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PerformanceXpressTheGAPACTModelofHumanBehaviorandPerformance

TheGAPACTModelofHumanBehaviorandPerformance
performancexpress.org/2014/06/thegapactmodelofhumanbehaviorandperformance/

ByFredNickols
FromtimetotimeIfancymyselfatoolmakertoknowledgeworkers.BytoolImeananydevicethatassiststhe
workerindoingthework.Oneofthemorecommonclassesoftoolsusedbymanyknowledgeworkersarethe
models,diagrams,andschematicstheyusetorepresentthephenomenawithwhichtheygrapple.Oneofmy
favoritetoolsinthissenseofthatwordistheGAPACTmodelofbehaviorandhumanperformanceshowninFigure
1.Thiscolumnfocusesonthatmodel.

Figure1.TheGAPACTModelofHumanBehaviorandPerformance
People,touseWilliamT.Powers(1989)term,arelivingcontrolsystems,whichistosaytheyseektocontrolorat
leastinfluencevariousaspectsoftheirenvironment.Inotherwords,theytargetcertainvariablesintheir
environment.InFigure1,thesetargetedvariablesarerepresentedbytheletterT.Forasalesperson,thevariablein
questionmightbethenumberofsalesornumberofnewaccountsorperhapstheprofitabilityofagivensale.Fora
manageroverseeingaprocessingoperation,thetargetedvariablemightbetheerrorrateorqualityofoutputor
perhapsthevolumeofoutput.Foryou,thereader,whendrivingyourcardownthehighway,onesuchvariable
mightbethepositionofyourcarinaparticularlane.
IntheireffortstocontrolorinfluenceT,peoplesetgoalsthatdefinethedesiredstateofT.Goalsarerepresentedin
Figure1byG.Thesalespersonmighthaveagoaloffivenewaccountspermonthoradollarsalesvolumeof
$50,000permonththeoperationsmanagermightsetagoalofanerrorrateof.05%orlessandyouprobablyopt
tohaveyourcarinthecenterofthelane(orsomewhereelsedependingonwhatisgoingonaroundyou).
Allthatanyoneknowsoftheactualstateofanyvariableheorshehastargeted,heorsheknowsbywayof
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PerformanceXpressTheGAPACTModelofHumanBehaviorandPerformance

perceptions.ThisistruewhetherthepersonisdirectlyobservingTorreadingareportontheconditionofT.
PerceptionsarerepresentedinFigure1byP.
AspartoftheirefforttoinfluenceorcontrolT,peoplecomparetheirperceptionsofTwiththeirgoalsforT.Any
differenceordiscrepancybetweentheperceivedstateofTandthegoalstateforTisrepresentedinFigure1bythe
lowercasedonthelineleadingfromthejunctureofPandG.Anunacceptablediscrepancyresultsinaction.Action
isrepresentedbyAinFigure1.
Thesefirstthreeelements,goals(G),actions(A),andperceptions(P)makeuptheGAPportionoftheGAPACT
model.
ActionsaretakensoastobringtheperceivedstateofTintoalignmentwiththegoalstateforT.Theseactionsare
purposeful,andpurposefulactionhasaname:intervention.InFigure1,purposefulactionorinterventionis
representedbythelowercaseionthelineleadingfromAtothejunctureofCandT.
WeretherenootherfactorsaffectingT,ouractionswouldhavethedesiredeffectnamely,closinganygapbetween
ourgoalordesiredvalueofTandourperceptionofitsactualvalue.Butthereareotheractorsandfactorsatwork.
ThesalespersonsgoalforTmightbecomplicatedbythecustomersperceptionofthequalityorthepricesofthe
productsorservicesbeingsold.Itmightalsobeconfoundedbytheactionsofcompetitors.Themanagerseffortsto
realizeanerrorrateof.05%orlessmightbethwartedbytheskilllevelsofthepeoplecarryingouttheprocessin
questionorperhapsthequalityofinputmaterialstotheprocess.Andyoureffortstokeepyourcarinthemiddleof
yourlanemightbeinterferedwithbyothermotorists,roadhazards,orevenablowout.Oureffortstocontrolor
influencesometargetedvariablearealmostalwayssusceptibletodisturbancesbycomplicatingandconfounding
conditions.ThesecomplicatingconditionsareidentifiedinFigure1bytheletterC.
Weact,then,soastoinfluenceT.ButTisalsoinfluencedbyCand,thus,anychangesinTrepresenttheneteffect
ofouractionsandtheseotherinfluences.Ordinarily,weareabletoadjustandadaptouractionssoastocounter,
offset,ornegatetheseotherfactors.Onoccasion,wearenot.ThedisturbancestoTposedbyCoverwhelmour
actionsandTdoesnotalignwithourgoalstate.Thesalespersonlosestoomanysalestoacompetitorwhohasa
betterqualityandlowerpricedproduct.Themanagerfindsthatemployeeturnoverresultsinalackofskilledand
knowledgeablestaff,makingprocessperformancesuffer.Andyougetrunoutofyourlanebyarecklessmotorist.
Fortunately,forthemostpart,weareabletoadjusttoanydisturbancesposedbyC.WemanagetokeepTaligned
withGasrevealedtousviaP.Throughitall,wevaryouractionstoastoholdresultsconstant.Theactions,
conditions,andtargetelementsconstitutetheACTportionoftheGAPACTmodel.
Insummary,ifweseeaGAP,weACT.Aneasywaytoremembertheelementsinthismodelisthenameitself:GAP
ACT.Agapisadifferencebetweenagoalstate(G)andtheperceivedstate(P)ofsomevariablewewishto
influenceorcontrol.Actions(A)areintendedtoaffectthetargetedvariable(T).Otherconfoundingandcomplicating
conditions(C)alsoaffectT.ThisrequiresustovaryouractionssoastokeepourperceptionsofTalignedwithour
goalsforT.
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