Training Effectiveness - Essay Example

How Training helps the development of an organisation Research Philosophy Employees are supposed to be equipped with some form of expertise such asknowledge, skill and attitudes regardless of the position he/she holds in an organisation. At the same time, it is not necessary that one should have all the expertise that the organisation demands from time to time. He/she may have to equip himself/herself with the current needs of the organisation that strives to maintain its survival amongst its rivals. This calls for imparting knowledge and training to all employees irrespective of the status/position. Training and development has become a necessity in the present day organisation as they have to meet many challenges posed by their environment in general and competitors in particular. The present research is undertaken at the Somerfeild to evaluate its effectiveness in meeting the demands of the employees and organisational objectives. This firm already a number of training packages such as induction and familiarisation packages. Induction training is meant for employees who join the firm for the first time. In fact, the firm is known for its excellence in training programs and its induction training programs is one of the trainings recommended by Retail Industry Awards, 2004 (our people). At this juncture, it is desirable to have a deep knowledge about the training programs conducted by the firm and its effectiveness. The study mainly seeks to investigate how successful are the training programs of the firm to be reflected in the employee performance and organisational development. Literature Review Employee training and development is one of the fascinating areas for researchers who are interested in exploring new insights from human resource development and workers' empowerment. Modern organizations have realized that employee performance is a prerequisite for organizational success and as a result training and development programs are vital for organizational survival and success. It has also been accepted by the present day organizations that continuous learning environment is a positive environment for goal achievement in the highly competitive environment. Several studies have supported these arguments and the study undertaken by Sayeed Omer Bin reveals that business performance depend on high performance, which in turn is depended upon the employee training and development (Sayeed 1998). The present literature review covers only the recent studies and papers that have been published through books and academic journals in and outside the country. In a case based study undertaken by Amitabh Kodwani Deo and Singh Manjari entitled 'Towards Effective Training and Development in Indian Public Sector Enterprises', the authors argue that employee training is an effective tool in improving the individual and organizational performance. The authors further remind that training can result in employee and organizational performance only when the active participation from employees is made and the organization offers a congenial and learning environment Kodwani and Singh (2004). In another case study of S. Sudha to explore the effectiveness of training to the employees and the organization, it is explained that the imparting of training is performance oriented in the sense that training requirement of an employee is determined on the basis of his/her performance at the work (Sudha 2006). The study also finds that training is essential as a learning environment alone can influence the behaviour of employees. Alan Barrett and O'Connell Philip J undertook a study in 2001 to examine the productive effects of training through a survey research. The study includes all types of training such as general training and special training. The authors tried to observe the results of the study after a statistical analysis by which the positive impact of training was tested. It was found that there were no positive impacts on productivity out of specific training (Barrett and O'Connell 2001). C. Ostroff, in his study 'Training Effectiveness Measure and Scoring Scheme: A Comparisons' tried to introduce a novel mechanism of evaluating training effectiveness, which applied in scripted situations. The new mechanism makes use of expert and empirical scoring schemes as a tool of measurement. The study was undertaken with a hypothesis that the job related scenario measures were more sensitive to performance development due to employee training. This hypothesis was confirmed by the study, stating that new training assessment measures shows remarkable effectiveness n training (Ostroff 1991). In another study entitled 'How to Measure Management Training and Development Effectiveness' authored by Endres J. Garrett and Brain H Kleiner, it is stated that measurement of training effectiveness is a difficult task. The study proposed the need for a novel measurement program that takes care of important areas such as emotional reaction and knowledge gain. In addition, it is also recommended that employee behavioural changes and organizational impact are also to be made use of taking into account the long term period to evaluate the effectiveness of training program. The study finally observed that the suggested measurements are of immense use in evaluating the training effectiveness in performance and development (Garrett and Brain 1990). Training Methods Depending upon the requirement of employees and organisation, training programs are of several kinds. The selection of a particular training method purely depends upon the training needs of an employee, the type of work etc. Conventionally, everybody is familiar with training methods such as on-the-job training (OJT), off-the-job training, vestibule training etc. However, modern organisations have introduced many other training programs that are exclusively meant for some type of jobs. Some of the modern training methods are discussed below: 1. Coaching This kind of training is usually imparted to managers who have been given a specific position and the organisation needs to train them while they are working. Thus it is a form of OJT. It involves direct personal instructions and directions which are imparted through demonstrations and continuous evaluations. This offers many advantages to the trainee in terms of quick feedback, continuous learning etc. 2. Job Rotation This involves the movement of an employee from one job to another. The movement here does not mean that employee is transferred from one position to another. The main intention of this program is to create a learning environment for employees where they are able to get acquainted with many jobs 3. Participation in Deliberations This kind of training programs involves the participation of employees in certain groups like committees, task forces, project assignments etc. This allows one to learn from the experience and later on he/she will be able to take independent decisions. 4. Role Playing Under this training program, the trainees are taking different roles in an imaginary situation just like characters do in the drama or play. Trainees assume some key roles in the organisation and behave and act like people in those positions and also take decision as if they are holding such positions. 5. Simulation Training It is a kind of duplication of a real life business situation that needs a decision. It is a mock-up of a real situation in an organisation. This is also similar to role playing except that the former takes imaginary role, but the latter involves the duplication of an actual situation. Benefits of training and development Training is commonly understood as that part of organisational learning process aimed at improving the employee knowledge, skill and attitude at the work place so as to ensure better performance and organisational success. Training and development is highly essential in the modern business environment characterised by globalisation, technological revolution and competition. All these forces necessitate the modern organisations to organise training programs to equip its employees with sufficient knowledge and skill to perform their tasks effectively. The ultimate objective of training is performance improvement. The benefits of training can be discussed from organisational as well as employee perspectives. All these can be summarised as below: Improves knowledge and skill to perform a particular job Enhances competitive advantage Ensure compliance with industry and regulatory requirements Increased operational efficiencies Orientation of a customer-centric organization Enhances on-the-job performance, which eventually results in the performance of the organization Achieve professional or further educational qualifications; Improves quality of work life and maintains a happy balance with personal life Accomplishment of job satisfaction References Barrett Alan and O'Connell Philip J (2001), 'Does Training Generally Work The Return to In-Company Training', Industrial & Labour Relation Review, 57: 1 Garrett J Endres and Brain H Kleiner (1990), 'How to Measure Management Training and Development Effectiveness', Journal of European Industrial Training, 14: 9 Ghosh Sumit Kumar (1997), Training Effectiveness in State Road Transport Undertaking', The Journal of Institutes of Public Enterprises, 20: 1 and 2, 28-35 Kodwani Amitabh Deo and Singh Manjari (2004), 'Towards Effective Training and Development in Indian Public Sector Enterprises: A Case-Based Analysis', South Asian Journal of Management, 11: 3, 36-35 Ostroff C (1991), 'Training Effectiveness Measure and Scoring Scheme: A Comparisons', Personnel Psychology, 44, 353-374. Sayeed Omer Bin (1998), Factors Affecting Training Effectiveness: Meta Analyses and Revision of Learning Effort Mode", Indian Journal of Industrial Relations, 34: 2. Sudha S (2006), 'Effectiveness of Training: A Case Study of Greenpeace', H. R. M. Review, Vol. 6: 12, 61-69. Read More