• Analysis, Evaluation, & Measurement (AEM)
• Instructional Systems (IS)
• Management of Organizational Performance (MOP)
• Motivation, Incentives, & Feedback (MIF)
• Organizational Alignment (OA)
• Process Improvement (PI)
• Science & Research (SR)

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Calculating Return-on-Investment by Kenneth H. Silber, CPT, PhD
This job aid summarizes most of the literature on ROI and gives procedures for calculating ROI.

CRM Metrics That Really Work by Mark Graham Brown, a performance improvement consultant and former National Malcolm Baldrige Award Examiner. This article presents some faulty assumptions typical of Customer Relations Management (CRM), and provides a four-part framework for establishing better performance-oriented metrics for a CRM system.

Evaluation: An Alignment Strategy  -- This presentation was given during ISPI’s 2005 Annual Conference by Judy Hale, CPT, PhD.

Full-Scope Evaluation--Are You Doing It? by Joan Dessinger Full-scope evaluation includes four types of evaluation: formative, summative, confirmative, and meta. Alone, each type of evaluation provides some insight into the merit and worth of a learning or performance improvement intervention; used together, they offer workplace learning and performance practitioners a complete set of evaluation options.

Knowledge Management Metrics by Thought Leader Mark Brown shares with readers his experiences with clients who were attempting to measure the impact of knowledge management, which is the systematic process of connecting people to people, and people to critical knowledge and information.

Performance Modeling & Human Asset Enabler Analysis by Guy Wallace, and published by BPTrends on their website in July 2003. This article presents a process and performer analysis framework used by the author in more than 250 consulting projects since 1982. 

ROI Controversy Rooted in Expectations by Robert Brinkerhoff; reprinted with permission. Although diminutive in size, this briefing is an excellent quick read for senior level executives who are looking hard at the Learning/Training/Employee Development function for bottom-line results.

Scorecard Design and Implementation: Best Practices by Mark Brown. In this article, Mark summarizes what he learned from a study that surveyed nearly 80 organizations and their use of performance metrics and scorecards. This research then narrowed to an in-depth review of five companies and their performance measurement systems.

APQC -- This research organization solves business problems in the areas of metrics, measurement, best practices, process improvement, benchmarking, and knowledge management. Their Knowledge Sharing Network (KSN) provides access to thousands of articles, case studies, presentations, and more.

Benchmarking -- A quick source for articles on numerous human resource topics.

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ID Trend: Instructables -- With the plethora of easy-to-use tools and free distribution channels such as YouTube, instructional design and course development is being pushed further down to the masses.

Status Skills, a September 2006 article on the Trendspotters website, reports the rise of "status skills." These skills, typically tied in with a good or service, reflect the desire for people to not only be good at something, but be able to tell others about their skill (and the experience they had developing the skill).

How do we design learning for knowledge workers whose major task is deciding what to do, and when, and what to communicate, and when? This question is interesting and relevant to a number of key trends in organizational training, namely the shift from topic-based instruction to more performance-based instruction. The four references below--related to this question-- provide a high-level survey of four key instructional models and strategies.

• Constructivist Learning Environments
• Goal-Based Scenarios
• Problem-Based Learning 
• Authentic Activities

How to Build Learning Faster, Better, Cheaper by Harold Stolovitch and Erica Keeps, and recently published in their company newsletter, HSA LEARNING & PERFORMANCE SOLUTIONS LLC. The article introduces six cognitive strategy groupings that will help trainers, instructors, and educators endow their learners with deep, lasting knowledge: Clustering, Spatial, Advanced Organizers, Image-rich Comparisons, Repetition, and Memory Aids. More than mnemonics, these strategies address different learning goals and problems in a detailed manner.

These resources of interest were taken from ISPI’s book Instructional Systems Design Revisited compiled by Jeanne Strayer, CPT and would be good initial articles for anyone interested in our professional community:

• Choosing Training Delivery Media by Peter R. Hybert
• Designing for the ISD Life Cycle by Guy W. Wallace, Peter R. Hybert, Kelly Smith, Brian Blecke
• Give Customers What They Meant To Ask For--Designing Training Systems at Three Levels by Peter R. Hybert
• Instructional Design by Template by Leslie L. Orr
• Using the Cognitive Approach to Improve Problem-solving Training by Kenneth Silber

Big Dog's ISD Page -- This is a comprehensive collection of background references and various tips and techniques on instructional systems development--Instructional Design Methods & Techniques.
http://www.nwlink.com/~donclark/hrd/sat.html

The "No Significant Difference Phenomenon" website -- This site provides selected entries from the book The No Significant Difference Phenomenon as reported in 355 research reports, summaries, and papers--a comprehensive research bibliography on technology for distance education. This 1999 book was compiled by Thomas L. Russell, is fully indexed, and includes a foreword by Richard E. Clark.
http://www.nosignificantdifference.org/

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Evaluation as a Strategy by Judith Hale should pique the interest of organizational managers since it discusses how to develop an overall game plan or strategy for using evaluation to make better decisions about how to best identify and service new customers.

Hard and Soft Skills by Judith Hale, CPT, PhD. Skill is the ability to use one's knowledge effectively and readily in execution or performance. It is the learned power of doing something competently...a developed aptitude or ability (Webster's Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary, Philippines. Merriam-Webster, Inc. 1987). The possession or absence of skills shows up in people's behaviors, choices, and work products. We say people are skilled or proficient based on our judgment of the appropriateness of their behaviors and choices and the quality of their work.

How Training's Business Model Affects Evaluation by Judith Hale, CPT, PhD. Every training, human resource development, and performance improvement function operates on a business model. The model may not be well described or formulated, however, it still exists. A business model encompasses the assumptions on which a function operates. Specifically it is about how you are funded, who your clients are and what your relationship is with them, what products and services you offer, and the criteria used to judge your value.

How Will Management Practices Change During Your Career? by Bill Daniels, MBA. The next 15 years will fly by! The world around us will continue to change in dramatic and unpredictable ways--some changes for the better and just as many for the worse. The author raises the question: "What does it mean for managers?"

Making Connections: A Key to Performance Improvement by Dale M. Brethower, PhD, and published in Performance Improvement journal. Making connections is key--many disconnects occur in dynamic and changing organizations. Human performance technology not only discovers these disconnects, but also use systematic and reproducible techniques to close the gaps--and thereby improve performance. 

Organization Transformation by Dian K. Castle, CPT. This article is about the implementation of a new business model at the world’s largest quick service business that has worldwide responsibility for learning and development, menu and operating system development, store systems, site development, purchasing and supply chain, business research and development, and equipment systems.

The Reengineering of a Manufacturer’s IT Department by Dian K. Castle, CPT. This article explains the steps X Corporation took after reorganization in 2000 to retain and recruit IT employees who were being lured by outside opportunities and leaving at an alarming rate. 

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Feedback and Performance by Donald T. Tosti, CPT, PhD. Properly given, encouragement and advice can be very powerful tools for maintaining and strengthening performance. Tosti breaks down the two most important factors--encouragement and advice--in giving performance-improving feedback into 10 Rules and uses creative examples to demonstrate what works and what does not work. 

Introduction to Motivation by Matthew Richter. This article describes the how motivation manifests itself in the workplace.

Motivation Reference List by Matthew Richter. This list of references provides those interested in this ProComm with additional sources to explore.

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Real-Life Lessons in Changing Organizational Performance by Frank Wydra is intended to be a bit provocative and (it is hoped) to trigger some useful discussions on the topic of Organization Alignment. Frank is one of the Thought Leaders in our organization who has been dealing with systemic and organization-wide issues for years now, and his thoughts are always worth a considered read and reaction.

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ARTICLES

Business Process Improvement: The Devil's in the Detail. "Organizations employ a number of formulas to improve their business operations and get more ‘bang for their buck.' Effective programs invariably get down to an examination, analysis and improvement of the business processes. Using a process flowchart to define the existing system is an essential first step to improvement that is often overlooked or addressed superficially. This article takes a look at a couple of more common flowcharting methods being applied today with a focus on the detail process charting methodology that was developed sixty years ago." This article by Ben B. Graham is a good read for those wanting to learn more about flowcharting.

The Dirty Little Secret about Root Causes by T. Shane Bush, CPT. The author provides an excellent piece on root causes and their precursors. Here is a tidbit to peak your interest: The article includes the phrase "removing a fire hydrant under pressure." Unfortunately, no photos are included.

The Father of Kaizen Speaks! This link is for a 2005 interview with Masaaki Imai, the author of "Kaizen: The Key to Japan's Competitive Success" that first appeared in The Smart Manager, a bimonthly management magazine published in India. In the interview, Imai offers key insights into kaizen, the power of JIT as opposed to batch processing, and his views on production processes in China. It is interesting to note that Imai takes a swipe at Indian production managers as the interview closes.

How to Compare Six Sigma, Lean and the Theory of Constraints. This is an article by Dave Nave, published by the American Society of Quality, that provides a good contextual comparison of Six Sigma, Lean, and the Theory of Constraints. Nave discusses the basics of each and presents a model that illustrates their concepts, effects, similarities, and differences.

When Did Six Sigma Stop Being a Statistical Measure? Written by Joe Schofield and published by the Software Technology Support Center of the United States Air Force, this thought piece discusses the author's view that Six Sigma has evolved into two distinct approaches to process improvement and learning. Schofield describes both and maintains that organizations that are planning on being a Six Sigma company need to clearly identify which approach they will take.

Benchmarking the Lean Enterprise: Organizational Learning at Work by Joachim Knuf. This study investigates the use of benchmarking in transforming a conventional organization into a lean enterprise. In this transformation, the management of knowledge and the practice of continuous learning and improvement figure prominently. From the perspective of benchmarking as a learning tool designed to reduce uncertainty in the organizational environment by reference to peer experience, the study distinguishes various forms of benchmarking and then addresses issues in knowledge management, information seeking and use, the diffusion of innovations, resistance to change, benchmarking strategies and practices, and benchmarking teams and protocols, concluding with a critique of its limitations.

Process Modeling in the 21st Century by Jan Recker is a thought-provoking article that considers where different organizations are today, and suggests some basic guidelines for how to move forward.

Human Interactions: The Heart and Soul of Business Process Management by Keith Harrison-Broninski -- From the publisher: "Despite advances in business automation over the past fifty years, the heart and soul of every organization is still its people--without whom the organization will stop dead in its tracks. Yet there is presently no complete way to manage the complex, continually changing work processes carried out by humans--and current work support technologies treat people as if they were cogs in a machine. Frankly, we need to do better. This landmark book combines insights drawn from biology, psychology, social systems theory, and learning theory with a deep understanding of business process analysis to form a complete theory of human work."

Integrating Lean Six Sigma and High-Performance Organizations: Leading the Charge Toward Dramatic, Rapid, and Sustainable Improvement by Tom Devane.  Devane divides this book into two parts: Practical Foundations and Pragmatic Practice. The latter part is divided into two sections: The Fundamentals and The Leaders Stage-by-Stage Guide. The author provides an overview of Lean Six Sigma and High-Performance Organizations and how these two concepts can be blended together to leverage the strengths of both. His discussion of fundamentals focuses heavily on the critical importance of leadership in this transformation process. The Leaders Stage-by-Stage Guide provides the reader with suggestions on implementation.

When viewed in its totality, Integrating Lean Six Sigma and High-Performance Organizations is a worthy addition to most professionals’ library. It will not address everyone’s needs, and it will not satisfy all readers. What Devane does (and does well) is provide an excellent overview and then a good roadmap for those who have been tasked with responsibilities related to designing and implementing process and business changes at their organization.

The Lean Six Sigma Pocket Toolbook by Michael L. George, David Rowlands, Mark Price, and John Maxey.  The Pocket Toolbook is the type of book most professionals enjoy because it has a laser focus, is easy to carry, and provides needed information in a format that many enjoy: quick and dirty. This book provides a large amount of useful information in a direct, well-organized manner. Containing 11 chapters of some of the most important elements of Lean Six Sigma, The Lean Six Sigma Pocket Toolbook provides quick and easy reference to the tools and process of this emerging discipline.

The Origins of Virtue by Matt Ridley. From the publisher: "If, as Darwin suggests, evolution relentlessly encourages the survival of the fittest, why are humans compelled to live in cooperative, complex societies? In this fascinating examination of the roots of human trust and virtue, a zoologist and former American editor of the Economist reveals the results of recent studies that suggest that self-interest and mutual aid are not at all incompatible. In fact, he points out, our cooperative instincts may have evolved as part of mankind’s natural selfish behavior--by exchanging favors we can benefit ourselves as well as others. Brilliantly orchestrating the newest findings of geneticists, psychologists, and anthropologists, The Origins of Virtue re-examines the everyday assumptions upon which we base our actions towards others, whether in our roles as parents, siblings, or trade partners."

Many of the facts about the origins and early usage of Six Sigma have been lost in the "mists" of misinformation and mythologies, so the intent of this article, by Alan Ramias, The Mists of Six Sigma, is to clear up some of those misconceptions and provide a few lessons from the early days of Six Sigma's creation.

BLOGS

Curious Cat Management Improvement Blog
http://management.curiouscatblog.net/

Dailey Kaizen
http://www.dailykaizen.org/ 

Lean Blog Podcasts
http://kanban.blogspot.com/2006/07/leanblog-podcast-main-page.html

Lean Healthcare Exchange
http://www.leanhealthcareexchange.com/

Panta Rei; Everything Flows, Everything Changes
http://www.gembapantarei.com/ 

WEBSITES

BPTrends is the primary source of business intelligence for business executives and process change practitioners around the globe. Industry thought leaders provide analysis and opinion on trends, directions, and best practices relating to all aspects of business process management (BPM), including strategy, architecture, redesign, automation, and human performance. BPTrends is the most comprehensive, in-depth business process management resource devoted to educating and informing the market. The BPTrends BP Tools Reports and the BPTrends Market Survey Reports are the most comprehensive, widely read reports on BP software tools and the state of BPM available. Membership in BPTrends is free. With over 20,000 members, BPTrends is the largest community of BP professionals in the world. BPTrends Associates, a BPM professional services company, provides executive education, training, mentoring, and consulting services and has partnered with Boston University to deliver the BU BPM Curriculum and Certification Program.
http://www.bptrends.com  

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Building a Competency-Based Curriculum Architecture
to Educate 21st-Century Business Practitioners
by Chyung, S. Y., Stepich, D., & Cox, D.
Journal of Education for Business, 81(6), July/August 2006, 307-314.

Competency-based instruction can be applied to a military setting, an academic program, or a corporate environment with a focus on producing performance-based learning outcomes. In this article the authors provide theoretical and practical information about underlying characteristics of competencies and explain how the department of Performance and Instructional Technology at Boise State University developed a set of competencies and has been modifying its curriculum on the basis of those competencies. The department's curriculum architecture flowchart illustrates the process of developing and applying competencies to curriculum design for producing performance-based learning outcomes. Detailed steps taken in developing a competency-based course are described.

Aesthetics in OR/Systems Practice: Towards a Concept of Critical Imagination as a Challenge to Systems Thinking
by White, L.
System Research and Behavioral Science, 23(6), Feb 2006, 779-791.

The need to take into account aesthetic values in systems and OR practice is more relevant today where there is an increase in the complexity of the situation where choices need to be made or issues surrounding a decision need to be deliberated and considered in the context of multiple perspectives. This paper will introduce the concept of aesthetic in relation to the processes of systems and OR. It will draw on a few case studies and will pay particular attention to the space, values, and artifacts uncovered in interventions. The paper will also include an introduction to a mode of understanding of systems and OR practice called critical imagination.

The Systematic Design of Performance Improvement Systems
by Watkins, R.
HRD Press (2007)

The success and merits of a performance improvement effort are directly related to the results it achieves and the contributions it makes to the organization, its partners, and society. For this reason, the Performance by Design approach aligns all decisions about what should be done with agreed-upon objectives of what should be accomplished. This book covers the steps, processes, procedures, techniques, and tools in the Performance by Design framework help guide you through the selection, design, and development of performance technologies that achieve useful results. Each step along the way is focused on contributing to your success as well as the success of others.

Discipline and Governmentality in Work: Making the Subject and Subjectivity in Modern Tertiary Labour
by Winiecki, D.
Free Association Books (2006)

This book inspects the essential subjectivity of measurement and the networks of technology that are deployed to make that measurement appear objective--particularly in call centers. It also examines how this practice impacts perceptions of truth, power, and worth. Given that service is the fastest growing arena of paid work in the West, this book provides insight into how we use (and misuse) data to measure employee performance.

Manufacturing Rationality: The Engineering Foundations
of the Managerial Revolution
by Shenhav, Y.
Oxford University Press (1999)

This book looks at the roots of modern management and shows how it has been derived from engineering disciplines. Its primary interest to HPT practitioners and academics stems from the critical and subtle implications of transferring a system for engineering the physical world to engineering human performance and values.

Applying Research to Practice: A Practitioner's Perspective by Matt Peters, CPT. Organizations that traditionally have relied on classroom-centric strategies to meet their organizations' training requirements are beginning to integrate e-learning into their learning portfolios. Comptrollers are encouraging this transition to reap the savings associated with web-based instruction. The e-learning integration is a good first step in embracing a blended learning approach, but a portfolio that is predominately residential classroom or e-learning based is not a robust blended inventory. The challenge is in taking that next step of embracing the entire gamut of instructional strategies.

Do Groups Who Meet Face-to-Face Make Better Decisions Than Virtual Groups? by Roch & Ayman (2005). In this article the authors investigated the role of communication medium on the relationship between team member perceptions and decision success. Seventy-three groups of three people participated in a consensus intellective task either face-to-face (FTF) or via computer-mediated communication (CMC).

Creating a Positive Workforce by Timothy Judge, PhD.  In today's competitive environment, customer service is critical. Although organizations may recognize the need to create positive employee-customer relationships, just how to do this remains elusive. Drawing upon 10 years of research, Dr. Judge examines why a positive self-concept matters, how it matters, and what organizations can do to achieve a positive workforce.

Cultural Relevance of American Learning Styles Theories in Instructional and Performance Technology by Mary E. Janes, Elizabeth Johnsen, David L. Cox, PhD, & Dongski Kim, PhD.  This research paper addresses whether the concept of learning styles, including the definitions of learning styles and their applications in the fields of Western instructional and performance technology, is relevant within South Korean culture.

Evidence-Practice Reciprocal Partnership by Mary Norris Thomas, CPT, PhD. Integrating evidence and practice is a reciprocal partnership between researchers and practitioners. We share a basic need for practical applications and a practical need for basic discoveries (Breckler, 2004). Only together can we, researchers and practitioners, bridge the reciprocal linkages between evidence and practice.

A Study to Identify Key Competencies Required of Performance Improvement Professionals by Ingrid Guerra-López, PhD. Since the late 1980s, the boundaries of performance improvement professionals have expanded by shifting from a training focus to a performance focus. One manifestation of this shift is the changing skill requirement for trainers. However, some training professionals have re-created themselves as performance improvement specialists by only labeling themselves as performance consultants or performance technologists (Robinson & Robinson 1995; Guerra, 2003).

Arthur, W. Jr., Bennett, W. Jr., Edens, P.S., & Bell, S.T. (2003). Effectiveness of training in organizations: A meta-analysis of design and evaluation features. Journal of Applied Psychology. 88(2), 234-245.
The authors used meta-analytic procedures to examine the relationship between specified training design and evaluation features and the effectiveness of training in organizations. Results of the meta-analysis revealed training effectiveness sample-weighted mean ds of 0.60 (k = 15, N = 936) for reaction criteria, 0.63 (k = 234, N = 15,014) for learning criteria, 0.62 (k = 122, N = 15,627) for behavioral criteria, and 0.62 (k = 26, N = 1,748) for results criteria. These results suggest a medium to large effect size for organizational training. In addition, the training method used, the skill or task characteristic trained, and the choice of evaluation criteria were related to the effectiveness of training programs. Limitations of the study along with suggestions for future research are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c)2004 APA, all rights reserved) 

Preliminary Report Synopsis: Research Directions in HPT by Anthony Marker, PhD, Linda Huglin, PhD, & Elizabeth Johnsen.  Research Questions: Phase 1: Content Review--Has the incidence of empirical research in HPT increased?; Phase 2: Delphi Study--What are the most important research questions for the field to answer?; Phase 3: Content Review--Which cognate fields and journals are the sources for research in HPT?

Report Synopsis: An Investigation of the Profiles of Satisfying and Dissatisfying Factors in e-Learning by Yonnie Chyung, EdD & Mark Vachon, MS.  Research Question: What are the satisfying factors (i.e., motivation factors) and dissatisfying factors (i.e., hygiene factors) in asynchronously delivered, instructor-led e-learning?

When Organizational Climate Is Unambiguous, It Is Also Strong
by Dickson, M., Resick, C., & Hanges, P.
Journal of Applied Psychology, 91(2), Mar 2006, 351-364

Several recent studies have addressed the topic of climate strength--the degree to which there is agreement among an organization's members regarding the practices and policies as well as the shared values that characterize the organization. To further investigate antecedents of climate strength, the authors used data from the GLOBE Project, totaling 3,783 individuals from 123 organizations. The authors hypothesized that they would find greater climate strength in organizations with climates reflecting mechanistic as opposed to organic organizational forms. Although the authors did, in fact, find such a trend, they also unexpectedly uncovered significant and strong nonlinear effects, such that climates that are clearly mechanistic or clearly organic have strong climates, with weaker climates emerging for organizations with more ambiguous climates. These findings provide interesting new avenues to pursue in understanding the origins of climate strength. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved)

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Harter, J.K., Schmidt, F.L., & Hayes, T.L. (2002). Business-unit-level relationship between employee satisfaction, employee engagement, and business outcomes: A meta-analysis. Journal of Applied Psychology. 87(2), 268-279.
Based on 7,939 business units in 36 companies, this study used meta-analysis to examine the relationship at the business-unit level between employee satisfaction-engagement and the business-unit outcomes of customer satisfaction, productivity, profit, employee turnover, and accidents. Generalizable relationships large enough to have substantial practical value were found between unit-level employee satisfaction-engagement and these business-unit outcomes. One implication is that changes in management practices that increase employee satisfaction may increase business-unit outcomes, including profit. (PsycINFO Database Record (c)2004 APA, all rights reserved) 

Garman, A.N. & Glawe, J. (2004). Succession planning. Consulting Psychology Journal: Practice & Research, 56(2), 119-128.
In the interest of supporting evidence-based practice, a review was conducted of recent research and practice articles on succession planning. The review, which emphasized peer-reviewed work and focused primarily on articles published during the past five years, found numerous points of convergence regarding how succession planning should be practiced but a dearth of outcome data regarding succession planning processes and inconsistency across the few outcome studies available. Implications for practice are discussed, and a research agenda for succession planning practice is proposed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c)2004 APA, all rights reserved) 

Kluger, A.N. & DeNisi, A. (1996). Effects of feedback intervention on performance: A historical review, a meta-analysis, and a preliminary feedback intervention theory. Psychological Bulletin, 119(2), 254-284.
Since the beginning of the century, feedback interventions (FIs) produced negative--but largely ignored--effects on performance. A meta-analysis (607 effect sizes; 23,663 observations) suggests that FIs improved performance on average (d #=#.41) but that over one-third of the FIs decreased performance. This finding cannot be explained by sampling error, feedback sign, or existing theories. The authors proposed a preliminary FI theory (FIT) and tested it with moderator analyses. The central assumption of FIT is that FIs change the locus of attention among three general and hierarchically organized levels of control: task learning, task motivation, and meta-tasks (including self-related) processes. The results suggest that FI effectiveness decreases as attention moves up the hierarchy closer to the self and away from the task. These findings are further moderated by task characteristics that are still poorly understood. (PsycINFO Database Record (c)2004 APA, all rights reserved) 

Merrill, D. (2002). A pebble-in-the-pond model for instructional design. Performance Improvement, 41(7), 41-46.
There has been much criticism of the ISD process in recent months and a debate as to whether this model is still appropriate for instructional design and development. The author has recently been investigating first principles of instruction, those prescriptions for instructional effectiveness that are almost always true regardless of theoretical orientation, instructional delivery system, or instructional architecture. This article summarizes these first principles of instruction and then presents a somewhat revised approach to instructional development that has been found to be most effective in overcoming the recent criticisms of traditional ISD, while at the same time implementing these first principles of instruction. The article describes, illustrates and presents data on the effectiveness of this Pebble-in-the-Pond model for instructional development.

Choosing Between a Rock and a Hard Place When Data Are Scarce and the Questions Important: Reply to Hollenbeck, DeRue,
and Mannor (2006)
by Peterson, R., Smith, D., & Martorana, P.
Journal of Applied Psychology, 91(1), Jan 2006, 6-8

This article replies to J. R. Hollenbeck, D. S. DeRue, and M. Mannor's comment (see record 2006-00819-001) critiquing R. S. Peterson, D. B. Smith, P. V. Martorana, and P. D. Owens's use (see record 2003-08045-002) of a large number of statistical tests in research with a small sample. Although Hollenbeck et. al's point of view is valid, it paints a one-sided picture of the trade-offs inherent in empirical research when data are scarce and the questions important. This reply specifically discusses the dilemmas Peterson et. al faced in conducting empirical research in a nascent area and
suggests that theory development in such a situation can be well served by studies that use alternative or new methods with small samples. Theory development scholarship using small-sample research methods (e.g., case studies and Q sorting from archival sources) can be useful for stimulating ideas, theory, and research programs that can be tested with large-sample quantitative research. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved)

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Not Another Meeting! Are Meeting Time Demands Related to Employee Well-Being?
by Rogelberg, S., Leach, D., Warr, P., & Burnfield, J.
Journal of Applied Psychology, 91(1), Jan 2006, 83-96

Using an interruptions framework, this article proposes and tests a set of hypotheses concerning the relationship of meeting time demands with job attitudes and well-being (JAWB). Two Internet surveys were administered to employees who worked 35 hours or more per week. Study 1 examined prescheduled meetings attended in a typical week (N=676), whereas Study 2 investigated prescheduled meetings attended during the current day (N=304). As proposed, the relationship between meeting time demands and JAWB was moderated by task interdependence, meeting experience quality, and accomplishment striving. However, results were somewhat dependent on the time frame of a study and the operational definition used for meeting time demands. Furthermore, perceived meeting effectiveness was found to have a strong, direct relationship with JAWB. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved)

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