Efficacy of a template creation approach for performance improvement

This article presents the training and performance improvement approach, performance templates (P‐T), and provides empirical evidence to support the efficacy of P‐T. This approach involves a partnership among managers, trainers, and employees in the creation, use, and improvement of guides to affect the performance of critical tasks in the operating environment. The P‐T approach requires much involvement and hands‐on activities by training participants, and, as a result, training groups are not large. Given that limitation, a comparison of employees trained with P‐T methods and employees trained in more conventional methods indicates that the P‐T approach can lead to improved performance to some extent over a fairly short period.     

Overview of Transfer of Training: From Learning to Performance

This article explores the background, current state, and emerging trends in transfer of training. Transfer of training can be denned as, ensuring full application of new skills and knowledge to the workplace. Typically, past training efforts have focused on ensuring learning by trainees, and not on supporting the transfer of that learning to performance on the job. Today's organizations recognize effective workforce performance as a strategic asset in the global competitive economy but face problems in attaining high performance. Experience of successful organizations shows that key stakeholders (managers, trainers, trainees, and others) must be closely involved in all phases of the design, development, and implementation of training and other performance improvement efforts, to achieve and maintain effective workforce performance. However, both managers and human performance professionals frequently overlook the need to gain stakeholder involvement to support full transfer of new skills to the job. A successful program in a government agency, and recommendations for transfer strategies for technology-based learning, illustrate the collaboration of stakeholders which is necessary to achieve high levels of transfer of skills to the workplace.     

A Comprehensive Model for the Transfer of Training

The transfer of newly learned skills from a training situation to actual on-the-job performance is one of the most important aspects of training design and development, since this process is the ultimate goal of nearly any training session. Based on an extensive literature review in a variety of educational and corporate content areas, the following article presents a model for the effective transfer of newly learned skills from the training classroom to worksite implementation. The model includes three overall stages (pre-training, training, and post-training) and specific strategies in each stage for use by trainers, managers, and other corporate professionals. While useful in a variety of settings, this model should prove particularly helpful to instructional designers and corporate trainers involved in developing instruction to improve the performance of employees at all levels.     

A NATIONAL INVESTIGATION OF SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGY TRAINERS’ ATTITUDES AND BELIEFS ABOUT EVIDENCE‐BASED PRACTICES

The present investigation examined 460 school psychology trainers’ attitudes and beliefs about the conditions for the education and training of evidence‐based practices (i.e., assessments and interventions) in training programs in the United States and Canada using an online survey. Trainer attitudes and beliefs about education and training in evidence‐based practices were measured using a 24‐item five‐point Likert scale. Overall, trainers had positive views of evidence‐based practices, as well as program and organizational support for such training. However, trainers rated the education and training of evidence‐based assessments more favorably than evidence‐based interventions. In general, trainer characteristics nor program accreditation status, model, or type of degree offered were found to influence trainers’ perceptions about evidence‐based practices. However, trainers with prior experience teaching evidence‐based intervention courses were found to have more supportive views of evidence‐based assessments and interventions than those without such experience. Implications for future training and school practice are discussed.     

Monitoring Training Programmes Using Level of Use Interviews

Abstract

Many sound innovations in vocational education and training ‘fail’ because they are poorly implemented. This finding has recently prompted some vocational educators and trainers to find more effective methods for monitoring the learning outcomes of their training programmes in the workplace. This paper reports on a case study of innovation implementation in a unit of a large Australian telecommunication organisation. A form of participatory action research enabled the monitoring of the training outcomes to be undertaken by the (17) front‐line managers themselves. The Levels of Use (LoU) of the innovation interview was adapted by the participants to monitor a new telephone repair service called ‘Fix‐it‐First‐Time’. The main findings reported here deal with the success of the action learning process that was integral to measuring the implementation outcomes. These findings are also briefly discussed in the context of some European trends in vocational education and training.     

Training in Its Organizational Context: Sharing Responsibility

A persistent concern of those involved with planning, delivering, and evaluating training as well as of managers is whether training “works.” Addressing that question, this paper proposes that training must be integrated into other aspects of the organization if it is to achieve lasting results. In other words, training must be viewed within its organizational context rather than as a stand‐alone activity. Viewing training contextually raises both training implementation and training evaluation issues. From the implementation perspective, issues abound concerning the best way to link training with other parts of the organization to enhance its effectiveness. From the perspective of evaluation, the difficult issue of accountability arises: Training cannot take responsibility for things beyond its control, but it also cannot abdicate responsibility. How does shared responsibility for results work within an organization? This paper explores these issues by reviewing literature related to training in context, presenting a model for understanding training within an organizational context, and presenting practice implications for trainers.     

Preferences of Training Performance Measurement: A Comparative Study of Training Professionals and Non‐training Managers

ABSTRACT This survey‐based study addressed a perceived gap between training performance evaluation practice and decision‐making criteria required in business. Training professionals and non‐training managers in North Carolina were surveyed. The study found that the groups differ in the performance measures that motivate them to act on training issues. Non‐training managers preferred measurements of productivity, organizational climate, product quality, cost, and customer service reports. Training professionals preferred measures of opinions of the trainee's supervisor, end‐of‐training exam scores, progress/work performance reports, and opinions of the trainee. The study concluded that (1) training professionals and non‐training managers react to different training performance measures; (2) training professionals are more likely to react to job/individual‐level performance measures; (3) non‐training managers are more likely to rely on organizational‐level measures; (4) non‐training managers are not primarily concerned with converting training benefits to dollar figures; (5) on‐the‐job tests and customer service reports are valued by both the training profession and business and industry; and (6) the low response suggests a potential lack of interest for the strategic position of the training function.     

Strategic Planning: From Training to Performance Technology Within Three Years

Many corporate Human Resource Development (HRD) department staff are type-cast as trainers. They have tried to become human performance technologists and have found it difficult to accomplish. This article describes how developing and implementing a set of strategic plans guided one HRD department through its evolution from delivering conventional training to delivering multiple performance improvement interventions. It will show how projects were selected, developed, and managed over a three-year period to meet the customer's critical business issues and the HRD department's strategic plan.     

Training to Improve New Product Sales Performance: The Case of Samsung in China

The authors report a case study conducted with over 8,000 Samsung salespeople in the Chinese market. Using research‐oriented, evidence‐based, and systematic approaches, training professionals contributed to Samsung's business outcomes at multiple levels. The case highlights the valuable impacts of training on salespeople's behaviors and new product sales performance and provides meaningful implications for trainers as they strive to be relevant to their business partners.     

Training Transfer and Transfer Motivation: The Influence of Individual,Environmental, Situational,Training Design,and Affective Reaction Factors

The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of individual, environmental, training design, and affective reaction factors on training transfer and transfer motivation. To determine the relationship between these factors and their influence on training transfer and to test the model, the researchers collected data from employees in the Malaysian banking sector. Structural equation modeling with Amos 16 was used to test the model and determine the relationship. The study suggested that training stakeholders should manage the training program effectively. Transfer is maximized when trainees have social support, high performance self‐efficacy, and transfer motivation. Stakeholders (e.g., trainers, trainees, supervisors, and peers) are important to the training transfer process, as are learner readiness, trainee reaction, instrumentality, and training retention. This study revealed that perceived content validity and transfer design work together and influence the trainee's performance self‐efficacy. In other words, if trainers want to improve the performance self‐efficacy level of trainees, they need to explain how the trainee can transfer the learned skills at the workplace and make sure the content of the training is similar to the actual job. The main objective of training programs is to align the employee's expertise with organizational goals. Organizations can achieve their desired objectives only when employees transfer the learned skills on the job. Unfortunately, employees often transfer only a small percentage of skills they have learned in training. To effectively manage their training programs, organizations need to identify and focus on the factors that resist effective training transfer.     

陕西省农村义务教育阶段教师全员培训现状、问题及对策研究

陕西省农村义务教育阶段教师全员培训任务总体完成情况良好,但在管理者、培训者、被培训者以及评价、经费诸方面都存在一些问题。建议加强中小学教师全员培训工作的整体规划,明确各级分工,确保培训工作协调发展;培训重心下移,确定以县管理,以市协调,以省统筹规划的全员培训管理机制;建设有序、高效的立体培训网络,确保培训质量;强化各项保障机制。     

M.A.S.S.: A Model for Producing Transfer

Transfer is the application in the workplace of the knowledge, skills and attitudes learned in training. With transfer, trainers hope to link training to increased job performance. However, training alone will not produce transfer. To affect job performance as a result of training, trainers must intentionally promote transfer using a variety of strategies based on known principles of human performance technology. The MASS model, presented in this paper, brings together four of these principles. According to the MASS model, trainers who promote transfer (and who thereby become performance technologists) 1) Motivate trainees to learn and use the training material; 2) increase trainees' Awareness of when to use new skills and ideas; 3) enable trainees to master and to apply Skills; and 4) give trainees psychological and physical Support on the job. When performance technologists follow the MASS model, they can expect to produce trainees who apply at work what they have been taught in training. Use of the model is illustrated with two examples.     

Group sensitivity training with Thai workers and managers as a process to promote inter- and intrapersonal relations,and work performance

Relatively little attention has been paid to the use of group sensitivity training in developing nations. This study investigated the effects of group sensitivity training on the inter- and intrapersonal relations and the work performance of 20 workers and 20 managers of the Petroleum Authority of Thailand. Results show significant improvement in both inter- and intrapersonal relations for the experimental workers group, experimental managers group, and experimental mixed workers/managers group. However, significant improvement in work performance was found for both experimental and control groups.     

A Survey of Current and Future Perceived Multi‐National Corporation Manufacturing Training Needs in Tianjin,China (T.E.D.A.)

The purpose of this study was to survey current and perceived future employer‐provided training practices among MNC [multi‐national corporations] manufacturing companies in the Tianjin Economic Development Area (T.E.D.A.) of China. The study bifurcated the data into two areas: all firms and only firms with a structured formal training program in place. A face‐to‐face interview was administered to HR personnel and trainers in the “top eighty” manufacturing MNCs in T.E.D.A. as designated by the T.E.D.A. administrative government in March 2000. A total of 56 interviews were obtained for a sampling margin of error of +/‐ 5. Data analysis revealed that overall the workforces in T.E.D.A employed 350 people or less, were largely youthful, and growing slowly. All employees had 11 to 15 years of formal education. A majority of firms conducted training needs assessments, gave skilled workers more training than unskilled, and earmarked 60% of the training budget for outsourcing. The quality perception of outsource training available in T.E.D.A. was mediocre. Management, technical skills, QC [quality control], and sales training accounted for 67% of the current training need. In three years, they were still perceived to be accounting for the same amounts, but among well‐correlated training departments, QC training was expected to decrease 2%, while in firms without a structured training program, sales training was expected to increase 2%. Trainers did not perceive employee turnover as a training problem. ROI [return on investment] perception on training was greater than 6%.     

Training and Motivating the New Labor Force: The Impact of Ethnicity

The old American concept of “melting pot” may no longer be the correct conceptual framework to use when dealing with the influx of new immigrants into the work force. It may be best neither to treat nor to expect everyone to be the same but rather to consider and to accommodate ethnic diversity. Harmonization may provide more effective management than homogenization. Problems can arise when words, examples, and relationships between trainers, trainees, and managers are contrary to the cultural norms and expectations of the employees. Managers and trainers can improve human performance by changing their standard operating procedures to include an understanding of the implication of ethnicity in the training environment. Although there is little research on the new labor force and few tested strategies, some earlier work addressed the preparation of employees of multinational corporations for work abroad. This paper explores ethnic differences and potential problems resulting from a new labor force and discusses some potential approaches to interethnic training based on investigations in sociological and communications research.     

UNIVERSITY MANAGEMENT IN EASTERN EUROPE∗

For the future, academic management training programmes should focus upon needs expressed at institutional level without reference to national co‐ordinators; however, some national networks could and should be exploited in support of institutional objectives. A distance learning project for university managers would benefit from co‐operation with local expertise. Where this is unavailable, distance education should first concentrate upon building up a local organization for distance education so that costs will not be prohibitively high. Present funding schemes favour academic rather than administrative/management links; therefore, trainers must adopt imaginative approaches in order to create opportunities. Amongst these are management training linked to academic visits and management and administrative training tied to industrial liaison and brokerage.

     

Factors affecting success of training companies

This study aims to identify the key factors which influence the functioning quality and success of training companies. Based on an analysis of the requirements included in the quality management system standards for providers of education and training services, a set of twenty factors has been developed. This was followed by a survey for specifically selected managers of 90 Polish firms, which provide training, who evaluated both the influence of the factors on the probability of success and also the level of difficulty required to accomplish the factors. The findings indicate that the managers of the learning providers need to focus on employing qualified trainers and providing a curriculum which is unique and adjusted to their customers’ needs.     

Taking Ownership for Transfer: A Management Development Case Study

The responsibility for effective transfer of training falls into a gray area between trainers, trainees, and management. It is easy for trainers to point fingers at management and say that they are not supporting transfer of learned skills in the work environment. But this assumes that management views training as an integral component for improving organizational performance, which is often not the case. Training is more often managed as a cost than as an asset. One Training section at Intel has been experimenting with increasing transfer and improving organizational performance by directly influencing the trainee population during and after training. The rationale is that the best way to generate interest from upper management, is to demonstrate business results. This article describes a series of tactics for improving transfer of training. Each tactic was driven by the training function in an attempt to directly influence the transfer of specific management skills to the work environment.     

Competency‐Based Evaluation: A Paradigm Change

Most training units fail to evaluate training effectiveness in terms of return on investment (ROI). In this article the argument is made that this is a result of using an inadequate evaluation paradigm. The author suggests a paradigm that is based upon a common cost‐benefit framework. As such, the alternative paradigm a) will be more understood and accepted by other managers in the organization, b) will enable the evaluation of the full scope of training activities all within one framework including effectiveness, cost, quality and efficiency‐related activities. In order to measure effectiveness we have to broaden the definition of the term performance improvement. The definition should relate also to the cost of behavioral change. In addition, we have to differentiate between evaluations of training effectiveness and consulting effectiveness. These two changes will enable us to link directly, training activities to performance improvement. Training results will improve human capital and could be measured in ROI terms.     

THE ARMY WAY: EFFECTIVE TRAINING WITH TELEVISION.

This paper is an abbreviated version of the co‐authors’ presentation at the Association's Annual Conference in Manchester, 1978. It offers some points for discussion in the debate on how to influence lecturers and trainers to have a new approach to learning, involving a better use of television facilities. We attempt to show how television took its place in army training in both the United States and British Armies, and though a cost‐effective and useful aid in its own right, it also played a part in influencing trainers towards a new training attitude. The US Army has been involved in this field ten years longer than the British Army and thus, because of its experience and size has interesting figures to support the case that may be made for its approach to training and development. This could be an important indication for training methods in a wide range of contexts in the future.