Training and Development - 245

Training

A planned effort to help employees learn job-related knowledge, skills, and attitudes so they can perform better.

3 learning outcomes of training

Cognitive (knowledge), skill-based (behaviors/abilities), and affective (attitudes, beliefs, motivation).

Affective learning outcome (example)

A diversity seminar meant to build empathy and change biases rather than teach a physical task.

Training needs analysis (3 parts)

Organizational analysis, task analysis, and person analysis.

Organizational analysis

Does the organization have the budget, facilities, support, and culture to make training succeed? Is training aligned with org goals?

Task analysis

Identifies the KSAOs and tasks the job requires, and therefore what the training should teach.

Person analysis

Identifies WHO needs training and what specific instruction they need (e.g., using performance appraisal data).

Trainee readiness factors

General mental ability, goal orientation, and experience level.

Goal orientation: mastery vs performance

Mastery: wants to learn and improve the skill. Performance: wants to look competent and avoid looking bad in front of others (may avoid risky practice).

Experience level and training design

Less experienced trainees need longer, more structured training. More experienced trainees can handle shorter, less structured training.

Trainee motivation factors

Positive reinforcement, self-efficacy, and goal setting.

Physical fidelity

How closely the training equipment/environment physically matches the real job.

Psychological fidelity

How closely the training matches the mental demands (thinking, reasoning) of the real job, even if it looks different.

Whole vs part learning

Whole: practice the entire task together. Part: master components separately first; best when sub-tasks are highly independent (e.g., rebuilding an engine).

Massed vs distributed practice

Massed: practice in one long block (cramming). Distributed: spread practice over time with breaks. Distributed generally works better for long-term retention.

On-the-job training (OJT)

Learning by doing the job at the workplace, usually guided by a supervisor or coworker.

Apprenticeship

Combines on-the-job learning under a skilled expert (e.g., master plumber) with observation and supervised practice.

Job rotation

Moving employees through different jobs or departments to build a broader range of skills.

Off-site training

Training held away from the workplace, such as seminars or workshops.

Simulators

Realistic replicas of equipment or situations that allow safe practice (e.g., flight simulators).

Distance learning

Training delivered remotely (online courses, videos) so trainees can learn without being in the same place.

Kirkpatrick's four-level model

1) Reaction (did they like it?) 2) Learning (did they learn it?) 3) Behavior (do they use it on the job?) 4) Results (organizational outcomes).

Kirkpatrick: Reaction criteria

Trainee satisfaction/opinions about the training (instructor, room, usefulness) usually measured with an end-of-training survey.

Kirkpatrick: Behavioral criteria

Whether trainees actually apply the new skills on the job later (e.g., observing them at meetings 3 months after).

Pretest-posttest control group design

Randomly assign people to trained and untrained (control) groups, measure both before and after training. Strongest design for proving training works.