Investigating the causal link between a management improvement technique and organizational performance

Mulimbika²

2017

SAGE Open

Self Cite

It is generally accepted that, to move the governmental sector toward better performance, governmental agencies need to adopt high-performance management techniques. One such technique is the HPO (high-performance organization) Framework, which has been applied successfully in many countries. However, most of these applications were in developed countries and in the private sector, which raises the question of whether the framework would work equally well in an African governmental setting. Specifically, this study posits, and proposes to answer, the following three research questions: (a) Can the HPO Framework be used to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of Zambian governmental institutions and yield tangible recommendations to achieve sustainable high performance? (b) If so, can the performance of these institutions subsequently be shown to improve over time? (c) What is the role of the institutions' managers in a successful implementation of the framework? To explore these considerations, the HPO Framework was applied at three Zambian governmental institutions. In a longitudinal research set-up, the application and accompanying organizational results were tracked. The study results showed that the HPO Framework is indeed applicable in the Zambian governmental sector and can significantly contribute to it becoming high-performing. However, the study's results also made clear that full commitment from management has to be ensured before embarking on an HPO transition. This research is the first of its kind: a longitudinal study of the workings and effects of an HPO framework, in the context of a developing country's governmental sector.

Section: Role Of Management During the Hpo Transitionsupporting

confidence: 77%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Comparative Analysis of Zambian Governmental Institutions Using the HPO Framework

Mulimbika²

2017

SAGE Open

Self Cite

“…The study results showed that the effects of the HPO Framework were different depending on local circumstances. Some of the locations experienced a growth in sales because of applying the HPO Framework, something that was expected on the basis of previous HPO research ( de Waal, 2012;de Waal & Goedegebuure, 2017). At the same time, other locations used the HPO Framework to battle the consequences of the adverse economic circumstances they found themselves in.…”

Section: Conclusion Limitations and Future Researchmentioning

confidence: 79%

Evaluating High Performance the Evidence-Based Way: The Case of the Swagelok Transformers

2017

SAGE Open

Self Cite

Many of the publications on achieving high performance have been written by North American researchers and consultants, and the case companies they described originate mainly from the United States. However, there is a lack of long-term studies that subject the described techniques to rigorous evidence-based management research in North American companies, to test the ideas in practice over a period of time to evaluate their relevance to managerial practice. In this article, we evaluate the high performance organization (HPO) Framework, a scientifically validated technique for helping organizations become high performing, in the North American context. This framework evaluates the strengths and weaknesses of the internal organization of a company, using a questionnaire. This questionnaire was applied in 2013 at seven Swagelok locations in the United States and Canada. From the questionnaire improvement opportunities were identified on which the locations subsequently worked. In 2015, the questionnaire was repeated to evaluate the effects of these improvements on the locations' performance and to identify the most effective interventions. The study results show that the application of the HPO Framework had different outcomes depending on local circumstances. Some locations experienced a growth while other locations used the framework to battle the consequences of adverse economic circumstances. All locations agreed that the HPO Framework had been instrumental, in a positive way, to the development of their organization and its people.

“…Average scores indicate points where the organization has to take action in order to become an HPO. Since the development of the HPO framework, multiple longitudinal studies have been performed that show the positive correlation between the HPO scores of an organization and its performance [37][38][39][40][41]. In these studies, organizations that worked with discipline and dedication and thus increased their HPO scores all experienced increased organizational performance.…”

Section: The Hpo Frameworkmentioning

confidence: 99%

Silo-Busting: Overcoming the Greatest Threat to Organizational Performance

Weaver²,

Day³

et al. 2019

Sustainability

Most organizations are set up to operate in some form of silos, such as vertical divisions or horizontal functions. At best, silos offer a practical way for organizations to operate efficiently. At worst, they create a silo mentality where departments do not want to exchange knowledge or information, hindering internal collaboration and organizational learning, thus preventing achievement of high performance and organizational sustainability. The silo mentality issue has been recognized for a long time as a real tangible problem that has to be dealt with. On the basis of a questionnaire containing statements on organizational strength, collaboration, and silo-busting techniques applied, which was distributed to a sample of mainly large companies, we found that there are five factors that are important for breaking down silos and increasing the quality of cooperation.