What is human performance technology

The major purpose of this chapter is to introduce HPT (Human Performance Technology) as a significant applied field whose aim is the achievement of valued human performance in the workplace. It presents the field as an evolving one actively seeking to define itself. It also positions HPT as a field with growing international impact. The chapter is divided into 6 sections. The first presents HPT as a term exploring the meanings of the words that serve to identify it. The second examines HPT more epistemologically ultimately focusing on it as a concept with a specific and unique set of critical attributes. The third explores the relevance of HPT for persons concerned with organizational effectiveness and productivity improvement around the world. The fourth presents a human performance system model and lays out key elements of human performance systems within organizational context. The fifth describes an operational-procedural model for engineering effective performance. The sixth raises some questions and concerns about the field and provides answers to each of these. (excerpt)