Copyright © 2003 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

Chapter 8 Workplace Training

Copyright © 2003 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. The E-Learning Revolution  E-Learning allows small companies to act like large companies  A company that is considering E-learning should ask the following questions:  What are some of the key advantages of E-learning?  Are some types of course work better suited than others to E-learning?  What are the disadvantages and opportunity costs of E-learning?

Copyright © 2003 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. What is training?  Training consists of planned programs designed to improve the performance of an individual, group, and/or organization  The two perspectives of training:  Macro, or structural training perspective (e.g., aggregate level of expenditures on training)  Micro training perspective (e.g., how to determine if training is needed and what works)

Copyright © 2003 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Current Training Trends  Job training will increase over the next five years.  Reasons why:  Social challenge  High-performance work systems challenge  Quality challenge  Interpersonal challenge  Global challenge

Copyright © 2003 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Structural Issues in the Delivery of Training  Nine structural problems:  Corporate commitment is lacking and uneven  Aggregate expenditures for training are inadequate  Businesses complain that schools award degrees, but students may lack skills  Poaching trained workers is a major problem for U.S. businesses and provides a strong disincentive for training  Despite the rhetoric about training being viewed as an investment, current accounting rules require it be treated as an expense  Government is not providing enough funds for training initiatives  Businesses, with government aid, need to focus on non-college graduates  Employers and schools must develop closer ties  Organized labor can help

Copyright © 2003 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Characteristics of Effective Training  Four characteristics of companies with effective training practices:  Commitment of top management  Training is tied to the total business strategy  A comprehensive and systematic approach to training exists  Investment of adequate resources

Copyright © 2003 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Assessing Training Needs  There are three phases of training:  Assessment phase  Training and development phase  Evaluation phase  The three levels of assessment for determining training needs are as follows:  Organizational analysis  Operations analysis  Individual analysis

Copyright © 2003 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Principles of Learning  Goal setting  Behavior modeling  Practice  Feedback

Copyright © 2003 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Elements of Goal Setting  Make the objectives of the training program clear at the beginning  Make the goals challenging, but not overwhelming  Supplement the ultimate goal (finishing the course) with smaller, more easily obtainable goals

Copyright © 2003 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Elements of Behavior Modeling  The model should be similar to the observer in age, gender, and race  Portray behaviors to be modeled clearly and in detail  Rank behaviors from least to most difficult; provide lots of repetition  Have several models portray the behaviors, not just one

Copyright © 2003 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Elements of Practice  The saying “practice makes perfect” applies to this element of learning. To be most efficient:  Use active practice (get the trainees involved in the process)  Make the task second nature – overlearn it  Provide rest intervals between sessions (distributed practice)

Copyright © 2003 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Elements of Feedback  Feedback is essential for learning and for the trainee’s motivation  Provide it soon after the trainee’s performance  Feedback increases:  Instructor awareness of what trainees need to practice  Trainee satisfaction  Trainee retention