Effective Training: Systems, Strategies and Practices

Book Description
This practical, reader-friendly book discusses training and how it relates to business objectives and strategies. Using a model of the training process to assist readers in understanding the training process, it emphasizes the value of developing training programs, with examples provided for both large and small organizations, relating training to the overall strategy of a firm. This book provides comprehensive coverage of such topics as the role of training in organizations; training in large and small businesses; strategic planning; human resources departments and their role in supporting strategy; theories of learning and their application; needs analysis; training design; training methods; training development and implementation; and training evaluation. For Human Resources Department managers and staff, trainers, project managers, business strategists, and team trainers and team developers.


From the Back Cover
Effective Training, Second Edition, discusses theory and principles of training as they relate to organizational objectives and strategies. This new edition emphasizes the value of developing training programs that relate training to the overall strategy of a firm. NEW—New chapter on important types of training programs—This chapter addresses orientation, diversity, sexual harassment, and team-training. NEW—Expanded examples of training objectives— Comprehensive comparative tables of poor training objectives examples, show how to take poor training objectives and develop better ones. NEW—"How to actually do it" sections—These sections use real training situations, with step-by-step instructions from inception to evaluation. Design theory—Effective Training is the only text on the market that provides guidance in training design using this theory. A comprehensive model of the training process—By using this model of the training process, students are able to apply what they learned to study the various programs presented. Strategic approach—The strategic approach puts training into the larger context of an organization's overall objectives and strategy.


About the Author
Nick Blanchard completed his undergraduate studies in psychology at UCLA and his doctorate in industrial and organizational psychology at Wayne State University. He has served as head of the Management Department, Associate Dean, and is currently interim Dean and Professor of Management at Eastern Michigan University's College of Business. Among his accomplishments is the development, management, and continuous improvement of the on-site MBA program with corporate partner, Masco Corp. Nick's writings appear in both scholarly and applied publications. His earlier training text, Toward a More Organizationally Effective Training Strategy and Practice, was also published by Prentice Hall in 1986. He served as consultant and trainer to many organizations including Bethlehem Steel, Chrysler Corporation, Domtar Gypsum, Ford Motor Company, and various local and state government agencies. Jim Thacker received an undergraduate degree in psychology from the University of Winnipeg in Winnipeg, Manitoba, and his doctorate in industrial and organizational psychology from Wayne State University. He is currently a professor at the University of Windsor's Odette School of Business. His research has been published in both academic (Journal of Applied Psychology, Personnel Psychology, Academy of Management Journal) and practitioner (Journal of Managerial Psychology The Human Resource Consultation: An International Journal) journals. He also coauthored the first Canadian edition of the text Managing Human Resources with Wayne Cascio, published in 1994. He has been a consultant and trainer in the private sector (Michigan Bell, Ford, Hiram Walker's, Navistar, H.J. Heinz) and public sector (Revenue Canada, CanAm Friendship Center). Prior to obtaining his doctorate, Jim worked for a gas utility as a tradesman and served as vice president of his local union (Oil, Chemical, and Atomic Workers) for a number of years. This firsthand experience as a tradesman and union official combined with his consulting and academic credentials provides Jim with a unique combination of perspectives and skills.


Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
We created the idea for the first edition of this book while fishing on a beautiful lake in northern Manitoba. Both of us were teaching a human resource development course and were unsatisfied with the texts available at the time. Our main concern was that we really needed two texts for the course, one providing the theory and scholarship surrounding the learning-teaching experience and one providing the application and "how to" part of the experience. In this second edition we continue to focus on these dual objectives. We added an example of a training program for a small company called Fabrics Inc. and spread it across the appropriate chapters as an illustration of how the concepts can be applied. The case is developed step-by-step from needs analysis through design and evaluation. For example, in Chapter 4, the needs analysis process used in Fabrics Inc. is detailed so the student sees what is actually done. Then it is picked up again at the end of the design chapter and again the student is brought through the process to the end of design. This approach gives the student a real understanding of the things that need to be done and how they are actually done. We continue to differ from other training books in that we place training activities in the context of organizational strategy. Whether you are a student or a practitioner, this book will be of both conceptual and practical value for developing training programs that meet strategic and tactical needs. At the same time, an overarching model of the training process will guide you step-by-step through the training procedures, from initial needs analysis through the evaluation of training's effectiveness. As human resource competencies become a significant competitive advantage, the pace and intensity of organizational training increases dramatically. Human resource development or "performance improvement" departments must demonstrate that their programs enhance competencies that are of strategic value. As a company's strategies change, the types of management competencies and styles need to change as well, and human resource development is responsible for this alignment. We address these and related issues because we believe that effective training practices are determined by the organizational context in which they occur. Unique Characteristics of This Book This book differs from others on the same topic in a number of ways. Those in italics are new to this edition. For example, we: Integrate training into the strategic planning process. Show the important relationship between organizational development practitioners and trainers. Provide an overarching model of the training process, with a more detailed model of each phase of the process, making it easy to see how each phase connects in reaching the training objectives. Provide an understanding of training and its implementation as it relates to the small business. Integrate learning and design theories into the development of training so the reader understands how theory helps design effective training. Describe the step-by-step process of developing an actual training package as we move through each of the training process stages from needs analysis through the evaluation. Provide numerous examples of actual training situations in companies to highlight aspects of the training process. Provide a step-by-step process for developing learning objectives with many examples of good and bad objectives. Include appendixes in some chapters for advanced learning opportunities. Use a contingency approach, identifying alternative approaches to the training process and the associated strengths and limitations, rather than a "one best way." Incorporate a macro and micro theory of design into the design of training. Provide a comprehensive case in Chapter 2 that is applicable throughout the text and is often referred to in the remaining chapters. Other aspects of the text that we believe are important are: Learning objectives at the beginning of each chapter Case at the beginning of each chapter, sometimes split with its follow-up at the end of the chapter Questions, cases, and exercises at the end of each chapter An instructor's manual with sample syllabi, answers to questions at the end of the chapters, and a "test bank" of questions PowerPoint slides of all tables and figures Learning objectives provide trainees with an understanding of what the training is trying to accomplish, and so they are an important part of the training process. Better learning is achieved if, at the beginning of training, people know where they should focus their attention. Therefore, at the beginning of each chapter we identify its learning objectives, stating what the reader should be capable of doing after completing the chapter. (The value of learning objectives and the characteristics of good objectives are discussed in depth in Chapter 5.) Following the learning objectives is a case example to stimulate the reader to think about the issues that will be raised in the chapter. Throughout the chapter we refer back to the case to make specific points, asking the reader relevant questions about the case. Some of the cases are presented in totality at the beginning of the chapter; others are split into two parts, the first part stopping at a critical point, and the rest presented at the end of the chapter, so the reader can see how the issues were handled or what consequences resulted from the actions taken. At the end of each chapter are discussion questions, cases, and exercises to enhance understanding. The instructor's manual provides more information about this material and offers additional ideas for teaching. It also includes sample course outlines and a test bank. Another important difference in this book is the overarching model of the training process and its subprocesses. This model provides an understanding of the logical sequencing of training activities, from needs analysis to implementation and evaluation. The model demonstrates training as a system and how each of its processes are interconnected. Thus each phase of the training process (i.e., needs assessment, design, development, implementation, and evaluation) is covered in its own chapter. These chapters begin with a description of the types of input needed to complete that phase and the types of output produced. The bulk of each chapter provides a step-bystep description of how the input is transformed into the output. The output from one phase then becomes the input for the next. For ease of reading we have not used the he/she convention when the context of the material requires a gender reference. Instead we alternate the use of gender throughout the text. We have received many compliments for this choice in the first edition and continue it here. Most training books focus on large organizations that have access to many resources, ignoring the smaller companies with more limited resources. We address the training issues faced by smaller businesses in two ways. First, the contingency approach provides alternative activities and procedures, some of them compatible with limited resources. Throughout the book we address the applicability of various approaches to the smaller business. Second, many of the chapters include sections directed specifically at the small business. These sections provide possible alternatives and describe what some small businesses are actually doing in these areas. Unfortunately, the literature on small business training practices is relatively sparse. If you know of successful small business practices, we would love to hear about them and include them in subsequent editions. We know that we failed to locate many of the excellent teaching techniques, exercises, and research applications that are available. Our goal is to improve this book continually so that it makes learning and teaching the joy that it can be. To that end we ask you to contact us with your thoughts, applications, exercises, and so on with the idea of sharing them. You can reach us at Nick.Blanchard@emich.edu or jwt@uwindsor.ca. Of course, any contributions will be acknowledged or cited as appropriate in future editions of this book. Organization and Plan of the Book We begin with an overview of training and a definition of key terms. The first chapter also discusses training's role in the organization, how training fits into the human resources (HR) function, and how the training function fits into the structure of large and small companies. Here we discuss training as a career. This chapter also presents the overarching training process model that is used to outline the organization of the book and provide an overview of the content of the remaining chapters. The chapter ends with a discussion of the key roles and competencies of human resources development (HRD) professionals. Chapter 2 discusses strategic planning and the roles human resources and HRD play in this process. Here we show how input from the human resources function in general and the human resource development function in particular can influence strategic direction. We then proceed to discuss how these functions develop internal strategies and tactics to support the company's strategic plan. Throughout the text, we often refer back to this chapter to demonstrate how strategic issues drive human resource development decisions. We also provide an important link between organizational development (OD) practitioners and trainers, showing how the competencies of each of these disciplines complement and support the objectives of the other. In the remaining chapters we use an OD philosophy to address ways in which the training process and outcomes can be integrated into other organizational systems. This integration of the training process into a systems perspective provides the reader with an understanding of where training fits in the organization and how it operates. The case example provides a discussion point for many of the topics in this and subsequent chapters, allowing the student to walk through a case from the beginning of the strategic plan to the development of training. Chapter 3 provides the theoretical and conceptual framework for understanding the training process. It begins with a short discussion of the practical application of theory. A model of the factors that determine performance (motivation, knowledge, skills, abilities, and environment) is followed by a review of theories of motivation and learning. These theories are discussed in terms of their application to training. There follows a discussion of resistance to learning and applications of adult learning theory to overcoming this resistance. The chapter concludes with a discussion of individual trainee differences and offers training alternatives that can address such differences. The concepts and principles developed here are referred to throughout many of the following chapters, tying particular practices to the theoretical rationale for those practices. Chapter 4 addresses the first phase of the training model presented in Chapter 1: needs analysis. An expanded graphic of this phase is presented and discussed at the outset so the reader will understand the organization of the chapter. The philosophy of needs analysis is discussed in terms of both its proactive use (as related to the strategic plan) and its reactive use (to deal with immediate concerns and changing conditions). The relationship between these two approaches is also explored. The steps involved in the needs analysis are discussed, along with the sources from which data can be gathered and to set training priorities. The chapter ends with a real example of a training process for Fabrics Inc., walking the student through the needs analysis as it is actually done for the company. An appendix provides issues related to the development of criterion measures for the more advanced students. Chapter 5 begins with the second phase of the training model: training design. The outcomes of the needs assessment phase are shown as inputs to this phase. The chapter then identifies the activities conducted in the design phase of training. First is the development of the training/learning objectives. Here a formula for development of learning objectives is provided along with numerous examples of effective objectives. Next is the identification of organizational constraints on training and factors that will facilitate learning. The learning facilitation factors focus separately on the trainee and the training design. Next, factors that facilitate the transfer of learning back to the trainee's job are discussed. These factors are broken down into training design factors and organizational systems factors back on the job. We then discuss two theories of design (one micro and one macro) and demonstrate how they help in the design of a training program. We also integrate Social Learning Theory with the micro theory of design showing how they are related. At the end of the chapter, Fabrics Inc. is revisited and the process of design is examined step-by-step. Chapter 6 provides the conceptual framework for determining which methods to use when developing a particular training program. It begins with a discussion of the importance of matching training methods to the desired training outcomes. The various training methods are then described, along with their strengths and limitations, using learning theory as a framework for this discussion. Included here are the relative costs; trainer versus trainee control over what is learned and how; effectiveness at developing knowledge, skills, or changing attitudes; and issues related to training group size and individual differences. The chapter concludes with a summary table of the various methods' effectiveness in meeting knowledge, skill, and attitude change obj ectives. Chapter 7 discusses the same methods, but in terms of how actually to use them in developing and conducting a training program. The two parts to this chapter are development and implementation of training. For development we again provide a model to follow through the process examining the inputs (from the design phase) through to the outputs. Here actual forms that you might use, tables that provide step-by-step procedures for developing aspects of training, issues to consider in developing training using different methods, and so forth are provided. Then the model for implementation is provided, the outputs from the development becoming the inputs for the implementation. Here we follow the process of putting on the training and what needs to be done to assure success. Again the focus is on practical applications. Chapter 8 begins with the model for evaluation and addresses the issues and activities involved in the evaluation phase of the overarching training model. While various evaluation issues are discussed in each phase of the training model, we provide the bulk of the information at this point in the book. Feedback from users of the first edition indicated that this placement allowed evaluation to be understood in the context of the overall training process. However, we stress the importance of incorporating appropriate evaluation activities into each of the other phases of the model. Chapter 8 provides guidance and actual examples of the various types of evaluation that can be used. At the end of the chapter we again revisit Fabrics Inc. to provide the process that takes place at this stage of training. The appendix provides information related to the threats to validity, both internal and external, for more advanced study. Chapter 9 contains two parts. First, the focus is on four special training topics: orientation, diversity, sexual harassment, and team training. Indepth discussion is provided, covering what organizations are doing in these areas and why it is important. Orientation training is used to provide an example of how to develop training, using the model provided in the previous chapters (needs analysis, design, development, implementation, and evaluation). A step-by-step process for developing this training is provided. Finally, a number of other special training topics are addressed in terms of their importance and what various organizations are doing in that area. Chapter 10 begins with a general overview of a manager's job, then discusses the types of competencies needed by managers. This discussion includes the conceptual, technical, and interpersonal knowledge and skills, as well as personal traits or styles. In addition to the traditional listing of various types of management development programs that address these areas of competency, the capacity of our readers is enhanced through a model that allows the training professional to determine what competencies a manager in a particular organization needs. The model integrates the competitive strategy, organizational structure, and technology literature into a continuum that describes the organizational context in which managers must operate. This context then determines the relative value to the company that various managerial competencies and characteristics (such as style) are likely to provide. This chapter also discusses three important areas of managerial knowledge and competency: understanding of the organizational context, self-awareness and diagnostic skills, and adaptability. The special issues related to training top executives are also discussed. The chapter includes a discussion of the special needs of technical managers.


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Effective Training, Second Edition, discusses theory and principles of training as they relate to organizational objectives and strategies. This new edition emphasizes the value of developing training programs that relate training to the overall strategy of a firm.


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