Human Resource Management

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EFFECTIVE TRAINING TEMPLATE 12

Introduction

Every organization has a code of ethics that they follow, whether the organization is small or large, it is governed by ethical standards that allow the organization to operate in a professional manner. Training of employees is a major part of the management team and that activity is usually dine in order to introduce the employees in the organizational culture. Training can be done in a multitude of levels and for many reasons ranging from orientation of employees to the organization to ensure the employees know the policies of the organization or the training on a specific area as a way to ensure the employees work within the culture of the organization for instance training on a particular technology or software that the organization uses (McGeorge, 2008).

This training manual will focus on the training of ethics of the employees. Ethics is usually an area that is mostly overlooked by most of the organizations but without notice, the organization should realize that the code of ethics represents the culture of the organization. Without the code of ethics, an organization and its employees will not understand the value of respect towards each other, or will not value the kind of work they do or in worst cases, without any ethical code, the organization will not have any professional standards which will show in the quality of their work (Stebe, 2004).

Ethics is therefore important for a number of reasons. First, the trainees will learn the professional standards set by the organization, which will be the basis of their reference in relation to the quality of work they will be doing. Without teaching employees on the standards expected by the organization, the employees will not be meeting the quality standards or the targets set by the organization leading the organization to poor productivity. Teaching of ethics will also teach the trainees on how to be accountable in their work. Accountability refers to the ability of the staff members to be able to treat the customers and other employees in appropriate manner. Once employees are trained on the proper way to deal with clients, this, in the long term, will lead to customer loyalty leading to increased revenue. It will also affect the working atmosphere of the organization which will in turn affect the productivity of the employees (McGeorge, 2008).

The utility of the training will be to improve the productivity of the employees with the basis of the organization standards. With the training, the employees will be able to uphold the standards of the company and will be able to maintain the company’s image in the service quality. The teaching of ethics will not only lead to the overall boost in productivity, the training of the ethics will also lead to satisfied customers as the training will involve the techniques on the best way to deal with customers. As for the organization, the effect will be seen in the level of productivity, the quality service and the professional ethics. This will lead to an improvement on the way I handle myself and other employees in the organization and will lead me to improve on the work that I do (McGeorge, 2008).

Growing in the organization with the basis of the organizational ethics will also lead to better decision making skills since all the decisions will be made for the betterment of the organization. The teaching of ethics is therefore an important aspect in every organization which will lead to the organization keeping their standards high in both ethics and in the professional nature (McGeorge, 2008).

Training Needs Analysis: Carnival Cruise Lines

Organizational Analysis

Carnival Cruise Lines is one of the largest vacation companies in the world. Carnival’s portfolio includes Carnival Cruise Lines, Holland America, Princess Cruises, Seabourn, and Fathom in North America; P&O Cruises and Cunard in the United Kingdom; AIDA Cruises in Germany; Costa Cruises in Southern Europe; and P&O Cruises in Australia. Headquartered in Miami, Florida, Carnival Corporation and it’s sister companies operate a fleet of more than 100 ships. With approximately 200,000 guests and 77,000 shipboard employees, there are more than 277,000 people sailing aboard the Carnival fleet at any given time. 1

An ethical organization can be a very successful one. Companies that operate ethically earn respect from employees within the organization and from consumers. These consumers tend to be more brand loyal when they feel a company has a strong sense of ethical behavior and the retention rate tends to be higher. Ethics training will be offered to all employees on all levels throughout the organization. This training is a tool that is issued to employees with hopes to serve as a guideline for their day to day decision making process.

· Take a look at the organizations mission statement. What does your company have to offer? What message do you want to relay to employees, and consumers and what impression do you want to make?

Mission Statement: To Consistently Deliver Fun, Memorable Vacations at a Great Value. 1

· Are the organizations practices inline with the vision and the mission of the company? Are all employees on every level making decisions that are inline with the organization? What is the culture of the company?

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1. http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=200767&p=irol-prlanding

Does the working environment encourage ethical behavior throughout the organization?

“We're constantly focused on ensuring that each of our guests find the fun that fits them best. We are always adding new restaurants, shows and events to our ships. We regularly upgrade our ships and add new ships to our fleet.” 2

“Memorable vacations begin with our extraordinary team members on each ship. It takes a special person to help create these memories. Our team members are proudly dedicated to delivering the best quality, service and hospitality to our guests every day. They also create a personal connection between Carnival and our guests. Our team members are Carnival, because of who they are. ” 2

Findings

· Carnival’s has a culture for customer service excellence that focuses on the consumers experience while onboard.

· Seek to provide unique, memorable, fun activities specifically for each customer to experience.

· Carnival cares a great deal about the experience of their customers.

Operational Analysis

In order to train the employees on ethics on all organizational levels, ethics training will require the use of different trainers from all the aspects of the organization. Trainers from onboard and shore-side will need to be trained on the different areas of the organizational ethics.

Ethics training classes will provide guidelines on enhancing the cruisers experience and

will support operations through actions that are inline with the organizations mission.

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2. http://www.cclcareers.com/home/about-us/our-vision

Shipboard Findings

· Many guest leave additional tips for crewmembers and gifts. There is no limit to what a crewmember can accept, or what is considered an appropriate gift.

· There is no policy on what to do with lost and found items.

· Many crewmembers do not understand the ships hierarchy system and can be taken advantage of.

Shore-Side Findings

· Current Maritime and Coast Guard Laws are not updated into the training.

· Training does not cover how and when to report concerns regarding business conduct.

· There is no anonymous way to report unethical behavior.

· The training isn’t being offered on a consistent basis in order to train new employees and offer a refresher course to current employees.

Objectives

After the competition of training, employees will be monitored on their daily operations and on their personal behaviors in relation to the departmental policies and practices. The expected performance will be based on the practices set by the organization and the policies set by the trainers during training. The actual performance on the organization will be expressed through the productivity in the organization. As for the operations in the organization, the training will assess how well the trainees are working within the policies of the organization and on a personal level. The expected performance will be assessed while referring to the organizations policies. All employees will be required to attend this training both onboard and shore-side, upon being hired and on a continual basis every two years. The training will aim to increase:

· Trust between employees and guest (drives brand loyalty)

· Trust between co-workers (increases productivity)

· An honest work environment (creates a comfortable work environment for employees)

· Good behavior and honest interactions (creates a positive company culture)

· Positive social impact (sets the company apart from competitors)

Personal Analysis

Shipboard

The decision to work for Carnival Cruise Lines varies from employee to employee. From traveling the world, developing language and communication skills, saving money, or the opportunity to advance your career, each employee is expected to conduct their self in honestly in every situation. Coming from many different parts of the world, and many are new to the American customs and culture. In order to perform ethically, crewmembers must possess the following:

· Communication skills

· Basic understanding of the English language (marlins test score of 75 or higher)

· Knowledge of basic American customs

· The ability to identify an unethical issue

· Ethical decision-making process (how to react in a unethical situation)

· Understanding of the consequences of unethical behavior

· Personal responsibility (understanding every action has a reaction no matter how small)

Shore-Side

· Utilizes appropriate methods for interacting sensitively, effectively, and professionally with persons from diverse cultural, socioeconomic, educational, racial, ethnic and professional backgrounds, and person of all ages and lifestyle preference. 3

· Attitude: Understands the dynamic forces contributing to cultural diversity. 3

· Communication skills

· The ability to identify an unethical issue

· Ethical decision-making process (how to react in a unethical situation)

· Understanding of the consequences of unethical behavior

· Personal responsibility (understanding every action has a reaction no matter how small)

Performance Discrepancies

Depending on the person, everyone reacts differently in situation. There are many factors that can influence a person’s decision. From peer pressure, to cultural practices, the way they were raised, and life experiences all these have an effect on behavior. The following are performance discrepancies that were identified:

Shipboard

· Complaints from cruisers about missing property

· Missing inventory

· The acceptance of valuable/inappropriate gifts

· Favoritism among employees

· Crewmembers taking credit for others work

· Singing into training classes and leaving without completion

· New crewmembers forced to work an extreme amount of hours

· Crewmembers giving false information in order to obtain time off

· Crewmembers manipulating each other

· Employees want to find the easiest solution

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3. http://phls.org/CMSuploads/Skills-for-the-Ethical-Practice-of-Public-Health-68547.pdf

· Lack of communication

· Lack of Ethics Training

Shore-Side

· Poor communication between departments

· Lack of education on current laws

· Lack of education on world cultures

· Lack of experience in identifying unethical issues

· Lack of training in the ethical decision making process

· Distrust among employees

· Employees want to find the easiest solution

· Missing office supplies

· Favoritism among employees

· Lack of Ethics Training

Areas That Can Be Addressed Through Training

· Policies and procedures

· Changes in Maritime and Coast Guard Laws

· Unethical situation processes (how to act in unethical situatons)

· Communication tools

· Trust exercises

· Ethics training

· Attendance

Areas That Cannot Be Addressed Through Training

· Favoritism

· Controlling unethical behavior (ensuring employees do not perform unethical acts)

· Repairing trust relationships

· Employees actions

· Company culture

· Conflict with employees/ guest

Training Design

The design used for training the employees on ethics will include the use of writing the policy in which the employees are to follow. The training will include teaching the employees on the already existing ethical standards in the organization and formulating behavioral policies that will govern the employees while in the organization. This will entail gathering the employees and deciding together on the best policies to abide with while working in the organization. Another design that will be used for training will be the use of practical situations where employees’ decisions will be tested based in the situations given to them. This is based on psychological training where the employees trained with practical situations will learn faster on how to apply the lessons learnt on a practical field.

The administration of the training will be allocated in the trainees schedule so as not to interfere with their working schedule. The entire training program will last two days. The training will be offered every other week. This will be an ongoing training will be mandatory for new employees and mandatory for current employees to attend once a year. This will be an ongoing training that will be offered to current employees anytime, so they may attend as a refresher. This will be done to ensure the lessons are well retained for effective outcome of the training. The material will be examined and updated every six months to ensure the employees are being trained on current and relevant topics that are relevant to the success of the organization.

They will be two trainings offered. One training will be for the Shipboard employees and the second training will be for Shore-side employees. Each training will incorporate certain aspects from the other so employees can have an understanding of some of the ethics decision employees from all departments of the organization face. There will be two trainers for each training class. This training will be offered onsite so that it is easily accessible to all employees on all organizational levels.

Day One of Training (5 Hours):

Day one of the training will discuss the organization as a whole, the importance of ethics in the workplace, how ethical decisions effect us personally and the organization, and analyzing situations in order to make the most ethical decision. The modules for this day will include a PowerPoint presentation, handouts, question and answer segments that will follow every section, and an assessment question.

PowerPoint Topics (3.5 Hours) :

Organizational Values/ Mission: Employees will benefit from ethical training so that they themselves can meet the organization’s standards on a personal level. This portion of information will focus on the benefits of ethics training for the entire organization. This training will help develop the company culture and transform it into a positive work environment that will enhance the organization’s bottom line.

Employees Role Within Organization: It is important employees understand their role in the organization. Carnival is a big family and one aspect cannot function without the cooperation of the other departments. It is critical that all departments realize their importance and how their decision alone can have an effect on the entire organization.

Common Ethical Issues: This section of the training will cover the most common ethical decisions that each department will have to make. Following the situations, the most common responses will be explained to the class and the reason why these actions are correct or incorrect.

Making Ethical Decisions: This section will give guidelines for making ethical decision and how to examine a situation in order to make the best decision.

There will be an opportunity for crewmembers to ask questions the entire time during training.

Video (30 Mins):

After the PowerPoint is complete, a video will be shown with similar working conditions as the employees. The movie will stop right before the employee responds to the situation. An assessment sheet will then be handed out that the employees will have an opportunity to take home and complete. The assignment will be to analyze the situation, react, and give reasoning for those actions. This will give the employees a chance to develop reactions on their own that will test their level of understanding.

*There will be two ten minute breaks, and the remainder of the time is allocated to answer questions *

Day Two of Training (8 Hours):

Interpretations (2 Hours):

The second day will begin by the class sharing their interpretations of the video and sharing their reactions with the class. Once everyone has shared, the remainder of the video will be shown (30 mins). There will be a open discussion lead after the video is completed where employees will have the opportunity to find out the reasoning for the actors decision and their opinions on the video. This will be an open learning experience where employee will be encouraged to ask questions, raise objections, and discover a new understanding of ethics.

Role Play(3 Hours): This portion of the training will be hands on for the employees. Teams will be assigned and each team will be responsible for creating a work related situation and coming up with guidelines on making ethical decisions when in this situation. Employees will be encouraged to ask questions, raise objections, and discover a new understanding of ethics.

Assessment(1 Hour) : This portion will conclude the two day training. A short questionnaire will be issued and it will contain ethical situations. There will be an inappropriate answer, an acceptable answer, and a encouraged answer. There will be no wrong answers because the point of the training will not be good decisions vs. bad decisions. The goal will be to encourage employees to make the best decision depending on the situation using their judgment. The answers will be discussed giving employees a chance to ask question.

*There will be two fifteen minute breaks, a thirty minute lunch, and the remainder of the time is allocated to answer questions *

Training Objectives

The training will aim to develop employee competencies that will help them achieve the standards set by the organization and to improve the employee productivity by the increasing the employee motivation, these are the reactions expected after the training is finished. The training will also aim to make sure that the trainees get to be incorporated to the organizational culture and that the trainees will learn the value of the quality of service to the customers. The lesson retention will be done by monitoring the employees on their behaviors within the organization and if they match the organizations standards.

The training will focus on the job related transfer and will look at the behaviors of the employees in the organization and the training will aim to make the employees change their look on service quality and to treat customers and each other with utmost respect. This will impact the productivity of the organization in the future and improve the high level of morality in the employees. In order to best implement the organization standards in the trainees, all the trainees will be taught in groups of five with different instructor in order to teach all the trainees at once (Bartels, 2003).

Training Method

The best training method suited for the trainees is the use of on the job training and simulated role-play, which will be coupled by lecture, discussions, PowerPoint presentations, and handouts.

Lecture: The lecture will help deliver the information of the training class, and help give a general understanding of the training material. This portion is going to cover organizational policies and procedures, organizational commitment, employee roles, expected performance, performance issues, and improvement.

PowerPoint Presentation: The presentation will accompany the lecture. The PowerPoint will serve as a visual guide for trainees to follow along with. This will help with stimulation and the energy of the classroom. During the lecture, trainees should be encouraged to take notes, as they will need to reflect on what they have learned in later exercises.

Handouts: This tool will be used to reinforce the information the trainer is delivering. Trainees will get to take a summary of the major key points with them to have for future use. Handouts will support the information and expand on ethical expectations of employees.

Role Play: The use of practicality in ethics will be done by role-play. This will give trainees simulated situations and allow them to formulate appropriate responses to the situations. This will help align their way of thinking exercise creative problem solving skills. This will also establish confidence in the employee as and their decision-making skills, while helping improve listening skills.

Discussions: Discussions will encourage participation. This is a chance for interaction between the instructor and the trainees so that everyone is able to gain a greater understanding for the training material. Trainees are able to ask questions and receive clarification on topics and questions. Instructors are able to measure the level of understanding of the employees as well as what areas were and weren’t well received by questions. Discussions break the ice with employees and help foster lines of communication throughout the organization.

References

Bartels, R. (2003). Ethics in business. Columbus: Bureau of Business Research, College of Commerce and Administration, Ohio State University

McGeorge School of Law. (January 01, 2008). Symposium: Ethics across the professions : professional ethics and corporate conduct

Štebe, J. (January 01, 2004). Human resource policies from ethical perspective: a comparative view. Isswov