On-the-Job Training and off-the-Job Training - Literature review Example

Training Introduction Training is an essential element of the success or the failure of modern organization, in terms of the fact that modern organizations often have to compete with each other on the basis of their capabilities. (Bohlander and Snell, 2009) state that the core sets of knowledge and expertise that give them an edge over their competitors, training is crucial in this respect because of the fact that it plays a central role in nurturing and strengthening the competencies of a firm and in this way has become part of the backbone of strategic management. In addition to this, there are rapidly changing technological advancements that companies would have to deal with on a day-to-day basis, which would require employees to continuously hone their knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs) through the process of continuous learning. The following report seeks to understand the various aspects of the training variable and its importance in a world that is increasingly competitive. Abstract Lawson (!997) defines training as a structured process that is conducted at the employee’s work area to provide the employee with the knowledge and skills to perform tasks. It has been found that in the absence of structured training programmes, employees consulted their coworkers and procedure to learn what they needed to do. Without a planned approach, instructions and procedures are not standardized, and trainees often pick up bad practices from the seniors. This haphazard approach often results in a greater number of errors, lower productivity and increased employee frustration. The following report will identify the key areas of interest in the training process, its importance, significance, phases and process of training evaluation so that one can arrive at an overview of the entire process. On-the-job training and off-the-job training Training can be classified into two essential formats: On the job training and off the job training. On the job training is a structured process conducted at the employee’s work area to provide the employee with the knowledge and skills aimed at the performance of job tasks, It is an ongoing process that is designed mostly to help the employee in gaining greater competence and overcome barriers to the improvement of performances. On the job training experiences would include coaching understudy programs and assignments job rotation, lateral transfer, project and committee assignments and staff meetings. Training means increasing the temporary and necessary skills of the new employees. it is two types on the job and off the job. Bohlander and Snell (2009) identify off the job training as training in which employees learn his work by attending seminar, meeting, conference or by viewing. he is not allow to work on floor till he become expert in all the necessary field. These would include methods such as conference or discussion methods, classroom training, programmed instructions, computer based training simulation, closed circuit TV, tele-training and interactive e-learning. Off the job experiences include analysis of case studies, management games, role-playing and behavior modeling. Imnportance of training There has to be some amount of stress that has to be put on training and development for the staff. The idea behind this focus is not just to improve skills for the current job but also to prepare the employee for future responsibilities. Job rotation and participation in cross functional or cross divisional tasks can get rid of the feeling of stagnation and boredom that seems to have set in (Charvatova and Veer, 2006). The idea is to give the employee a new challenge, continuously helping him evolve thereby adding greater value to the organization’s resources with the same amounts of inputs. There is also a certain amount of stress that needs to be laid on promotion from within the organization itself, thereby help remove the feeling of alienation and disillusionment from the staff.   Improvement in competence of the workforce is one way that training and development can create a competitive advantage, but this is not the only way. Jackson, Schuller and Werner (2008) believe that training and employee development activities can also contribute to organizational success in less direct ways. For example, they can provide shared experiences that promote understanding among employees with many different histories and so help speed up the development of organizational cohesiveness and employee commitment. Training and development oriented activities are a means for employers to address employee needs. By offering training and development opportunities, employers help employees develop their own personal competitive advantage and ensure long term employability. It is through training that the organization is able to provide the motivation to employees in an environment of self-motivation thereby providing the creation of high quality products and services to the target audience. Finally, there is a group that believes that the emphasis on training is an understandable and a common-sense answer it a bewildering economic situation. Beckerman (1992) states that the importance of training emanates not just from competitive advantage needs but also because of the fact that training are an educational right to which workers are entitled. One can therefore state that training should be able to help people in having more control over their jobs and their work life, thereby helping them learn more about individuals and collective rights and reflect worker identification f skills and needs. Phases of training: Training is a round procedure-one that has its beginnings in the requirements of identification, and has its ending after the fulfillment of numerous steps that lead to the ultimate assessment of the training process. Halim and Ali (2008) state that an alteration or deficit in any of the given phases of the process would have its ramifications to the whole training operation leaving it incomplete and inefficient. It would therefore be required that the given trainer, has a proper understanding about all phases and steps of the training process. In the larger sense of the term, there are essentially three phases of a training process: planning, implementation, and evaluation. The planning process is made up of the ideas of identification and curriculum development. The idea here is that the first phase is one where the goals of the training process are identified and targets that are to be achieved at the end of the process are chalked out. There is a gap between what should be and what is…this gap is known as the problem. The needs identification process assists trainers in making sure that they have matched a training programme to a training problem. The planning process is also made up of the organizational, team and individual analysis. The curriculum development is an essential part of the programme once the stated problem has been identified. Peterson (1998) records that the curriculum specifies what will be taught and how it will be taught. It provides the framework and foundation of training. It determines the lessons to be taught and the content of the process. Implementation would mean the selection of the program, the instructor and the methods of instruction itself. A number of training methods are available but not all of these applicable in any given situation. The selection of the correct method and the correct time frame forms the crux of the implementation phase. Finally, the last point of the training process is that of training evaluation/ assessment. This is done so that the effectiveness of the training process could be determined and a fair evaluation can be made with respect to whether or not the goals and aims of the training process have been met. Training Assessment: Training process evaluation is a procedure that determines the worth, success, and result of the training activity that the company chose to undertake. This is done in the context of the set goals at the beginning of the process and it is in this context that assessment is essentially extension of the training programme. Raab et al. (1987) set out the definition of the training assessment and its importance in the following terms-“systematic process of collecting information for and about a training activity which can then be used for guiding decision making and for assessing the relevance and effectiveness of various training components”. Training evaluation is the phase of the training process that provides the frame for future training procedures and the information with which further planning decisions are made. Evaluation of Training Training is a procedure and hence like any other it requires that the there is an examination at the end of it. Training evaluation ensures that training has had the wanted impact. The five most important purposes of training evaluation are 1. Feedback 2. Research 3. Control 4. Negating the impact 0f power games 5. Intervention Training evaluation happens before the process begins wherein the learner's skills and knowledge are assessed. It happens during the process of training itself wherein instructions start and consists of short tests at regular intervals. Finally after training the evaluation process assesses the skills and knowledge that the learner has been able to accumulate. The basic techniques of training evaluation are observation, questionnaires, interviews, self diaries and self recording of specific incidents Conclusion In conclusion, therefore one could reiterate the fact that training as a process is irreplaceable in terms of its importance. One of the realities of today’s world are small organizations. Here the managers need to know the skills that are needed for a particular job profile in case of recruitments. As it stands the knowledge of training needs and analysis might help managers to reverse engineer a given training design that would work out the kinds of performance discrepancies that the training process was originally supposed to address. Training therefore is a process that aids people in becoming qualified and proficient professionals that helps in the long term and short term fulfillment of organizational targets. It is the process of teaching, informing, or educating people so that (1) they may become as well qualified as possible to do their job, and (2) they become qualified to perform in positions of greater difficulty and responsibility. Reference: Lawson, K., (1997). Improving on-the-job training and coaching. ASTD Publications. p3 Bohlander, G., W., and Snell S., (2009). Managing human resources. Cengage Brain. P336 Charvatova, D., and Veer, C., G., (2006). Communication and Human Resource Management and its Compliance with Culture. International Journal of Social Science. 1(1). pp14-18 Jackson, S., E., Schuller, R., S., and Werner, S, (2008). Managing Human Resources. Cengage Brain, p276 Beckerman, A., (!992). Training for what?: labour perspectives on job training. Ourselves Education Foundation. P6 Raab, R. T., Swanson, B. E., Wentling, T. L., & dark, C. D. (Eds.). (1987). A trainer's guide to evaluation. Rome: FAO. Halim, A., and Ali, M., M., (2008). Training and professional development. Retrived February 10, 2010, < http://www.fao.org/DOCREP/W5830E/w5830e0h.htm> Peterson, R., (1998). Training needs assessment: meeting the training needs for quality performance. Kogan page. p78 Read More