About the Authors

RICHARD A. SWANSON is professor emeritus of organization learning, policy, and development at the University of Minnesota. From 2006 to 2009, he served as the Distinguished Research Professor of Human Resource Development and the Sam Lindsey Chair in the College of Business and Technology at the University of Texas–Tyler.

Swanson is considered a top scholar in the field of performance improvement and human resource development, based on the stature and sales of his publications, his contributions to the field, and the honors he has received.

During his academic career, Swanson has served on the graduate faculties of four universities within four different colleges: business, arts and sciences, education, and technology. Among his numerous academic roles, Swanson directed the University of Minnesota Human Resource Development Research Center and its focus on connecting theory and practice.

Swanson was one of the founders of the Academy of Human Resource Development and served in various leadership roles, including a term as its president. He is the founding editor for two scholarly journals, Human Resource Development Review and Advances in Developing Human Resources, and played a major role in establishing two additional journals. Swanson was inducted into the Human Resource Development Scholar Hall of Fame (2004) and the Adult and Continuing Education Hall of Fame (2001). In 2003 he received a Distinguished Alumni Award from the University of Illinois, and in 2006 the Richard A. Swanson Lectureship was established at the University of Minnesota.

Swanson’s extensive consulting work, research, and writings have focused on performance improvement, evaluation, the development of expertise, and theory development in applied disciplines. He has consulted with major corporations throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico, Europe, Asia, and Africa. Swanson has authored over 250 publications.

Six of Swanson’s recent books include Results: How to Assess Performance, Learning, and Perceptions in Organizations (1999), Assessing the Financial Benefits of Human Resource Development (2001), Research in Organizations (2005), Analysis for Improving Performance (2nd ed., 2007), Foundations of Human Resource Development (2nd ed., 2009), and The Adult Learner (7th ed., 2011).

THOMAS J. CHERMACK has studied, practiced, and theorized about scenario planning for over fifteen years. His initial interest in scenario planning was due to its unique combination of analysis and creativity in exploring difficult and complex issues. Chermack is motivated to challenge status quo thinking and help people see things differently. His research and practice are founded on theory-building activities.

Chermack is considered a top scholar in the area of scenario planning, and much of his work has focused on the development of foundational theories for scenario planning. Chermack is the author of Scenario Planning in Organizations, published by Berrett-Koehler Publishers, and over sixty research articles that cover the development, practice, and assessment of scenario-planning theories in action.

Chermack is associate professor in organizational performance and change at Colorado State University. His research focuses on the theoretical foundations and outcomes of scenario planning and he has won awards of excellence from the Academy of Human Resource Development. He has published widely on the theory and practice of scenario planning, including numerous studies that document its benefits.

Applied disciplines like scenario planning require both reflection and action—reflection, for understanding how scenario planning works and how it can be improved, and action, for putting new knowledge to use. Chermack has made it a point of his career to study and apply scenario planning, adding a full perspective to his theory work. An emphasis on both inquiry and application has provided a unique perspective and a wealth of experiences that help document his theory-building approach in the method and examples described in this book.

Chermack is also the founder and director of the Scenario Planning Institute at Colorado State University (www.scenarioplanning.colostate.edu). The Scenario Planning Institute (the first of its kind in the United States) is a hub of activity related to scenario planning, including research, consulting with organizations worldwide, and other activities that link Colorado State University to organizations and members of the community, both locally and internationally. The Institute provides another avenue for exploring theory building and helping others engage in the generation of new knowledge.

Chermack’s experiences with the research, theory, and practice of scenario planning have yielded invitations to speak at organizations around the world, as well as seminars, workshops and keynote addresses.