FROM CHAOS, COMES ORDER
Welcome to PIJ’s first issue for 2025! As we embark on a new year, we are all experiencing rapid change and uncertainty as to what lies ahead. In this swiftly evolving climate, our established norms may be challenged, forcing us as individuals to reevaluate our path through the chaos. It is common to refer to the term chaos to describe random, unpredictable events, but in the world of science, Chaos Theory posits that within the perceived randomness of chaotic systems there are underlying patterns and a sense of interconnectedness. The butterfly effect famously exemplifies this theory; the idea that a butterfly flapping its wings in Peru could set off a tornado in Kansas demonstrates that there is a profound sensitivity within systems to initial conditions and how tiny changes to those conditions can lead to huge changes. Chaos is often viewed as difficult to predict but it is not an impossible feat. From an external view, chaotic systems appear to be semi-random and unpredictable, but it is important to note that they still follow the same laws of the universe. Therefore, the events of even chaotic systems can be predictable—and largely knowable—if you can measure enough of the initial conditions.
Now, how does this translate to Performance Improvement? Imagine if you made a seemingly insignificant decision today or a casual remark to a colleague—the potential exists that one seemingly insignificant event can cascade into a series of events that reshape your organization’s future. While this is an unsettling possibility, it is a powerful reminder of the weight we as practitioners and leaders carry. Chaos theory encourages us to be attentive to minor fluctuations in our organization's environment and to anticipate potential ripple effects.
From chaos comes order, and even in times of great disorder or turmoil, there is the potential for structure, stability, and positive change to emerge. Our annual conference in Jacksonville, Florida is well timed to provide us with the skills and knowledge to navigate the chaos we may experience in this rapidly evolving climate. With rapidly evolving technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) becoming commonplace, our focus on Human-AI Collaboration: Redefining Performance Excellence allows us to discover what works and what doesn't in human-AI collaboration, and review approaches to deploy AI at scale. Our keynote speaker Tony Chatman will be presenting his thoughts on how we can ensure that change is deliberate and how we can “change smarter” through the chaotic disruption of change. Please visit our conference website for more details: https://the2025performanceimprovementconference.mystrikingly.com/engage-now.
This issue of PIJ includes an article by Seung Youn (Yonnie) Chyung, Rafael da Silva, and Andrew Clark. Their paper Generative AI: How Can Learning and Development Professionals Leverage These Tools for Performance Improvement illustrates how AI tools can help organizations jumpstart scenario-based e-learning projects with drafts of characters and scenarios, brainstorm evaluation questions, and provides suggestions for sample survey items with appropriate response scales. They also note that 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.
Our esteemed Academic Committee members, Susette Czeropski, Deri Draper-Amason, Holley Handley, and Ria Roy share four perspectives in their article What is Human Performance Technology (HPT)/Performance Improvement (PI)? What Is It Doing in Our School? Where Do We Belong? Their article takes on the quest to find an ideal home for Performance Improvement in our universities that impart formalized education and training in the field.
David Fowler, an assistant professor teaching graduate and undergraduate business and hospitality courses, shares his perspectives on his use of video technology to record cooking demonstrations that illustrate management principles to undergraduate students. His article Macaroni and Management: Producing Culinary Demonstrations to Teach the Four Functions of Management and Facilitating Classroom Performance Improvement focuses on one example of a culinary demonstration that explains the four basic functions of management. The results reveal positive correlations between the pedagogical approach and classroom assessment performance. Dr. Fowler’s article demonstrates how education today has evolved, and in order to meet the needs of our students, we must engage in new transformative instructional practices that aim to understand our learner and community needs, challenge traditional assumptions, and redefine our teaching methodologies in order to create innovative solutions that lead to greater academic achievement for our students.
Lastly, this issue’s “Know Your Colleague” introduces us to our new Executive Director Maru Wilson. Maru’s focus is on fostering growth, engaging our membership, and amplifying the value of our ISPI community. With over 25 years of experience in the 501(c)(3) sector, spanning professional and trade associations, universities, and community organizations, she fosters a collaborative environment that will empower ISPI members to drive meaningful performance improvements in their organizations.
CALL FOR PAPERS
Do you have an idea for a paper? Have you seen a great presentation that should become an article? PIJ is actively seeking articles that cross the boundaries of domains and introduce Human Performance Technology (HPT) related innovations or a new approach to utilizing/teaching HPT. Your article can provide readers an opportunity to see performance improvement in action!
Please send questions to pij@ispi.org. We look forward to seeing your contributions, comments, and questions.
CALL FOR REVIEWERS
PIJ is always looking for reviewers to help evaluate and review manuscripts. Your feedback matters! The comments and feedback that reviewers supply are an invaluable contribution in our research network. Participating in the review process is an excellent way to gain first-hand experience with the publishing process. Please contact pij@ispi.org to express your interest.
Join us at the ISPI 2025 Conference in Jacksonville, Fl. Please visit our conference website for more details: https://the2025performanceimprovementconference.mystrikingly.com/engage-now.
