Training as a Competitive Strategy Training is big business in the U. S. Training for change –Changes in jobs: increased complexity & speed, more jobs in the service sector, more organizational change –Changes in the work force: an older workforce, a diverse workforce

Linking Training to Strategy Train to align employees with strategy –Speed -- train for faster production –Innovation -- train for development in technology –Quality -- train for service –Cost reduction -- train for working harder

Barriers to Training Training seen only as a cost Training is not rewarded by many top managers Training not planned nor budgeted for by top managers Difficult to meet goals with employees in training Training makes employees more employable and they will leave.

Diagnosing Training Needs Organizational analysis -- link training to organizational needs Job needs analysis - tasks performed and skills needed Person analysis -- identify gap between work needs and employee characteristics Assessment methods

Maximizing Training & Retention Traineee ability -- test trainees capabilities, don’t make assumptions about trainees’ skill level. Trainee motivation -- goal setting, reinforcement

Principles of Learning & Instruction Active participation: enhances motivation & attention Self-efficacy: Enactive mastery, modeling, coaching Whole vs part learning: Learn whole task or parts? Feedback: Affects learning & motivation Overlearning: Past getting it right once –Increases retention over time –Increases automaticity of behavior –Increases quality of performance under stress –Assists in transfer of training

Transfer of Training Maximize the similarity Allow for adequate practice Provide a variety of situations Identify critical features of the task Make sure underlying principles are understood

Maintaining Performance Opportunity to perform the new skills Reinforcement for newly learned skills Set specific goals for incorporating new skills into the job Train groups Provide reminders Do a follow up

Backwards & Forwards Summing up: During today’s session, we explored why organizations are reluctant to invest in training as well as its critical importance in the changing work environment, ways of diagnosing training needs, and considerations in maximizing learning and retention. levels Next time we continue and conclude the training topic by examining specific training methods, and techniques of delivery, advanced training technologies, and ways to evaluate training.