Ithaca College

Associate Professor Howard Kalman, Department of Strategic Communication, published “Integrating Evaluation and Needs Assessment: A Case Study of an Ergonomics Program” in Performance Improvement Quarterly, Vol. 29, No 1, April 2016.

The research examined the relationship between front-end needs assessment and post-intervention evaluation processes and how both perspectives can be integrated within a single study to improve workplace performance. 

The project involved evaluating an industrial manufacturer’s custom-designed ergonomics course, which was one component of a broader organizational change initiative, which aimed to reduce on-the-job injuries. In addition to training, success of the intervention depended on a range of workplace variables such as management commitment and plant communications. Outcomes of the study discussed the importance of using a systems approach and adapting research designs.