ABSTRACT
The concept of electronic performance support was conceived and nurtured in corporate settings as a result of the serious challenge organisations have been facing over the last two decades, a challenge which Gery (1989) describes as the ‘performance crisis’. Barker (1995) confirms that much of the interest and development of EPSS facilities was a consequence of the performance challenge within business and commerce. He lists the following factors leading to the performance challenge: increased competition, more diverse markets, the need for diversity in new fields of endeavour, the need to recognise and restructure organisations, and a growing need to optimise the use of resources – all pointing to the need for information to support workers’ performance in organisations. Thus, the concept of electronic performance support in corporate settings has emerged as an important solution to this challenge, promising important benefits all related to solving the performance challenge.
