Training and Development - Assignment Example

Training and Development What can be done to motivate companies to evaluate training programs? To motivate companies to evaluate training programs, management personnel who are in charge of training and development must emphasize that an evaluation would provide management with the crucial information that defines the success or failure of training programs, depending on the goals that were stipulated. The evaluation of training programs would assist in generating data that would confirm the strengths, as well as effectiveness of training and development programs; and if there are evident weaknesses that need to be addressed.

Thus, companies would be motivated to evaluate training programs through the provision of accurate information that relates the direct impact of these programs on the overall improvement of the organization in terms of performance, job satisfaction and financial success. 2. What are result outcomes? Why do you think that most organizations don't use results outcomes for evaluating their training programs? According to Zoe (2010), result outcomes are results of training evaluations which are “used to determine the training program's payoff for the company” (p. 225). Examples of the results outcome apparently included standards of performance such as productivity, quality, costs, repeat customers, customer satisfaction, and even information on work-related accidents (Zoe, 2010, p. 222). One strongly believes that most organizations do not use results outcomes for evaluating their training programs because of the challenges and difficulties in measuring them, such us the need to secure historical performance data from the organization, which could sometimes be inaccessible to unauthorized personnel or passe by the time that the results have been interpreted.

Likewise, as revealed “appropriate training outcomes need to be relevant, reliable, discriminative, and practical” (Zoe, 2010, p. 227), and results outcome do not sufficiently meet all the criteria as effectively as reaction outcomes do. 3. Chapter 6 outlined several factors that influence the choice of evaluation design. Which of these factors would have the greatest influence on your choice of an evaluation design? Which of these factors would have the smallest influence? Explain your choices.

The choice of evaluation design actually depends on the specific requirements and resources of the organization. Therefore, depending on the factors (change potential, importance, scale, purpose of training, organizational culture, expertise, cost and time frame) that are deemed most relevant; it would be selected as having the greatest influence on the choice of evaluation design. For example, the evaluation is conducted to determine the effect of training on customer satisfaction, therefore, the factor with greatest influence is importance and the least would be the cost.

However, for organizations on a tight budget, the greatest influencing factor would be the cost. 4. What are the strengths and weaknesses of the lecture, the case study, and behavior modeling? The lecture is one of the traditional training methods classified as a presentation method whose strengths include cheap, less time consuming, useful presentation format and is supportive of other training methods. Its weaknesses though include lack of feedback from participants, inability to cater to the learning style preferences of other audiences, and difficulty in gauging the learning performance of the participants.

For the case study method, the strengths include the development of cognitive and analytical skills of participants, and its ability to propose solutions based on a critical evaluation of the scenarios given. Its disadvantages include requiring ample time to collaborate and meet before coming up with a proposed solution, and its presumption that an appropriate learning environment has been established for trainees to meet directly and have been provided ample time period to present and defend the chosen course of action.

Finally, for the behavior modeling method, it was evident that the strength is into honing interpersonal skills as well as computer skills (Zoe, 2010, p. 275) where the skills that are specifically needed would be applied, as required. Its disadvantage include restricting applications to emulating skills based on an identified model and thereby precludes thinking outside the box or application of creative and innovative abilities. 5. If you had to choose between adventure learning and action learning for developing an effective team, which would you choose?

Defend your choice. One would select adventure learning because of the innovative technique of integrating adventure, challenge and even fun in teambuilding and in developing group effectiveness. Action learning only focuses on a particular problem and therefore, the method could be considered too formal and structured, as compared to the more dynamic options accorded by adventure learning. 6. What are the components of effective team performance? How might training strengthen these components?

According to Zoe (2010), there are “three components of team performance: knowledge, attitudes, and behavior” (p. 279). Training would strengthen these components by using four main elements such as tools, methods, strategies and the team training objectives which provide appropriate information, direction, and resources to improve and develop the appropriate group skills towards the achievement of identified goals. 7. What are some reasons why on-the-job training can be ineffective? What can be done to ensure its effectiveness?

On-the-job training (OJT) can be ineffective when the structure is too informal that the learning will not at all be made possible. To ensure its effectiveness, the OJT method should be designed in such a way that management governs its implementation, in conjunction with peers or mentors. As such, the trainers and trainees’ performances are monitored to ensure to conformity to standards are being appropriately undertaken, as needed. 8. Review the following website (www.income-outcome.com) and describe the situation that the simulation is designed to represent.

How might it be improved? The simulation defined in the Income Outcome website was described as providing “a complete business acumen training solution. Each facilitator-led workshop is built around a board game business simulation that has been tailored to the needs of the audience” (Income Outcome, 2012). Like other simulations, there is a need to constantly update and upgrade the resources used to effectively visualize and parallel real world settings of the contemporary organizational learning environment.

References Income Outcome. (2012). Business Acumen Training to Improve Your Company's Financial Results. Retrieved from Andromeda Training, Inc.: http://www.income-outcome.com/ Zoe, R. (2010). Employee Training and Development. McGraw-Hill/Irwin.