sustainable, people centered change.
