Description
It requires people who are capable of analyzing and solving job related problems, working cooperatively in teams and 'changing hats' and shifting from job to job as well. Training has increased in importance in today's environment where jobs are complex and change. Rapidly.
TRAINING EFFECTIVENESS - 5p/Training
The game of economic competition has new rules. Firms should be fast and responsive. This
requires responding to customers' needs for quality, variety, customization, convenience and
timeliness. Meeting these new standards requires a workforce that is technically trained in all
respects. t requires people who are capable of analyzing and solving !ob related problems,
working cooperatively in teams and 'changing hats' and shifting from !ob to !ob as well. Training
has increased in importance in today's environment where !obs are comple" and change. #apidly.
$ompanies that pay lip%service to the need for training, by lazily setting aside a few hours a year,
will soon find themselves at the receiving end when talented employees leave in frustration and
other employees find it difficult to beat rivals with new products, sophisticated designs and
improved ways of selling. To survive and flourish in the present day corporate%!ungle, companies
should invest time and money in upgrading the knowledge and skills of their employees
constantly. For, any company that stops in!ecting itself with intelligence is going to die. The
purpose of this chapter is make the student understand the basic principles, areas, and methods of
training currently in use in the corporate circles.
Need for Training
After employees have been selected for various positions in an organization, training
them for the specific tasks to which they have been assigned assumes great
importance. It is true in many organizations that before an employee is fitted into a
harmonious working relationship with other employees, he is given adequate training.
Training is the act of increasing the knowledge and skills of an employee for performing
a particular job. The major outcome of training is learning. A trainee learns new habits,
refined skills and useful knowledge during the training that helps him improve
performance. Training enables an employee to do his present job more efficiently and
prepare himself for a higherlevel job. The essential features of training may be stated
thus!
•€€€€Increases knowledge and skills for doing a particular job" it bridges the gap
between job needs and employee skills, knowledge and behaviors
• #ocuses attention on the current job" it is job specific and addresses particular
performance deficits or problems
• $oncentrates on individual employees" changing what employees know, how they
work, their attitudes toward their work or their interactions with their coworkers or
supervisors
• Tends to be more narrowly focused and oriented toward shortterm performance
concerns.
Training is needed to serve the following prposes!
• %ewly recruited employees require training so as to perform their tasks effectively.
Instruction, guidance, coaching help them to handle jobs competently, without any
wastage.
• Training is necessary to prepare e&isting employees for higherlevel jobs
'promotion(.
• )&isting employees require refresher training so as to keep abreast of the latest
developments in job operations. In the face of rapid technological changes, this is an
absolute necessity.
• Training is necessary when a person moves from one job to another 'transfer(. After
training, the* employee can change jobs quickly, improve his performance levels and
achieve career goals comfortably
• Training is necessary to make employees mobile and versatile. They can be
placed on various jobs depending on organizational needs.
• Training is needed to bridge the gap between what the employee has and what the
job demands.
Training is needed to make employees more productive and useful in the longrun.
Training is needed for employees to gain acceptance from peers &learning a !ob quickly and
being able to pull their own weight is one of the best ways for them to gain acceptance'.
Importance
Training offers innumerable benefits to both employees and employers. It makes the
employee more productive and more useful to an organization. The importance of
training can be studied under the following heads!
"enefits to the #siness!
Trained workers can work more efficiently. They use machines, tools, and materials in a
proper way. +astage is thus eliminated to a large e&tent.
There will be fewer accidents. Training improves the knowledge of employees regarding
the use of machines and equipment. ,ence, trained workers need not be put under
close supervision, as they know how to handle operations properly.
Trained workers can show superior performance. They can turn out better performance.
They can turn out better quality goods by putting the materials, tools and equipment to
good use.
Training makes employees more loyal to an organization. They will be less inclined to
leave the unit where there are growth opportunities
"enefits to the e$plo%ees!
Training makes an employee more useful to a firm. ,ence, he will find employment
more easily.
Training makes employees more efficient and effective. -y combining materials, tools
and equipment in a right way, they can produce more with minimum effort.
Training enables employees to secure promotions easily. They can realise their career
goals comfortably.
Training helps an employee to move from one organization to another easily. ,e can be
more mobile and pursue career goals actively.
)mployees can avoid mistakes, accidents on the job. They can handle jobs with
confidence. They will be more satisfied on their jobs. Their morale would be high.
Thus, training can contribute to higher production, fewer mistakes, greater job
satisfaction and lower labour turnover. Also, it can enable employees to cope with
organizational, social and technological change. )ffective training is an invaluable
investment in the human resources of an organization.
&earning 'rin(iples! The 'hilosoph% of Training
Training is essential for job success. It can lead to higher production, fewer mistakes,
greater job satisfaction and lower turnover. These benefits accrue to both the trainee
and the organization, if managers understand the principles behind the training process.
To this end, training efforts must invariably follow certain learningoriented guidelines.
)odelling
.odeling is simply copying someone else*s behavior. /assive classroom learning does
not leave any room for modeling. If we want to change people, it would be a good idea
to have videotapes of people showing the desired behavior. The selected model should
provide the right kind of behavior to be copied by others. A great deal of human
behaviour is learned by modelling others. $hildren learn by modelling parents and older
children, they are quite comfortable with the process by the time they grow up. As
e&perts put it. 0managers tend to manage as they were managed0
)otivation
#or learning to take place, intention to learn is important. +hen the employee is
motivated, he pays attention to what is being said, done and presented. .otivation to
learn is influenced by the answers to questions such as! ,ow important is my job to
me1 ,ow important is the information1 +ill learning help me progress in the company1
etc. /eople learn more quickly when the material is important and relevant to them.
2earning is usually quicker and longlasting when the learner participates actively. .ost
people, for e&le, never forget how to ride a bicycle because they took an active part
in the learning process.
Reinfor(e$ent
If a behavior is rewarded, it probably will be repeated. /ositive reinforcement consists of
rewarding desired behaviors. /eople avoid certain behaviors that invite criticism and
punishment. A bank officer would want to do a postgraduate course in finance, if it earns
him increments and makes him eligible for further promotions. -oth the e&ternal
rewards 'investments, praise( and the internal rewards 'a feeling of pride and
achievement( associated with desired behaviors compel subjects to learn properly. To
be effective, the trainer must reward desired behaviors only. If he rewards poor
performance, the results may be disastrous! good performers may quit in frustration,
accidents may go up, and productivity may suffer. The reinforcement principle is also
based on the premise that punishment is less effective in learning than reward.
/unishment is a pointer to undesirable behaviors. +hen administered, it causes pain to
the employee. ,e mayor may not repeat the mistakes. The reactions may be mild or
wild. Action taken to repeal a person from undesirable action is punishment. If
administered properly, punishment may force the trainee to modify the undesired or
incorrect behaviors.
Feed#a(*
/eople learn best if reinforcement is given as soon as possible after training. )very
employee wants to know what is e&pected of him and how well he is doing. If he is off
the track, somebody must put him back on the rails. The errors in such cases must be
rectified immediately. The trainee after learning the right behaviour is motivated to do
things in a *right* way and earn the associated rewards. /ositive feedback 'showing the
trainee the right way of doing things( is to be preferred to negative feedback 'telling the
trainee that he is not correct( when we want to change behaviour.
Spa(ed 'ra(ti(e
2earning takes place easily if the practice sessions are spread over a period of time.
%ew employees learn better if the orientation programme is spread over a two or three
day period, instead of covering it all in one day. #or memorizing tasks, *massed* practice
is usually more effective. Imagine the way schools ask the kids to say the 2ord*s prayer
aloud. $an you memorise a long poem by learning only one line per day1 3ou tend to
forget the beginning of the poem by the time you reach the last stanza. #or *acquiring*
skills as stated by .athis and 4ackson, spaced practice is usually the best. This
incremental approach to skill acquisition minimises the physical fatigue that deters
learning.
+hole &earning
The concept of whole learning suggests that employees learn better if the job
information is e&plained as an entire logical process, so that they can see how the
various actions fit together into the *big picture*. A broad overview of what the trainee
would be doing on the job should be given top priority, if learning has to take place
quickly. 5esearch studies have also indicated that it is more efficient to practice a whole
task all at once rather than trying to master the various components of the task at
different intervals.
A(tive 'ra(ti(e
*/ractice makes a man perfect*! so said -acon. To be a swimmer, you should plunge
into water instead of simply reading about swimming or looking at films of the worlds*
best swimmers. 2earning is enhanced when trainees are provided ample opportunities
to repeat the task. #or ma&imum benefit, practice sessions should be distributed over
time.
Appli(a#ilit% of Training
Training should be as real as possible so that trainees can successfully transfer the new
knowledge to their jobs. The training situations should be set up so that trainees can
visualise and identify with the types of situations they can come across on the job.
Environ$ent
#inally, environment plays a major role in training. It is natural that workers who are
e&posed to training in comfortable environments with adequate, well spaced rest
periods are more likely to learn than employees whose training conditions are less than
ideal. 6enerally speaking, learning is very fast at the beginning. Thereafter, the pace of
learning slows down as opportunities for improvement taper off.
Areas of Training
The Areas of Training in which training is offered may be classified into the following
categories.
,nowledge
,ere the trainee learns about a set of rules and regulations about the job, the staff and
the products or services offered by the company. The aim is to make the new employee
fully aware of what goes on inside and outside the company.
Te(hni(al S*ills
The employee is taught a specific skill 'e.g., operating a machine, handling computer
etc.( so that he can acquire that skill and contribute meaningfully.
So(ial S*ills
The employee is made to learn about himself and others, and to develop a right mental
attitude towards the job, colleagues and the company. The principal focus is on teaching
the employee how to be a team member and get ahead.
Te(hni-es
This involves the application of knowledge and skill to various onthejob situations.
n addition to improving the skills and knowledge of employees, training aims at moulding
employee attitudes( )hen administered properly, a training programme will go a long way in
obt*ining employee loyalty, support and commitment to company activities.
T%pes of Training
There are many approaches to training. +e focus here on the types of training that are
commonly employed in presentday organisations.
S*ills training! This type of training is most common in organisations. The process
here is fairly simple. The need for training in basic skills 'such as reading, writing,
computing, speaking, listening, problem solving, managing oneself, knowing how to
learn, working as part of a team, leading others( is identified through assessment.
7pecific training objectives are set and training content is developed to meet those
objectives. 7everal methods are available for imparting these basic skills in modern
organisations 'such as lectures, apprenticeship, onthejob, coaching etc.(. -efore
employing these methods, managers should!
• e&plain how the training will help the trainees in their jobs.
• relate the training to the trainees* goals.
• respect and consider participant responses and use these as a resource.
• encourage trainees to learn by doing.
• give feedback on progress toward meeting learning objectives.
• Refresher training: 5apid changes in technology may force companies to go in for
this kind of training. -y organising shortterm courses which incorporate the latest
developments in a particular field, the company may keep its employees uptodate
and ready to take on emerging challenges.
• It is conducted at regular intervals by taking the help of outside consultants who
specialise in a particular descriptive.
• Cross-fn(tional Training: $rossfunctional Training involves training
employees to perform operations in areas other than their assigned job. There are
many approaches to cross functional training. 4ob rotation can be used to provide a
manager in one functional area with a broader perspective than he would otherwise
have. 8epartments can e&change personnel for a certain period so that each
employee understands how other departments are functioning. ,igh performing
workers can act as peer trainers and help employees develop skills in another area
of operation. $ross functional training provides the following benefits to an
organisation 'and the workers as well( '9( +orkers gain rich e&perience in handling
diverse jobs" they become more adaptable and versatile '
they can better
engineer their own career paths ';( they not only know their job well but also
understand how others are able to perform under a different set of constraints '
It requires people who are capable of analyzing and solving job related problems, working cooperatively in teams and 'changing hats' and shifting from job to job as well. Training has increased in importance in today's environment where jobs are complex and change. Rapidly.
TRAINING EFFECTIVENESS - 5p/Training
The game of economic competition has new rules. Firms should be fast and responsive. This
requires responding to customers' needs for quality, variety, customization, convenience and
timeliness. Meeting these new standards requires a workforce that is technically trained in all
respects. t requires people who are capable of analyzing and solving !ob related problems,
working cooperatively in teams and 'changing hats' and shifting from !ob to !ob as well. Training
has increased in importance in today's environment where !obs are comple" and change. #apidly.
$ompanies that pay lip%service to the need for training, by lazily setting aside a few hours a year,
will soon find themselves at the receiving end when talented employees leave in frustration and
other employees find it difficult to beat rivals with new products, sophisticated designs and
improved ways of selling. To survive and flourish in the present day corporate%!ungle, companies
should invest time and money in upgrading the knowledge and skills of their employees
constantly. For, any company that stops in!ecting itself with intelligence is going to die. The
purpose of this chapter is make the student understand the basic principles, areas, and methods of
training currently in use in the corporate circles.
Need for Training
After employees have been selected for various positions in an organization, training
them for the specific tasks to which they have been assigned assumes great
importance. It is true in many organizations that before an employee is fitted into a
harmonious working relationship with other employees, he is given adequate training.
Training is the act of increasing the knowledge and skills of an employee for performing
a particular job. The major outcome of training is learning. A trainee learns new habits,
refined skills and useful knowledge during the training that helps him improve
performance. Training enables an employee to do his present job more efficiently and
prepare himself for a higherlevel job. The essential features of training may be stated
thus!
•€€€€Increases knowledge and skills for doing a particular job" it bridges the gap
between job needs and employee skills, knowledge and behaviors
• #ocuses attention on the current job" it is job specific and addresses particular
performance deficits or problems
• $oncentrates on individual employees" changing what employees know, how they
work, their attitudes toward their work or their interactions with their coworkers or
supervisors
• Tends to be more narrowly focused and oriented toward shortterm performance
concerns.
Training is needed to serve the following prposes!
• %ewly recruited employees require training so as to perform their tasks effectively.
Instruction, guidance, coaching help them to handle jobs competently, without any
wastage.
• Training is necessary to prepare e&isting employees for higherlevel jobs
'promotion(.
• )&isting employees require refresher training so as to keep abreast of the latest
developments in job operations. In the face of rapid technological changes, this is an
absolute necessity.
• Training is necessary when a person moves from one job to another 'transfer(. After
training, the* employee can change jobs quickly, improve his performance levels and
achieve career goals comfortably
• Training is necessary to make employees mobile and versatile. They can be
placed on various jobs depending on organizational needs.
• Training is needed to bridge the gap between what the employee has and what the
job demands.
Training is needed to make employees more productive and useful in the longrun.
Training is needed for employees to gain acceptance from peers &learning a !ob quickly and
being able to pull their own weight is one of the best ways for them to gain acceptance'.
Importance
Training offers innumerable benefits to both employees and employers. It makes the
employee more productive and more useful to an organization. The importance of
training can be studied under the following heads!
"enefits to the #siness!
Trained workers can work more efficiently. They use machines, tools, and materials in a
proper way. +astage is thus eliminated to a large e&tent.
There will be fewer accidents. Training improves the knowledge of employees regarding
the use of machines and equipment. ,ence, trained workers need not be put under
close supervision, as they know how to handle operations properly.
Trained workers can show superior performance. They can turn out better performance.
They can turn out better quality goods by putting the materials, tools and equipment to
good use.
Training makes employees more loyal to an organization. They will be less inclined to
leave the unit where there are growth opportunities
"enefits to the e$plo%ees!
Training makes an employee more useful to a firm. ,ence, he will find employment
more easily.
Training makes employees more efficient and effective. -y combining materials, tools
and equipment in a right way, they can produce more with minimum effort.
Training enables employees to secure promotions easily. They can realise their career
goals comfortably.
Training helps an employee to move from one organization to another easily. ,e can be
more mobile and pursue career goals actively.
)mployees can avoid mistakes, accidents on the job. They can handle jobs with
confidence. They will be more satisfied on their jobs. Their morale would be high.
Thus, training can contribute to higher production, fewer mistakes, greater job
satisfaction and lower labour turnover. Also, it can enable employees to cope with
organizational, social and technological change. )ffective training is an invaluable
investment in the human resources of an organization.
&earning 'rin(iples! The 'hilosoph% of Training
Training is essential for job success. It can lead to higher production, fewer mistakes,
greater job satisfaction and lower turnover. These benefits accrue to both the trainee
and the organization, if managers understand the principles behind the training process.
To this end, training efforts must invariably follow certain learningoriented guidelines.
)odelling
.odeling is simply copying someone else*s behavior. /assive classroom learning does
not leave any room for modeling. If we want to change people, it would be a good idea
to have videotapes of people showing the desired behavior. The selected model should
provide the right kind of behavior to be copied by others. A great deal of human
behaviour is learned by modelling others. $hildren learn by modelling parents and older
children, they are quite comfortable with the process by the time they grow up. As
e&perts put it. 0managers tend to manage as they were managed0
)otivation
#or learning to take place, intention to learn is important. +hen the employee is
motivated, he pays attention to what is being said, done and presented. .otivation to
learn is influenced by the answers to questions such as! ,ow important is my job to
me1 ,ow important is the information1 +ill learning help me progress in the company1
etc. /eople learn more quickly when the material is important and relevant to them.
2earning is usually quicker and longlasting when the learner participates actively. .ost
people, for e&le, never forget how to ride a bicycle because they took an active part
in the learning process.
Reinfor(e$ent
If a behavior is rewarded, it probably will be repeated. /ositive reinforcement consists of
rewarding desired behaviors. /eople avoid certain behaviors that invite criticism and
punishment. A bank officer would want to do a postgraduate course in finance, if it earns
him increments and makes him eligible for further promotions. -oth the e&ternal
rewards 'investments, praise( and the internal rewards 'a feeling of pride and
achievement( associated with desired behaviors compel subjects to learn properly. To
be effective, the trainer must reward desired behaviors only. If he rewards poor
performance, the results may be disastrous! good performers may quit in frustration,
accidents may go up, and productivity may suffer. The reinforcement principle is also
based on the premise that punishment is less effective in learning than reward.
/unishment is a pointer to undesirable behaviors. +hen administered, it causes pain to
the employee. ,e mayor may not repeat the mistakes. The reactions may be mild or
wild. Action taken to repeal a person from undesirable action is punishment. If
administered properly, punishment may force the trainee to modify the undesired or
incorrect behaviors.
Feed#a(*
/eople learn best if reinforcement is given as soon as possible after training. )very
employee wants to know what is e&pected of him and how well he is doing. If he is off
the track, somebody must put him back on the rails. The errors in such cases must be
rectified immediately. The trainee after learning the right behaviour is motivated to do
things in a *right* way and earn the associated rewards. /ositive feedback 'showing the
trainee the right way of doing things( is to be preferred to negative feedback 'telling the
trainee that he is not correct( when we want to change behaviour.
Spa(ed 'ra(ti(e
2earning takes place easily if the practice sessions are spread over a period of time.
%ew employees learn better if the orientation programme is spread over a two or three
day period, instead of covering it all in one day. #or memorizing tasks, *massed* practice
is usually more effective. Imagine the way schools ask the kids to say the 2ord*s prayer
aloud. $an you memorise a long poem by learning only one line per day1 3ou tend to
forget the beginning of the poem by the time you reach the last stanza. #or *acquiring*
skills as stated by .athis and 4ackson, spaced practice is usually the best. This
incremental approach to skill acquisition minimises the physical fatigue that deters
learning.
+hole &earning
The concept of whole learning suggests that employees learn better if the job
information is e&plained as an entire logical process, so that they can see how the
various actions fit together into the *big picture*. A broad overview of what the trainee
would be doing on the job should be given top priority, if learning has to take place
quickly. 5esearch studies have also indicated that it is more efficient to practice a whole
task all at once rather than trying to master the various components of the task at
different intervals.
A(tive 'ra(ti(e
*/ractice makes a man perfect*! so said -acon. To be a swimmer, you should plunge
into water instead of simply reading about swimming or looking at films of the worlds*
best swimmers. 2earning is enhanced when trainees are provided ample opportunities
to repeat the task. #or ma&imum benefit, practice sessions should be distributed over
time.
Appli(a#ilit% of Training
Training should be as real as possible so that trainees can successfully transfer the new
knowledge to their jobs. The training situations should be set up so that trainees can
visualise and identify with the types of situations they can come across on the job.
Environ$ent
#inally, environment plays a major role in training. It is natural that workers who are
e&posed to training in comfortable environments with adequate, well spaced rest
periods are more likely to learn than employees whose training conditions are less than
ideal. 6enerally speaking, learning is very fast at the beginning. Thereafter, the pace of
learning slows down as opportunities for improvement taper off.
Areas of Training
The Areas of Training in which training is offered may be classified into the following
categories.
,nowledge
,ere the trainee learns about a set of rules and regulations about the job, the staff and
the products or services offered by the company. The aim is to make the new employee
fully aware of what goes on inside and outside the company.
Te(hni(al S*ills
The employee is taught a specific skill 'e.g., operating a machine, handling computer
etc.( so that he can acquire that skill and contribute meaningfully.
So(ial S*ills
The employee is made to learn about himself and others, and to develop a right mental
attitude towards the job, colleagues and the company. The principal focus is on teaching
the employee how to be a team member and get ahead.
Te(hni-es
This involves the application of knowledge and skill to various onthejob situations.
n addition to improving the skills and knowledge of employees, training aims at moulding
employee attitudes( )hen administered properly, a training programme will go a long way in
obt*ining employee loyalty, support and commitment to company activities.
T%pes of Training
There are many approaches to training. +e focus here on the types of training that are
commonly employed in presentday organisations.
S*ills training! This type of training is most common in organisations. The process
here is fairly simple. The need for training in basic skills 'such as reading, writing,
computing, speaking, listening, problem solving, managing oneself, knowing how to
learn, working as part of a team, leading others( is identified through assessment.
7pecific training objectives are set and training content is developed to meet those
objectives. 7everal methods are available for imparting these basic skills in modern
organisations 'such as lectures, apprenticeship, onthejob, coaching etc.(. -efore
employing these methods, managers should!
• e&plain how the training will help the trainees in their jobs.
• relate the training to the trainees* goals.
• respect and consider participant responses and use these as a resource.
• encourage trainees to learn by doing.
• give feedback on progress toward meeting learning objectives.
• Refresher training: 5apid changes in technology may force companies to go in for
this kind of training. -y organising shortterm courses which incorporate the latest
developments in a particular field, the company may keep its employees uptodate
and ready to take on emerging challenges.
• It is conducted at regular intervals by taking the help of outside consultants who
specialise in a particular descriptive.
• Cross-fn(tional Training: $rossfunctional Training involves training
employees to perform operations in areas other than their assigned job. There are
many approaches to cross functional training. 4ob rotation can be used to provide a
manager in one functional area with a broader perspective than he would otherwise
have. 8epartments can e&change personnel for a certain period so that each
employee understands how other departments are functioning. ,igh performing
workers can act as peer trainers and help employees develop skills in another area
of operation. $ross functional training provides the following benefits to an
organisation 'and the workers as well( '9( +orkers gain rich e&perience in handling
diverse jobs" they become more adaptable and versatile '
they can betterengineer their own career paths ';( they not only know their job well but also
understand how others are able to perform under a different set of constraints '