Transference Of The Training To The Workplace example essay topic

The bottom line for any company is how efficient the workforce is at producing a quality product. Any company which desires to stay ahead of its competition will engage in training and team building efforts for their employees. However, is it really effective? What if the employees do not perceive the training in a positive manner? In their case study, Employee perceptions and their influence on training effectiveness, Amalia Santos and Mark Stuart examine these questions and more.

The basic research question at hand was: Overall, what are the employee's attitudes and perceptions toward the training they were being asked to obtain? Secondly, are the workers able to take the training which they have received and utilize that knowledge in the workplace? Santos and Stuart state that most of the human resource literature seems to point at the fact that training is the most significant factor in obtaining behavioral and cultural change. They cite Keep, E. (1989). 'Corporate training: the vital component?' in New Perspectives on Human Resource Management as showing that training was able to bring about a deeper commitment by workers toward a project as well as bring out certain talents or abilities that may not have been utilized or noticed before (Santos, Stuart, 2003). The researcher's; hypothesis was that the evaluation methods would make a difference in matching the type of training to the employee's needs and that when this was done the employee's attitude toward the training would be a positive one.

Most of the research participants were employees who worked in the core financial services business. Upper management were included as well as those in the branches, on the line, and the head office. Names were selected randomly from a computer's system. One of the larger variables in this case study was the motivation of the employee himself.

One of the larger complaints that Santos and Stuart point out, is that companies are spending large amounts of money on training but have no way to determine whether a certain type of training is being effective or not. The dependent variables were those employees whose interest level was known to be high. These people wanted the training and were highly motivated to attend. This case study took place in 1999 for the span of four months in a financial services organization called Finance Co (Santos, Stuart, 2003). This company had a good reputation for implementing good people management processes and they had the reputation for being quite invested in the idea of ongoing and regular training for all of their employees. As such, then, Santos and Stuart believed them to be the perfect company for their research.

A multi-pronged approach was utilized both qualitative and quantitative in nature. 10 lengthy semi-structured interviews were carried out at Finance Co's head office in Yorkshire to investigate the formal structures, processes and general background of the organisation and the training and development function in particular. Interviewees had an average service of 11 years, comprised five women and five men and represented a cross-section of functions from within management and supervisory grades (Santos, Stuart, 2003). Both managers and employees were a part of the test.

Questionnaires were the chief source of feedback with interviews being the next tool utilized. The primary findings showed several things. First, it showed that ethnicity played a factor in the perception of training. Some cultural misconceptions were taking place where the training was being viewed as an indication of ineffective work habits. In other words, as an insult.

Other factors included motivation of the employee. Those employees who saw that they stood to advance themselves by availing themselves of the training were willing and eager, highly motivated. Those who did not see this type of benefit to their careers, were less motivated. Success of a training program, then, has to do with the motivations that are inherent in the workers, and in the explanations given to the workers as to why they must continue with their education. Transference of the training to the workplace was likely to occur for the same reasons.

Santos and Stuart conclude that, it suggests that the establishment of evaluative procedures pre and post-training will not be enough in themselves to ensure effective transfer to the workplace. Rather, such activities need to be enmeshed within a wider set of enabling supports (Santos, Stuart, 2003). Santos, Amalia; Stuart, Mark (2003 August) Employee perceptions and their influence on training effectiveness Human Resource Management Journal. Vol. 13, Iss. 1; pg. 27, 19 pigs.