HR Models Library
hrmodelslibrary.com
Curated and described by Harsimran Kaur Kapoor
3. Performance Management
AMO
The performance equation
Use when
Diagnosing why an individual or team underperforms before acting
Ability
Can they? Skill, knowledge, fit; the training lever
Motivation
Will they? Incentives, purpose, fairness, consequences
Opportunity
May they? Tools, authority, time, process, information
“Performance fails at the weakest term; multiply, don't add.”
How to use it
The multiplication matters: zero opportunity times high ability is still zero. In unionized or process-heavy environments, Opportunity is the most common weak term and the least examined; where a collective agreement shapes the work, read it as part of the Opportunity term. Use before any performance conversation about a person: which term is broken?
Card details
- Model type
- Grid
- Origin status
- Established
- Content last reviewed
- 28 July 2026
Origin
EstablishedAMO theory in strategic HRM; associated with Bailey, and with Appelbaum and colleagues, 2000.
Used in these workflows
Neighbouring models
Was this useful?
Page description, selection and arrangement © 2026 Harsimran Kaur Kapoor. AMO is an established model. See Origin for attribution.