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Seeks to identify the characteristics of high performance organizations (HPO) so managers can start improving their organizations in such a way that these also become HPOs.

The research is based on a meta‐analysis of the results of 91 HPO studies performed in the last and present decade.

The results of the analysis offer a first picture of what a modern HPO looks like and provides the characteristics managers need to focus on in order to turn their companies into HPOs.

Despite an extensive literature search, potentially valuable studies might have been missed. Also, the studies look by definition at what organizations have done in the past, therefore not necessarily giving a guarantee that these characteristics will also be valid and of importance for the dynamic future. Further HPO research should focus on validating the characteristics found in this study so that managers can start improving their organizations with confidence. Also, additional research should aim to validate the link between the HPO characteristics and organizational performance, in order to make sure it is worthwhile for companies to improve themselves in the direction indicated in this article.

As it is the task of every manager to realize the goals of the organization by achieving outstanding performance in the organizational unit for which he or she is responsible, managers are under great pressure to deal effectively with trends and developments. Therefore, the more that is known about the elements that make up sustainable organizational performance, the easier it becomes for managers to improve their organizations in a focused way.

The results of the search for HPO characteristics have been documented mainly in the popular management literature: until now, scientific research into HPOs has not been abundant. Therefore most evidence is anecdotal, consisting of surveys and case studies. The research described in this article forms the start of a thorough investigation of HPO characteristics, which is executed in a scientific way while at the same time yielding practical results with which managers can start improving their organizations.

The study examines the mediating effect of knowledge management (KM) in the relationship between the high-performance organisation (HPO) framework and high performance in financial institutions (FIs) in Uganda. The paper aims to develop a framework that promotes high performance in the FIs.

The conceptual model was tested on a sample of 28 financial instituitions using structural equation model.

The findings revealed that the high-performance framework is significantly related to high performance and KM is related high performance. KM mediates the relationship between the high-performance framework and high performance.

The findings revealed that the high-performance framework is significantly related to high performance and KM is related high performance. KM mediates the relationship between the high-performance framework and high performance.

The findings revealed that the high-performance framework is significantly related to high performance and KM is related high performance. KM mediates the relationship between the high-performance framework and high performance.

This study makes several empirical and theoretical contributions, addressing the gap in the literature about the role of the HPO framework in strategic management. This study tests the relationship between the HPO and the firm's performance by taking the mediating effects of KM. The designed model highlights a significant organisational performance approach that can influence the finance sector positively.

Islamic finance is an interesting field of research, as it represents an alternative to conventional finance for Muslims. It is a way of conducting finance based on the principles of Islam and prohibition of interest. Islamic finance can be divided into two areas: Islamic banking and Islamic insurance (Takaful). This paper aims to describe a research study on the applicability of the high-performance organization (HPO) framework on Takaful insurance companies and whether it can improve their performance in a sustainable way.

The factors and characteristics of the HPO framework are theoretically matched with the characteristics of the Takaful industry for evaluating whether these reinforce or weaken each other. The outcome of this matching process gives an indication of whether it is easier or more difficult for Takaful insurance companies, compared with conventional companies, to apply the HPO framework and transform themselves into HPOs.

It can be theoretically expected that, out of 35 HPO characteristics, 10 will be easier to strengthen in Takaful organizations compared with conventional organizations and 9 will be more difficult, and for 16 characteristics, there will be no difference. These results suggest that, most likely, it does not make a difference whether UAE Takaful organizations or conventional organizations implement the HPO framework, they will probably need roughly the same amount of effort to make a successful transition.

In a follow-up study, the HPO framework will be applied at several Takaful insurance companies to evaluate the operation of the framework in practice.

To date, no studies of the HPO framework and HPOs have been conducted at Takaful insurance companies in the UAE. Thus, by theoretically matching the HPO framework with Takaful organizations, the study fills a gap in the management literature regarding high-performance improvement techniques for Takaful organizations.

Stakeholder management is often primarily seen as maintaining external relations. However, it also has specific consequences for the internal processes of an organization and the behavior of its people. The authors argue that an organization that is meeting the standards of the high-performance organization (HPO) is able to effectively maintain valuable relationships with its stakeholders. The authors discuss in this paper how high-performance stakeholder management can be achieved and applied to stakeholder relationships.

Based on a discussion of the stakeholder management and the HPO framework concepts the authors show that good stakeholder management requires strong communication and dialogue within an organization, which in turn requires a strong internal organization, which the HPO framework can offer. This paper is written from the assumption that the two theories reinforce each other in their aims and methodologies. This argument is based on a case study.

The authors illustrate the argument with the application of both concepts at a case company. The case study makes clear that an organization that develops stakeholder management will be wise to examine its own internal quality and strength, using the HPO framework. If the organization views the information that comes from stakeholder management as very valuable, then internal organizational consequences must follow.

The concepts of stakeholder management and HPO Framework have not been connected before, neither in a theoretical nor a practical way. This offers the opportunity for theorists to further deepen the connection between the two, and practitioners to benefit from strengthening their stakeholder management.

The purpose of this paper is to arrive at a general definition of an HPO and a (practical) way to measure an HPO. Managers are looking for techniques to strengthen their organizations in a way that they cannot only cope with threats but could also quickly take advantage of opportunities, and thus, grow and thrive. The academic and especially the practitioner fields reacted on this “thirst for high performance knowledge” with a plethora of books and articles on the topic of high performance organizations (HPOs). These publications each came with their own description and measurement of HPOs, which created a lot of confusion among practitioners.

In this study the following reserach question is answered: how can an HPO be defined and its performance measured? So that with the answer, this paper can take away the aforementioned confusion. This paper does this by conducting an extensive systematic review of the literature on HPO, after which this paper synthesizes the findings into a proposal on how to define and measure the HPO.

This paper was able to obtain from the literature a list of definitions and measurements for an HPO. The common denominator in these definitions and measurements turned out to be respondents given their opinion on the effects of the organizational practices they apply on organizational performance vis-à-vis that of competitors. This paper concluded therefore that an HPO should be defined and measured relative to competitors and should be based on the perception of managers and employees of the organization: An HPO is an organization that achieves results that are better than those of its peer group over a longer period of time.

With the answer on the research question, this paper fills the current gap in the definition and measurement literature on HPOs, and thus, has moved the research into HPOs forward, as researchers can use these research results in their future studies on high performance and HPOs.

Although there is a plethora of literature on high performance and HPOs no univocal definition and measurement of the HPO can be found. This study provides for the first time an academically well-founded definition and measurement method.

Thai organizations are currently wrestling with the quality demands that are placed on them because of the approaching accession of Thailand into the ASEAN Economic Community. Thai managers are acutely aware that this will increase competitive pressures in their country, and are therefore looking for a technique which can help them create higher quality organizations and achieve sustainable high performance in the Thai context. This article aims to evaluate whether the high performance organization (HPO) framework can provide the necessary support.

During two workshops in Bangkok, one for representatives of eight Thai profit and governmental organizations and one for staff and students of a Thai university, participants were asked to complete the HPO questionnaire. From the resulting scores three main areas of improvement were identified for Thai organizations which they should address in order to become HPO. These areas of improvement were discussed during the workshops with the explicit purpose of determining how they could be addressed in the Thai context.

The research showed that Thai managers and employees understood the HPO questionnaire and were able to fill in this survey; the results of the HPO questionnaire yielded relevant areas of improvement for Thai organizations; and the HPO framework was seen as being a valuable technique for Thai organizations to improve in a sustainable way.

Further research should focus on testing the HPO framework in practice by implementing the recommendations in Thai organizations and then tracking the performance of these organizations in time. In addition, future research could look into the degree in which the characteristics of the HPO framework itself are suited to the Thai context, in comparison to other quality and performance improvement models and frameworks.

This is the first research into the suitability of an HPO framework in the specific Thai context.

Associations perform an important role in developing a profession, by organizing professionals into a community in which relevant information and knowledge are shared, ideas expanded, contacts with other like-minded professionals made, a code of ethics established and appropriate practices for members identified. For an association to be effective, it has to perform at the highest quality level. However, no studies can be found in the academic literature on how to create high-performing associations. This paper aims to apply the high-performance organization (HPO) Framework within the Emirates Insurance Association (EIA) to evaluate its current strength and identify possible improvements that need to be implemented for EIA to achieve high performance.

In this article, the HPO Framework – which has been used and validated in many contexts, including non-profit organizations (NPOs) – is applied within the EIA to evaluate its current strength and, thereby, identify possible improvements that need to be implemented for EIA to achieve high performance.

The research results showed that the HPO Framework – when adapted to the circumstances of an association – is able to accurately evaluate the situation within that association and yield targeted recommendations to improve its performance.

This research fills a lacuna in the current literature on how to improve the performance of associations; it can, therefore, function as a foundation for further academic research into high performance in associations and possibly other types of NPOs. Moreover, the research results help managers of associations and NPOs in their quest for high performance by offering tangible improvement suggestions.

In the past decades, there has been much research into ways organizations can become high-performing. Research into ways organizations can stay high-performing, especially in challenging times, is much less prevalent. The purpose of this study is to look at ways that high-performance organizations (HPOs) use in practice to stay high-performing.

The approach of this study consisted of a qualitative matching of the theoretical ways organizations can foster organizational grit – strengthen stamina and resilience of employees to keep achieving results and to persevere in the face of setbacks – with the empirical ways three case organizations in practice used to stay high-performing.

The literature review yielded 9 ways to foster organizational grit, while the empirical research provided 12 ways HPOs used to stay high-performing. What the literature highlighted was matched in such a way that these practical ways to stay high-performing can be understood as solutions/alternatives with which to foster grit in the organization in a practical manner.

HPOs are quite rare and being able to follow them closely for a prolonged period of time is even more unique. Therefore, this study can be seen as adding a unique piece to the puzzle of how to stay HPO and how organizational grit can be fostered and strengthened.

The purpose of this study is to help managers in their constant quest to create and implement new sources of competitive advantage and ways to achieve sustainable high performance to become a high performance organization (HPO) – defined as an organization that achieves financial and non-financial results that are exceedingly better than those of its peer group over a period of five years or more to by focusing in a disciplined way on issues of genuine importance to the organization. One way to become an HPO is by applying the HPO Framework, which has been validated in multiple countries and shown to indeed help organizations to improve their performance. However, a change approach for implementing the HPO Framework that is valid in different contexts has not been developed to date. Such an approach is important as change initiatives suffer from a high failure rate.

The goal of this research was to identify an appropriate change approach for implementing the HPO Framework. A theoretical framework for an HPO change initiative was constructed, which subsequently was tested at an organization undergoing a transformation to become an HPO.

The results show that the theoretical approach in practice was indeed useful at the case company. A continuous rate of change is needed to implement a corporate-wide change strategy that will enable the organization to constantly adapt to the demands of its business environment. The scale of the transformation differs for each HPO change initiative, depending on the results of the HPO diagnosis. Directly after the HPO diagnosis and at the beginning of the HPO transformation, a planned approach predominates; conversely, while maintaining the HPO, the emergent approach predominates.

This study is relevant by enabling managers to learn the essentials of a change approach for creating an HPO in the present-day business environment. Based on these essentials, managers can start to develop a change approach that is appropriate for creating their own HPO.

The theoretical relevance of this paper is that, although much literature exists concerning approaches for organizational change initiatives, no change approaches specifically designed for creating an HPO can be found in the literature. This paper provides such an approach.

The Dutch agricultural sector nowadays experiences many challenges. To deal with these, the sector has been interested in finding ways to improve performance. Mostly, the improvement research has concentrated in the areas of innovation of products and quality, supply chain management, cooperatives, entrepreneurship and human resources. However, hardly any research has been done into ways to strengthen the internal organisation, encompassing the quality of management, employees and processes and systems of the agriculture company. This paper aims to address this research gap by evaluating whether the high performance organisation (HPO) framework, a scientific validated analysis and improvement technique, can be used to help agricultural enterprises to strengthen their internal organisation.

The HPO Questionnaire was applied at four Dutch horticulture companies to evaluate their performance. Subsequently, at each company, interviews were held to obtain more information about the scores. Then, a workshop was organised with the management of all four companies to discuss the study results.

The workshop showed that the framework was suitable for the participating companies to start improving their organisations, as management of all four companies agreed that the analysis and recommendations, derived from analysing the questionnaire data and the interviews, were highly relevant to their business.

As there is no holistic organisational evaluation and improvement technique which looks specifically at the internal organisation of horticulture companies, available for the agricultural sector, the application of the HPO Framework in this sector is the first of its kind.