The characteristics of a high performance organization

Purpose 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. Design/methodology/approach The research is based on a meta‐analysis of the results of 91 HPO studies performed in the last and present decade. Findings 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. Research limitations/implications 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. Practical implications 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. Originality/value 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.