Edible Cookie Dough

Running head: PROJECT ON FIRST IMPRESSIONS TRAINING

Training Project MGT 484: Career Services on First Impressions

Team Big 5

Central Michigan University

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Table of Contents

Introduction ………………………………………………………………………………………3

Needs Assessment

Organizational Analysis ………………………………………………………………..4-5

Task Analysis …………………………………………………………………………..4-6

Person Analysis…………………………………………………………………………..6

Training Objectives & Methods

Instructional Objectives …………………………………………………………………..7

Training Method ………………………………………………………………………..7-8

Program Design …………………………………………………………………………..8

Detailed Lesson Plan ……………………………………………………………………..8

Lesson Plan ……………………………...…………………………….………………9-11

Learning Theories

Theories Indicated …………………………………………………………………...12-14

Transfer of Training ……………………………………………………………………….....15-16

Evaluation Design

Outcome Measures …..………………………………………………………………17-18

Strengths & Deficiencies …………………………………………………………….18-19

Conclusion …………………………………………………………………………………….19

Appendix …………………………………………………………………………………….20-21

Reference List …………………………………………………………………………………22

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Introduction

Career Services at Central Michigan University wishes to improve student and employee

success in the workplace. To do so, we aspire to educate people on how to dress properly and act

professionally. Specifically, we want to improve first impressions in interviews and networking

events. While Career Services responsibilities range from handshake, a virtual network

connection, to mock interviews, we are focused in the section of First Impressions. First

Impressions is a resource for students to have free professional clothes available for them during

interviews or networking events. In our training, we address how to properly tie a tie on oneself

and on others. This will not only help students during their job interviews, but also increase

customer performance/service, as our employees can correctly tie a tie on mannequins. We

believe this training will provide valuable knowledge to students and employees at First

Impressions. This report will fully discuss the needs assessment of the training, the shared

objectives, theories, method, design, transfer of training, and the evaluation we are using for the

training.

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Needs Assessment

Organizational analysis

Our organization, Career Services is an establishment provided to Central Michigan

University’s students, alumni, and faculty. Career Services has many different subsidiaries,

specifically First Impressions and Mock Interviews. The main functionality that is required of

both subsidiaries is how to tie a tie properly. Our training program is focused on informing

employees on the importance and the tasks needed to properly tie a tie in different knots. The

board has decided they need to find a new presentation method to make future employees stand

apart from other applicants, and the clothes on minichains more desirable. They have recently

chosen to hire new employees and train them to tie many new knots properly. They have noticed

that new employees only know how to tie a tie in a simple knot, and many of the female

employees do not know how to tie a tie at all. Career services mission is to “assist students and

alumni in their career development and decision-making and aid in their acquisition of

internships and positions of employment.” (Career Services, 2018)

Career Services are at times, the only resource students have available to seek out advice

on professional dress and interview tips. The main objectives of mock interviews are to prepare

students for a specific interview or to simply give them the experience they need to do well in

one. Professional image is the single most important factor to an interview as it is the first thing

the interviewer will notice about a candidate. By creating an effective and relatable training

program, Career Services can help employees reach their professional objectives.

All the new hire employees will need to go through orientation. The basics on the first

day cover the importance and the reasonings as to why this information is important. On the

second day, they will begin to learn the training of how to tie a tie. The goal of the training is to

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ensure that all new trainees can master tying a tie. The return for Career Services will affect more

than just career services. Central Michigan University job applicants will also learn from this

training. The materials for this training include: Tie ($6 per tie.) The current budget for Career

Services training is around $500. This budget is tentative and most likely will change as the

training develops. This will include the training materials and the salary for our trainers. In our

program, we will be having 40 students as the base class. The costs will go on further such as the

room for training, the loss of production from trainers, and the additional cost of adding an

additional day to the previous program.

Task analysis

KSAO’s

Job: Career Services focusing on training program development.

1. Task: Understand proper etiquette to display professionalism using a tie in compliance with

career services guidelines.

A. Knowledge: Tying guidelines

B. Skills: Critical thinking, coordination, active learning, active listening

C. Abilities: Adaptability, patience, movement of hands

2. Task: Select the proper tie to match the shirt using color matching in accordance with social

norms.

A. Knowledge: Popular color trends

B. Skills: Technology and media, research, decision making

C. Abilities: Predicting style preference, detail oriented

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3. Task: Use tying technique to tie a tie using tying skills and physical ability in accordance

with instructor direction and prior knowledge.

A. Knowledge: Prior knowledge, Tying basics

B. Skills: Critical thinking, coordination, active listening, step-by-step instructions

C. Abilities: Detail oriented, Delivery of instructions

4. Task: Understand the history of a tie to display knowledge in accordance with instruction

pamphlet.

A. Knowledge: Importance of properly tied tie, effective tying

B. Skills: Collaboration of information, interpretation

C. Abilities: Active listening, understanding

5. Task: Inform students on the proper tie knot to obtain professional dress using ties to achieve

the best look.

A. Knowledge: Proper knots, professional dress

B. Skills: Prior knowledge, tying basics, interpretation

C. Abilities: Physical ability, delivery of instruction, step-by-step instruction

6. Task: Collaborate with other career service members to compile a list of reasons when a tie is

needed using the instructional examples to provide for management.

A. Knowledge: Organizations goals, individual goals, program goals

B. Skills: Collaboration, analyzing ideas

C. Abilities: Oral communication, speech clarity

When developing the task statements, the tasks were centered around the focus of our program

goal. Without these tasks, the program would be deemed unattainable. When going through the

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entire training program we were able to focus on the specific KSA’s (Knowledge, Skills,

Abilities) needed for each task rather than the program collectively. This made our program

more accurate and likely to be positive for the company.

Person analysis

To determine the need for this training program, we conducted a survey to MGT 484 students

on the knowledge and importance of tying a tie in their lives. Of the students in the class, we

received 24 responses, of those 24 students 54.2% of them do not know how to tie a simple knot

when tying a tie. We must consider that this is a male and female class and that they may be

females who have not needed to tie a tie before. This proves that the task statement: “Inform

students on the proper tie knot to obtain professional dress using ties to achieve the best look”

will be met. 83.3% of the students feel that they could benefit from learning how to tie a tie.

Different forms of knots could open the ability for a student to stand out in the interview

process. When the students were asked if they knew how to tie a bowtie, only 8.3% of the

responding students said “yes”. When asked how many knots they knew in total, the highest

number of knots known was five. The students were indicating that our program would be

beneficial for our staff to know. The data received reinforced that this modification to the

training program is a necessity.

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Training Objectives and Methods

Instructional Objectives

● Be able to tie a tie on oneself accurately with no help

● Be able to tie a tie on someone else or a mannequin efficiently

● Reiterate and model professional attire for potential job interviews

● Help and facilitate other individuals who need assistance when tying a half-windsor knot

Training Method

This training program is centered on professional dress and ties. The training will explain

the importance of professional dress, how to tie a tie on ourselves, and how to tie on tie on

others. After our brief introduction on the importance of ties in the workplace, we will show a

short clip of how to tie a tie. We will provide a quick presentation of how to tie a tie on

ourselves. The trainees will then have the opportunity to practice tying the tie on themselves. We

will be using traditional training as our training method as it is a presentation and hands on. The

first part of our training will be presentation through a video and lecture. We will be using a

standard lecture and graphics from PowerPoint.

Our training method is highly useful because the audiovisual will teach the trainees what

steps one must take to tie a tie and the lecture will allow the trainees to interact with the trainers

about each step. The second part is the hands-on method, where behavior modeling will be active

in our training. Behavior modeling is displaying a certain behavior in hopes to have the behavior

repeated. Once the trainees see how to tie the tie they will put this behavior into practice. We are

using this method because it is important for the trainees to understand the process of tying and

tie versus just simply watching the trainer perform the task at hand. Both methods are important

to the process of training. The presentation method is use for explanation, while the hands-on

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method is used to apply learn behavior into action. It is important both types of training are used

in this training.

Program Design

The courses of the program will approximately be around 25-30 minutes. The trainers are

from Central Michigan University working in Career Services. The trainers will start by

introducing ourselves to the trainees and explaining the previous day training along with a small

review over what was covered. During the lecture we will cover how to tie a Windsor knot on

ourselves, then we will cover how to tie a Windsor knot on someone else, and how professional

dress is important in the business setting. We will engage the class in an activity, which will be a

relay. This relay will have trainees perform both tying a tie on themselves and on others. The

winning group will be rewarded with a prize of candy bags. Lastly, we will summarize the

information taught and open the floor for any questions.

Detailed Lesson Plan

Course Title: First Impression Training Program

Lesson Title: Professional Dress: Ties

Lesson Length: 20-30 minutes

Learning Objectives:

1. The ability to tie a tie on oneself correctly without assistances.

2. The ability to tie a tie on something else and a mannequin.

3. Modeling potential dress wear for future interviews.

Target Audience: Career Services Training Employees.

Prerequisites: None

Trainee: Career Services Employees

Instructor :Career Services Employees

Room-Arrangement: Small Lecture Hall

Materials and Equipment needed: Ties and Computer

Evaluations and assignments: pre-test/post-test

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Lesson Plan

Career Services/Mock Interview Overview (3 minutes)

Introduction of trainers

Brief description about Career Services

Share needs assessment and importance of training

Share objectives with trainees

Explain agenda of the training

The Half-Windsor Tie Demonstration on Oneself (8 minutes)

Show video on how to tie a half-windsor tie on oneself

Demonstrate this knot in front of trainees

Have the trainees practice on themselves

Interact and assist trainees while they learn this process

The Half-Windsor Tie Demonstration on Another Person (8 minutes)

Show video on how to tie a half-windsor on another person

Demonstrate in front of trainees

Have trainees practice on one another

Interact and assist trainees while they learn this process

Tie Relay (5 minutes)

Demonstrate how the relay is performed

Select participants in audience

Conduct relay with one team going at a time

Winning team earns candy

Conclusion (3 minutes)

Ask trainees how each team performed and how they can improve

Quiz trainees on quick review questions

Inquire if trainees have any questions

Reward trainees with certificate of training

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Lesson Outline Instructor

Activity

Trainee

Activity

Time

(approx.)

Introduction of:

 Ourselves (trainees)

 The program

 Importance

Presentation Listening 4 min

 How to tie a tie

 Watch how to tie a tie on

someone else

Presentation Watching 4 min

 Tying a tie on oneself

 Tying a tie correctly and

timely

Observing Hands/on 7 min

 Tying a tie on others

 Tying a tie correctly onto

another person

Observing Hands/on 7 min

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 Tying Relay

 Put trainees in groups

 Explain the rules of the

relay

 Time trainees in the relay

Observing Hands/on 4 min

 Conclusion

 Summarize purpose of

training

 Ask if there are any

questions

Answer

Questions

Ask Question 2 min

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Learning Theories

Theories Indicated

Reinforcement Theory

One theory that tying a tie relates to is reinforcement theory. The theory explores the

trainees and their behavior. It could relate to positive reinforcement; Positive reinforcement is

when one adds something to increase behavior. This applies when employees use their skills to

have a tied tie and their future boss sees them well dressed and skilled, therefore, relying on them

more. For negative reinforcement, one takes something away to increase behavior. For example,

if these skills were not implied, their boss could take away their bonuses and not rely on their

work, which increases their behavior to want their boss to relay and trust them again. Therefore,

relating to positive and negative behavior. As far as positive punishment, adding something to

decrease behavior, the skill of tying a tie can lead to their boss favoring them and taking away

tasks to lessen the workload of the employee. Negative punishment is taking away the skill of

tying a tie and decreasing behavior. This concept could be applied by the boss’s trust decreasubg

and leading to unprofessional appearance, which can cause a boss to take away one’s

responsibilities within their position. In reinforcement theory, the skill of tying a tie can cause

the behavior of the trainee, male or female, to either gain or lose workload and professional

appearance for a future or current career.

Social Learning Theory

For learning theory, trainers can show trainees how to tie a tie. By modeling the behavior,

it will allow the trainees to learn the skill by seeing it demonstrated, and later being able to apply

what they have seen by the trainer. This type of learning can be done in a group setting and is

perfect for future employees to learn this skill faster. Also, social learning theory expresses the

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work environment. This is where the trainees can explore their environment and what is common

in the workplace. Social learning theory can show hands on learning and how they can take tying

a tie to the work environment.

Goal Theory

Goal theory emphasizes performance. Females do not get this training as much as males

and some males can only do a simple knot, as was mentioned earlier. The skill of tying a tie can

bring motivation and readiness to interviews and presentations. Which is the highlight of goal

theory, where the ones being trained can focus on the task and compare themselves to others.

This can cause completion, greater achievement, and better attention to task. Therefore, leading

to learning at a faster and efficient rate.

Need Theory

Another theory is need theory; this focuses on trainers being aware of trainee’s needs.

Which include the readiness of future endeavors, this type of training can meet the needs of

future employees before they head to the workplace. This relates to providing training for

employees.

Expectancy Theory

Expectancy theory suggests the motivation in employees leads to how much one will

want to gain or expect to gain. The skill of tying a tie can show the employer they desire a job or

to be taken seriously in a position. Also, instrumentality expresses the trainees’ effort to a

workplace and professionalism and how much one expects out of their job or themselves. For

example, one can use the skill and expect for their success to rise and their professionalism using

the skill to help them gain at a work environment.

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Adult Learning Theory

The trainers can use adult learning theory to show and tell the trainees the reason there is

a need to learn this skill. Trainers can use evidence and reason to help trainees be motivated to

learn the skill. This also allows for feedback from trainees to improve the training or about their

thoughts on the skill and or how they will implement them. Lastly, information process learning

theory shows how the information is processed and how it can be retained.

Information processing theory can be explained by the attention one can put on something that is

learned. Trainees can learn through picture, video, demonstration etc. The skill of tying a tie is a

process therefore, instructions, modeling and step-by-step processes can help organize the

trainee’s thoughts and help retain that information. This can help the trainers provide ways to

help the information be processed easier and go into trainee’s memory and become storied in

their long-term memory. This can occur by rehearsal and unique ways the learning can be

processed and memorized.

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Transfer of Training

Something Human Resources departments should always be aware of is if their training

programs are actually creating and extended amount of value for their employees: are the

employees actually learning something that is relevant to their work and are they able to apply

the objectives of the training program to their work in some facet. Transfer of training is defined

in our textbook as, “the trainee’s applying to their jobs the learned capabilities gained in

training,” (Noe, pg. 525). When we look at our training, how to tie a tie, this more of a closed

skill. A closed skill refers to, “training objectives that are linked to learning specific skills that

are to be identically produced by the trainee on their job,” (Noe, pg. 170). In order for this skill

to be retained, we should focus on supporting a staff throughout the process of training and

especially afterward when they’re asked to use what they learned from our program, but this is

important regardless of the theory of transfer that we put with our training program. Our training

program will rely on the theory of identical elements for successful transfer of skills.

The theory of identical elements states that, “transfer of training occurs when what is

being learned in the training session is identical to what the trainee has to perform on the job,”

(Noe, pg. 171). Essentially, for identical elements to be applied, we need to have very similar

environments to that we’ve provided during the training. The environment where the trainees

will have to be able to tie and tie at work will always remain consistent: they will be dressing

manikins or presenting themselves in a professional manner. This method also utilizes what is

known as near transfer, which is referred to Noe as, “the trainee’s ability to apply learned

capabilities exactly to a work environment,” (pg. 172). The few stipulations that are placed on

the environment given our program are the tie looking and appearing to be professional in

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complete and presentable manner and, potentially, the presence of pressure if the person wearing

the tie is in a hurry to get a manikin or themselves dressed.

Through our training program, we can say with confidence that the knowledge, skills, and

abilities will transfer directly to the trainees and they will be able to apply what they’ve learned

almost immediately after the training has finished. This training will remain relevant to our

trainees because it involves the presentation of not only manikins and career services, but it will

also reflect the trainees as appearing as professionals. We anticipate that the transfer of training

will not be difficult and should be easily applied at work and in the trainees’ personal lives in

some way, shape, or form.

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Evaluation Design

Outcome Measures

The criteria used in the training evaluation is derived from the Kirkpatrick’s Model. Each

level will be utilized in measuring the success of this training. We will first focus on how

participants reacted to the training. This will be collected before the training is complete. Once

the relay is completed by the trainees, the trainers will ask simple questions to the trainees on

how they felt about the program. Example questions include: (1) Was the material presented

well? (2) Do you feel that your time was valued? (3) Was the environment comfortable? The

next step in the evaluation process is testing what the trainees have learned. We will conduct this

at the end of our training with questions about the lesson. Example questions include: What are

the steps in tying a half-windsor knot? What is the difference between tying a knot one oneself

and tying a knot on another person? The next step in our evaluation process is testing the skills

and behavior gained by the trainees from the training. This will be collected multiple times. Once

during the training and once after the completion of the training. The first test will be the relay.

The trainers will be able to observe how well the participants can tie a tie based from the lesson

we taught them. The second part of this evaluation will be shown through questions and

observation during work hours. We will watch the trainees tie a tie while working and ask them

if they’ve learned any new motor skills from the process. Once we analyzed their growth in skill

and knowledge of tying a tie, we evaluate the payoff of the company from conducting this

training. Example questions include (1) Did the training reach our objectives? (2) Did it increase

the trainee’s ability to find jobs and create positive first impressions. (3) What improvements

have been made in the company since the training? The results portion of the evaluation helps us

determine if we should continue the training or if we need to improve it.

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Before the Kirkpatrick’s model is utilized, we must first understand the needs of our

trainees. Therefore, a pre-test will be used to evaluate their understanding of how to tie a tie. A

survey will be sent out to trainees, which can be found in Appendix A of this report. Once the

pre-test has been presented, we will conduct a post-test using the Kirkpatrick’s model. This post-

test will include active behavioral skills through the relay, questions asked to the general

audience directly after the training, and observation during work hours to evaluate trainee

performance. This pre-test/post-test method is a great way to see how much each trainee has

learned from the training presentation

The objective of this evaluation is to understand how to improve our training method or if

the training is useful in the first place. If we see no growth in our trainees or positive results for

Career Service, we will discontinue the training. If needed, the evaluation of our training method

can also be altered to correctly analyze the accuracy of our training.

Strengths and Deficiencies

The pre-test/post-test is a great way to see the summative learning through the training.

As a collection of information is gathered, the trainers must be able to evaluate their progress.

The strengths of a pre-test/post-test is the accuracy of evaluating the change of behavior in the

trainees. Furthermore, this reason of the change in behavior can be deduced to the training itself.

This design can also lead to possible comparison groups in the future.

A deficiency of the pre-test/post-test design is currently having no comparison group.

Without a comparison group, we are unable to see the possible differences the training has

produced in the trainee. While it is possible to have them in future designs, we currently have not

created one. There is also a decrease in external validity, as we are unable to see how this

training plays directly in the workplace.

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Overall, for a training to be successful and accurate and trainer and the trainee must have

a positive attitude in the training. The environment, behavior, and respect in each training must

be consistent and reliable. Once this has been establishment, the validity of the training will

greatly increase.

Conclusion

At the completion of this training the trainees will know the importance of why a tie

should be properly worn and how to tie a tie on them and on another person. The knowledge,

skills, and abilities will be transferred to the trainees through a Training presentation. Our goal is

to ensure that all trainees are confident and successful when knowing and understanding how to

tie a tie. The result of this will allow for better informed employees to explain to students and to

prepare items in First Impressions. Once the training has been evaluated, we will improve what

is needed to increase customer performance and student knowledge.

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Appendix A

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Reference List

CMU Career Services. (2018). Fire up your career. Retrieved from

https://www.cmich.edu/ess/academic_advising_assistance/career_services/Pages/Default.

aspx

Noe, Raymond A. Employee Training and Development. New York: McGraw-Hill/Irwin, 2013.

Print.