notes

# Training, Learning and Development

# Training and Organizational Strategy

Advancement and rapid changes in modern technology requires employees to be able to constantly learn new skills.

Emphasizing career, training, and development can lead to gains in competitive advantage.

Instructional design is a five step process:

  • Assess needs for training
  • Ensure readiness for training
  • Plan training program
  • Implement training program
  • Evaluate training program

# Needs Assessment

Instructional design begins with needs assessment, the process of evaluating the organization and employees to determine what kinds of training, if any, is required.

Three types of analyses are involved in this proces:

  • Organizational analysis — Assesses training needs by looking at organization characteristics such as strategy, resources, and management support.

  • Person analysis — Assesses training needs by looking at individuals' needs and readiness for learning.

    The appropriate response to a performance issue is not always training. Training can only solve a performance issue if it is inherently caused by a lack of knowledge or skill. Other factors such as motivation and performance feedback can contribute to a performance deficit.

  • Task analsyis — Assesses training needs by looking at the tasks, skills, knowledge, and behaviours that training should emphasise.

# Readiness for Learning

Readiness for learning refers to a combination of employee characteristics and a positive work environment that encourages learning.

# Employee Readiness Characteristics

  • Employees require basic learning skills, particularly cognitive ability
    • Recent studies suggest companies may have to work with employees who lack basic skills
  • Must be highly motivated
    • Willing to learn about the content of the training program
    • Employees tend to feel motivated if:
      • They believe they can learn the subject
      • They feel they benefit from learning the subject
      • Are aware that it is a subject that they need to learn about
      • See connection between subject and career goals
    • Management can encourage this behaviour by providing appropriate positive feedback

# Work Environment

  • Situational constraints -> Limits on effectiveness of training that exists in the work environment
    • e.g. lack of time and recourses or medium to apply training knowledge
  • Social support -> Ways the organization's people encourage training
    • Establish community of practice -> group of employees who work together and learn from each other

# Plan Training Program

# Clarify Objectives

Effective training objectives have three components:

  • Statement of employee expectations
  • Measurable performance standards
  • Identifies necessary resources

# In-House or Contracting Out?

Organizations can provide either in-house training or contract out training.

  • Contracting out is a more viable option for organizations who lack necessary resources
    • More expensive

Organizations can contract out by sending a Request for Proposal (RFP). Vendors who believe they can fulfill the request send back proposals, and the organization selects from those proposals.

# Available Training Methods

# Individual Training

  • Classroom instruction
    • Instructor leading a group
    • Good for presenting information on specific topic to many trainees
  • Audiovisual training
    • Similar to classroom instruction but without an instructor
    • Trainees learn individually having access to course materials
  • On-the-job training
    • Person with job experience and skills train trainees during work
    • Apprenticeship -> combination of OTJ training and classroom training
    • Internship -> OTJ training funded by an educational institution
    • Cooperative education -> component of higher education that integrates paid internships as part of educational program
  • Simulations
    • Represent real-life situations with trainees making decisions that lead to outcomes similar to what can happen on the job

# Building Interpersonal Skills

  • Behaviour modelling
    • Participants observe individuals practicing the desired behaviour then they themselves practice the behaviour
  • Experiential programs
    • Participants learn concepts then apply them by simulating real-life behaviours
    • Adventure learning -> Teamwork and leadership program based on use of challenging, structured physical activities
  • Team training -> Coordinating teamwork between individuals
    • Cross training -> team members learn the skills necessary to perform tasks of others so they can step in when needed
    • Coordination trainig -> teach team members how to better share information and cooperate
  • Action learning -> Teams work on a real problem and determine a solution

# Implementing and Evaluating Training Program

# Principles of Learning

Effective training:

  • Communicates learning objectives
  • Presents information in a clear and memorable way
    • Carry out frequent training sessions
    • Provide feedback on trainee performance
  • Help trainees link subject matter to jobs
    • Training context should mirror work environment

# Measuring Results of Training

Effective evaluation should follow the following evaluation levels:

  • Level 1: Learner reactions
  • Level 2: Demonstration of learning
  • Level 3: Behaviour change
  • Level 4: Business results
  • Level 5: Cost-benefit analysis

Ultimate goal of training -> effective transfer of learning.

  • Social support -> support from peers and organization
  • Technical support -> allow employees to look up information they would like to review

Evaluation of training should consider training outcomes: any observable changes caused by the training.

Possible outcomes with regards to evaluation levels:

  • Trainee learning satisfaction (level 1: reactions)
  • Information recallable by trainees (level 2: demonstration of learning)
  • Applying learned skills (level 3: behaviour change)
  • Changes in behaviour (e.g. more concerned about safety) (level 3: behaviour change)
  • Improvements in individual, team, or company performance (level 4: business results)
  • Computations showing return on investment (level 5: cost-benefit)

Test Sample

Companies can evaluate effectiveness of training program by measuring performance of a sample of trainees before and after training.

  • Performance prior to training is called pre-test
  • Post training is referred to as post-test

# Approaches to Employee Development

Organizations can encourage employee development through several approaches categorized into -> formal education, assessment, job experiences, and interpersonal relationships.

# Formal Education

Organizations may support formal education programs.

  • In-house workshops
  • Short courses by educational institute
  • MBA and executive MBA programs

# Assessment

Collect information on employee and provide feedback on current performance -> behaviour, communication style, or skills.

  • Appropriate feedback should provide suggestions on how the employee can improve and on what areas.

Tools to Gather Employee Information

  • Myers-Briggs Type Indicator
    • Energy -> dictates level of intro/extroversion
    • Information gathering -> preparations individuals make prior to making decisions
    • Decision making -> objective vs subjective thinking
    • Lifestyle -> tendency to be flexible or structured
  • Assessment centres -> utilize multiple evaluators (assessors) to determine employee performance on specific exercises
  • 360-degree feedback -> feedback coming from all stakeholders; supervisors, peers, reports, and customers
    • Multiple perspectives of performance
    • Establish formal communications on effective behaviour between employee and customers
    • Time constraints in completing feedback
    • Biases introduced by seeing the feedback given by others

# Interpersonal Relationships

Employees can develop skills by interacting with a more experienced person.

  • Mentoring
    • Mentor -> experienced senior employee who helps develop a junior employee
    • Mentors able to have broader picture of organization
    • Artifically created relationships would likely have difficulty
    • Advantages for mentors
      • Improve interpersonal and leadership skills
    • Advantages for mentees
      • Quickens career development
      • Supports continuous learning on all levels
      • Encourages environment where employees help one another
  • Coaching
    • Coach -> Work with employee to provide motivation, develop skills, provide reinforcement and feedback
    • Differs from mentor
      • Focuses on completing a specific task and achieving high performance
      • Comes with the job

# Glass Ceiling

Circumstances resembling an invisible barrier that prevents individuals from further development.

  • Often related to women and minority groups
  • Caused by lack of access to appropriate training, appropriate job development experiences, and/or mentorship opportunities

Managing Employees' Performance →