Concerning organizational goals, the ultimate objective of most, if not all, HRD programs is
to improve organizational performance. Further, a major focus of most HRD interventions is
an effort to change employee behaviour.
The model of employee behavior shown in Figure 2-1 presents what we consider to be the
key factors affecting employee behavior and their corresponding relationships. It includes
two main categories: (1) external forces—that is, those found in the external environment
(outside the organization), as well as in the work environment (inside the organization),
including leadership, aspects of the organization itself, coworkers, and the outcomes of
performance (such as praise); and (2) internal forces—that is, those within the employee,
including motivation, attitudes, and KSAs (knowledge, skills, and abilities).
This model assumes that external and internal forces interact or combine to produce a given
behavior, and that employee behavior has a direct relationship to the personal and
organizational outcomes that are obtained. Although it may be possible in some cases to