Mission
The Forum for People Performance Management and Measurement at Northwestern University was founded to conduct research and curriculum design in all facets of the emerging field of People Performance Management. This new business discipline focuses on integrated strategies that maximize organizational performance through people.
People Performance Management is based on the premise that human capital—consisting of customers, employees, vendors, and others—is as important to success as financial capital, and that companies which maximize human capital will likely outperform competitors over time. What makes People Performance Management new is that it looks at human capital management as an integrated process linking external marketing—promises made to customers—with internal marketing and management—to ensure that the promises get kept.
Despite the fact that logic and some compelling research support the importance of People Performance Management, surprisingly little formal research exists to document the connection between human capital and financial results, or to provide a research-supported strategy for maximizing human capital management. The Forum will address these key issues through research and curriculum design based on the outcome of that research.
Background
The Forum for People Performance Management and Measurement was founded in the Department of Integrated Marketing Communications in the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University, which helped pioneer the concept of marketing integration. Their work so far suggests a strong link between marketing effectiveness and the ability of your company’s people to fulfill marketing promises.
Research and Curriculum
The faculty at Northwestern, headed by Don Schultz and Frank Mulhern, will direct a comprehensive program consisting of research, curriculum development, corporate and academic outreach, and compilation of other research related to all aspects of People Performance Management and motivation in business. It will be made available through performanceforum.org. The Medill School expects to offer its first course in People Performance Management in 2004.
Practice Areas
Because the Forum for People Performance Management and Measurement promotes an integrated approach to performance improvement, the Forum will eventually establish individual practice areas, such as human resources management, compensation, communications, training, recognition, measurement, promotional products, experiential marketing, etc., supported by related associations and corporations. Practice areas will include almost any discipline in the toolkit of the PPM practitioner.
Priorities
The Forum’s immediate goals are to conduct research on the financial benefits of People Performance Management strategies, and the conditions under which they succeed or fail. Further research will address the way organizational tactics, such as incentive programs, promotion marketing, benefits and compensation, meetings, recognition, and so on, affect human capital output, and how they can best be managed and integrated.
Activities
- Research—the first projects funded in late 2002.
- Curriculum development— underway for courses starting in 2004.
- A quarterly newsletter summarizing other research related to the field.
- The annual “Performance Through People” Award given by the faculty to companies that embody the best practices of People Performance Management.
Opportunities For Corporations
Organizations seeking to maximize their performance through a strategic focus on human capital can benefit by helping to fund or cooperate on research related to human capital performance.
Forum Membership — $10,000 annually
Corporate Members receive the following benefits:
- Access to the Northwestern University staff for research design, proposal evaluation, and management assistance.
- A matching grant of $5,000 to be applied to research approved by the Forum’s Board of Trustees.
- Eligibility to have a representative on the Forum’s Board of Trustees.
- Access to two copies of all published research reports at no cost.
- Complimentary registration for two people at the Forum’s annual Symposium on People Performance Management and Measurement held on the campus of Northwestern University.
- Recognition for your company on performanceforum.org and in all Forum communications.
- Recognition on the Web site as a Forum Member.
- Right to use content from performanceforum.org on your Web site, with appropriate credits.
Friend of the Forum — $500 annually
- Complimentary registration for one person to the Forum’s annual Symposium on People Performance Management and Measurement held on the campus of Northwestern University.
- Access to one copy of all published research reports at no cost.
- Recognition on the Web site as a Friend of the Forum Member.
- Right to use content from performanceforum.org on your Web site, with appropriate credits.
If your company is interested in supporting Forum activities, contact the Forum Managing Director, Sue Peterson, at 630-369-7780 or email sue@performanceforum.org.
