QUALITY PAPER!!! GRADUATE PAPER SEE ADDITIONAL ADDED DOCS

Reference: Lussier, R. N., & Hendon, J. R. (2019). Human resource management functions, applications, and skill development. Los Angeles: SAGE.

2. List and briefly discuss at least three (3) types or methods of training that can be used for employee training. Of the 3, which would you select to train the retail employees, and why? Be specific. 

Learning Styles

As a last point in our review of the learning process, we need to briefly discuss various learning styles that people prefer to use. There are more than 70 learning style inventories available in the psychology literature and even some questionnaires that track learning style on the Internet.29 There is, however, disagreement concerning whether or not we should use preferred learning styles in designing training, including work-related training. Some of the recent research, including a study done by Dr. Beth Rogowsky and her colleagues, says that although we do have preferred learning styles, there is no evidence that receiving instruction in that preferred style allows us to learn any better than receiving instruction in another style.30 Others argue, though, that there is evidence that we learn better using individual preferred learning styles, if for no other reason than we are more comfortable with our preferred style.31,32 Despite the disagreement, it pays us to at least understand the issue of individual learning styles because there is no evidence that training using preferred learning styles harm the learning environment, and using individual preferred learning style may even help the trainee learn better. HRM training and development experts might want to continue to review this research over the next several years to see how it ultimately affects student learning though.

Fleming learning styles

One of the common learning style inventories, by Neil Fleming, provides three primary learner options. These three options are visual, auditory, and tactile learning.33 As you would think, visual learners prefer to have material provided in a visual format such as graphs and charts. Auditory learners, on the other hand, generally prefer to learn information based on hearing that information. Auditory learners tend to perform best in a historical classroom setting where the teacher stands in front of the class and teaches while the students passively listen. Finally, tactile learners prefer to learn by doing. Tactile learners want to physically perform a task in order to learn. Most of us use a mix of all three of the major learning styles. Therefore, a trainer should take each of the styles into account when creating a training program.

You should realize that we provide multiple tactile-learning application and skill-building opportunities in this book. Which of the three options do you prefer when learning something?

Kolb learning styles

A more complex learning style inventory was developed by David Kolb.34 Kolb’s model is probably the most accepted of the learning style models in use today.35 To determine your preferred learning style, complete Self-Assessment 7-1.

Design and Delivery of Training

Recall that back in Chapter 1, we identified four important HRM skills: technical, human relations, conceptual and design (decision making), and business skills. Essentially, all of the training methods are used to develop specific skills that can be classified into one of these four skills categories. Once we have completed our needs assessment and selected how we plan to shape behavior, we are ready to complete step 3 of the training process: designing the training by selecting training methods and then delivering the training. So in this section, we will present which training methods to use based on which types of skills we are developing. Exhibit 7-3 presents the type of skills, the training methods appropriate for developing each skill, and descriptions of the training methods.

LO 7-4

Discuss each of the major training delivery types.

Before we actually conduct the training, in step 4, the HR department or other trainers also have to select the types of training delivery. The choice will depend to some extent on what information is being transferred, as well as on the options that are available to the particular organization. We also need to look at the best type of training to use in order to maximize transfer of knowledge while minimizing the cost of the training process. Each of the four training types has advantages and disadvantages that have to be understood to assign the correct option to a specific type of training program. In the next sections, we discuss our four options: on-the-job, classroom, distance, and simulation training.

Work Application 7-10

Identify and describe the training method(s) used to train and develop you for a job you have or have had.

On-the-Job Training (OJT)

On-the-job training (OJT) is done at the work site with the resources the employee uses to perform the job. The manager, or an employee selected by the manager, usually conducts the training one-on-one with the trainee. Because of its proven record of success, job instructional training (JIT)—a specific type of on-the-job training—is a popular training type used worldwide.

7-3 Applying The Concept

Training Methods

For each of the training situations below, identify the most appropriate training method. Use the letters a through j from Exhibit 7-3 as your answers.

· ____ 11. You want your customer service staff to do a better job of handling customer complaints.

· ____ 12. Your large department has a high turnover rate, and new employees need to learn several rules and regulations to perform their jobs.

· ____ 13. You need your new employees to learn how to handle the typical daily problems they will face on the job.

· ____ 14. You need an employee to conduct an Internet search to find out more about a new product you want to buy for the department; you want a special report.

· ____ 15. You want employees to be able to do each other’s job when they take vacations.

· ____ 16. You want to improve your employees’ ability to sell products to customers in the store so that customers don’t end up leaving and buying the products online.

· ____ 17. You need to prepare middle managers to advance to upper-level managers. You are considering having them run a simulated company getting quarterly results.

Model 7-1 Job Instructional Training Steps

Job Instructional Training (JIT)

JIT has four steps, presented in Model 7-1 and described here.

SHRM

L:6

On-the-Job Training (OJT)

Step 1: Preparation of the trainee

Put the trainee at ease as you create interest in the job and encourage questions. Explain the task objectives and quantity and quality requirements, and discuss their importance.

Step 2: Presentation of the task by the trainer

Perform the task yourself slowly, explaining each step several times. Once the trainee seems to have the steps memorized, have the trainee explain each step as you perform the task. Prepare a written list of the steps in complex tasks and give a copy to the trainee.

Step 3: Performance of the task by the trainee

Have the trainee perform the task slowly while explaining each step. Correct any errors and be willing to help the trainee perform any difficult steps. Continue until the employee can perform the task proficiently.

Step 4: Follow-up

Tell the trainee who is available to provide help with any questions or problems. Gradually give the trainee more autonomy. Begin by checking quality and quantity frequently; then decrease the amount of checking based on the trainee’s skill level. Watch the trainee perform the task and be sure to correct any errors or faulty work procedures before they become habits. Be patient and encouraging.

Even though OJT is fairly expensive on a per-person basis, many organizations still use it heavily because of the fact that it works very well. See Exhibit 7-4 for the advantages and disadvantages of OJT.

Employees are often given on-the-job training, especially in small businesses.

John Lund/Marc Romanelli

Classroom Training

Our second training option is classroom training. Classroom training is also a common form of training in organizations. To accomplish classroom training, the organization will create a training course—including content, instruction methods, lesson plans, and instructor materials—and provide all these materials to a qualified instructor who will teach the class.

Classroom training is generally very good for consistently transferring general knowledge or theories about a topic to a large number of people. It is generally not very good for teaching specific hands-on skills because of the passive nature of learning in a classroom. However, it is effective when using the same equipment that is used on the job. For example, many large banks have to train lots of tellers, and they conduct teller training in a classroom setting at headquarters, using an expert trainer so that the employees can go to the bank and actually begin work without any further trainingat the branch.

Let’s do a quick review of some of the advantages and disadvantages of classroom training in Exhibit 7-5.

Distance or E-Learning

Our third option is some form of distance learning—also called e-learning—in either a synchronous or an asynchronous format. Synchronous distance learning occurs when all of the trainees sign in to a particular Learning Management System (LMS) such as Blackboard or Moodle, or a corporate LMS, where their instructor then interacts with them and teaches the topics for the day. In contrast, asynchronous distance learning is a process in which the student can sign in to the training site at any point in time, and materials are available for their studies. The instructor may or may not be online at the same time as the student, but there’s no dedicated connection between the two for the purpose of teaching the information. In many cases today, the student does not have to work through an LMS. They can learn using any number of free or low-cost apps for training in just about any field.

Distance learning, similar to classroom training, is valuable for teaching basic concepts and providing general information on the topic. There’s typically even less interaction between an instructor and trainees in this form than in classroom training. Let’s analyze some of the advantages and disadvantages of distance learning in Exhibit 7-6.

Self-directed learning is a specific kind of distance learning. In self-directed learning, individuals go completely at their own pace, and they are able to study whatever aspects of the topic they think they need to study to be successful while leaving other parts of the training uncompleted. Massively Open Online Courses, or MOOCs, are primarily self-directed learning. Self-directed training tends to have all of the potential advantages and disadvantages of other forms of distance learning. The most significant issue in self-directed learning tends to be the fact that if individuals are not motivated to learn on their own, they will be unsuccessful because nobody else is going to follow their progress and push them to complete the training.