Developing a Research Agenda on S-OJT Ronald L. Jacobs The Ohio State University

2 Agenda A. Discuss what is a research agenda B. Discuss my agenda – human competence C. Describe S-OJT D. Plan an S-OJT research agenda E. Questions and discussion

3 The Ohio State University OSU | College of Education | School of PAES Workforce Development and Education Faculty Opening in WDE for ! WDE Homepage Future Students Current Students Faculty & Staff Degree & Program Courses Research & News Centers WDE 360° Newsletter The Workforce Development and Education section offers an academic degree program emphasizing adult learning, career and technical education, human resource development, and workforce development policy; conducts research on topics in these areas; and provides professional development opportunities to meet the needs of individuals, organizations and government agencies. The WDE section values scholarly research and quality instruction as a means to model and improve theory and professional practice, nationally and internationally. (Adopted, Summer 2003) For questions or problems regarding the website, please to

4 4 Center on Education and Training for Employment Mission The Center engages with state, national, and international clients from education, governmental agencies, organized labor, and public and private entities to: A.Generate and disseminate knowledge useful for understanding workforce development; B.Develop, implement, and evaluate workforce development programs and policies that are informed by best practices and research; C.Develop workforce development leaders who serve in a variety of roles and contexts; and, D. Provide technical assistance in ways that will positively influence the actions of educational professionals, leaders, and scholars involved in developing the current and future global workforce.

5 Human Resource Development is the process of improving organizational performance and individual learning through the accomplishments that result from employee development, organization development, and career development programs.

6 Research Agenda? Faculty influence Readings Employer Other students Experience The set of interests that guide and focus a researcher’s actions.

7 Research Agenda? My research agenda... My research focuses on the nature of human competence and how organizations respond to the changing work expectations of their employees.

8 Human Competence What makes a company successful? Good products? Most advanced technology? Best customer service? All of these are important for success. None of these are more important than the people who work in the company. It’s the knowledge and skills that people use to do their work. Unfortunately, the needs of organizations are constantly changing. The challenge for organizations is having the means to help employees update their level of competence – or their relative ability – in the most efficient and effective ways possible (Jacobs, 2002).

9 Human Competence MasterThe real expert among experts. This person sets standards for others. ExpertOne who can do both the routine and non- routine cases of the task. Experienced Specialist One who has performed the task repeatedly and can do it with ease. SpecialistOne who can reliably perform the task, but this person has limited experience. NoviceOne who is new to the task and lacks the ability to perform it. Jacobs (2002)

10 Human Competence Situations when changes occur in competence:  New-hires: Full-time, Part-time, Temporary  Promotion  Rotation and transfer  Continuous improvement efforts  Multi-skilling  Technology  New products or services  Customer requirements

11 S-OJT Structured on-the-job training (S-OJT) was first introduced in the 1980s to help organizations respond to the challenges of the global economy. S-OJT makes use of the principle that training is most effective when it occurs as close as possible to the work. Many companies use S-OJT alone or to complement other training approaches, such as classroom training. The following outcomes have been reported:  Reduced training times  Lower training costs  Improved quality rates  Increased development opportunities for employees

12 Delphi – USOperators, SupervisorsReduced the number of wiring errors Truck Manufacturer – USProduction TechniciansReduced the number of leaky windshields KLM Royal Dutch AirlinesCabin AttendantsProvided more relevant customer service training experience Regional Hospital – USNew SupervisorsProvided information about the mission and vision faster Electric Utility – USSupervisorsReduced the number of back injuries among production employees Apple Computer-iBook - California High Skilled AssemblersReduced training time, fewer assembly errors Seagate – SingaporeProduction specialistsReduced number of inspection errors Petroleum Company - KuwaitNew EngineersReduced time require to complete job rotations CompanyEmployee LevelResults

13 S-OJT S-OJT is the planned process of having an experienced employee train a novice employee on a unit of work at the work setting or a location that closely resembles the work setting (Jacobs, 2003).

14 S-OJT Planned Process – S-OJT is designed using a systems approach and is viewed as a system. Experienced Employee – A person who knows the task and has been qualified as an S-OJT trainer. Novice Employee – A person who lacks the knowledge and skills to perform a task, has the prerequisites, and is ready to learn. Work – A specific unit of work within a job. A unit of work is not everything that a person does, but just a small part. Work setting – This is the location of S-OJT.

15 S-OJT Example New-hire engineers in a refinery setting need to undergo a development process to learn the 31 engineering jobs. Currently, it takes over five years for individuals to complete the development process. The company seeks to reduce this development time to less than two years if possible, and the learning experiences meet the following criteria: Consistent outcomes across all new-hire engineers, approximately 75 per year Learning experiences are based on actual work expectations Training should be based on best practices, including safety and quality, not just opinions of job incumbents Managers should be involved in the process, and held accountable for the training

16 1. Decide whether to use S-OJT 2. Analyze the work to be learned 3. Develop S-OJT trainers 4. Prepare the S-OJT modules 5. Deliver the S-OJT 6. Evaluate and troubleshoot the S-OJT Design Process

17 Training InputsTraining ProcessTraining Outputs Novice employee Experienced employee Training location Work to be learned Technology Training performance Work performance Trainee development Organizational Setting S-OJT System Get ready to train Deliver the S-OJT Module Ensure the trainee has learned

18 Core Research Questions Question Is there relationship among variables? Is one approach better than another? Is there a pattern in the data? What actions should be taken? How can we explain something? Purpose Explore Predict Compare Contrast Evaluate Describe Understand Forecast Plan Theory building Conceptual framework Methods Quantitative Qualitative Quantitative Qualitative Quantitative Meta-analysis Qualitative Usefulness Confirm relationships Plan programs Make decisions Select programs Find issues Find concerns Explain events Develop policies Develop plans Plan long-term Predict events S-OJT Research Agenda

19 Training Inputs Is there a relationship among variables? Is one approach better than another? Is there a pattern in the data? What actions should be taken? How can we explain something? Novice employee Experienced employee Cho (2003) Training location Work to be learned Jacobs (2002) Technology

20 Training Inputs Novice Employee a.What levels of employees receive S-OJT? b.What are the experiences of employees? c.What learning styles are best suited for S-OJT? d.Is there a cross-cultural aspect of S-OJT? Experienced Employee a.What criteria should be used to select trainers? b.How are trainers prepared? c.Is there a preferred match with employees? Training Location a.What are the locations of S-OJT? b.How does location affect transfer? c.What constraints exist in the work setting?

21 Training Inputs Work to be Learned a.What types of work are best learned through S-OJT? b.How should work be documented? Technology a.How can technology be used with S-OJT? b.Can technology replace the S-OJT trainer?

22 Training Process Is there a relationship among variables? Is one approach better than another? Is there a pattern in the data? What actions should be taken? How can we explain something? Get ready to train Deliver the S-OJT module Lohman (1994) Ensure the trainee has learned Barnard (2005)

23 Training Process Get Ready to Train a.How do the trainer’s actions affect self-efficacy and readiness? b.Is there a relationship between trainer’s actions and achievement? Deliver the S-OJT Module a.What training steps should be used? b.What components of modules are most critical? c.Do trainees refer to the module as expected? d.What is the nature of trainer-trainee interactions? Ensure the Trainee Has Learned a.What is the role of follow-up questions? b.Which aspects of the S-OJT ensure transfer?

24 Training Outputs Is there a relationship among variables? Is one approach better than another? Is there a pattern in the data? What actions should be taken? How can we explain something? Training performance Barnard (2005) Work performance Jacobs, Jones & Neil (1992) Jacobs (1994) Jacobs (2002 ) Jacobs & Hruby (1998 ) Trainee development Cushnie (2000)

25  Training Efficiency – Does one training approach achieve training outcomes faster, and is the cost less than the value of the training outcomes?  Training Effectiveness – Does one training approach result in better work outcomes, and is the training cost less than the value of the work outcomes?

26 Novice Specialist Time to Learn Unstructured OJT S-OJT Savings in Time Performance Level Time savings: 4 - 6:1 $ savings: 2 - 8:1

27 Work Accomplished  Truck windshields installed  Sales calls made  Machinery on-line  Hard disks manufactured Measured Performance  Fewer reworked windshields  Higher sales volume  Higher machine productivity  Lowered scrap rate Employee learns through unstructured OJT Employee learns through S-OJT

28 Organizational Context Is there a relationship among variables? Is one approach better than another? Is there a pattern in the data? What actions should be taken? How can we explain something? Priorities of the organization Relationship with other initiatives Cho (2004) Alignment with organizational goals Jacobs (2002) Alignment with work trends Lee (2004)Boulay & Jacobs (2005) Unanticipated impacts of S-OJT

29 Design Process Is there a relationship among variables? Is one approach better than another? Is there a pattern in the data? What actions should be taken? How can we explain something? 1. Decide whether to use S-OJT Liu, Wang & Jacobs (2005) 2. Analyze the work to be learned 3. Develop S-OJT trainers 4. Prepare the S-OJT modules 5. Deliver the S-OJT 6. Evaluate and improve the S-OJT

30 Is there a relationship among variables? Is one approach better than another? Is there a pattern in the data? What actions should be taken? How can we explain something? Your S-OJT Research Agenda

Thank You Developing a Research Agenda on S-OJT Ronald L. Jacobs The Ohio State University