Training methods and effectiveness in organizational development

Training Methods

In the ever-changing environment that is the business world today, most employers understand the critical success factor inherent in good workplace training. Indeed, according to Danziger and Dunkle (n.d., p. 1), American organizations spend more than $62 billion per year to ensure formal training for their employees. Increasingly, American organizations are also beginning to realize the importance of effective training methods, created to meet the needs not only of the organization, but also of its employees. Via training, employees can become experts in their fields and obtain work satisfaction by fully utilizing their knowledge and skills for the benefit of the company they work for. There are several training methods, of which the formal, instructor-led model is probably the most traditional. Other training methods include e-learning, which can be either formal or informal, and peer training, which tends to be the most informal of the three training methods to be discussed.

Instructor-led Training

As mentioned, instructor-led training is the most formal training method. According to Austin (2008), this model was one of the most popular business training methods during the 1970s. The form it took during this decade was generally that a group of employees were collected in a lecture hall, spoken to by a trainer, and possibly received training materials or lists of rules during the training session. Early training sessions tended to preclude questioning or clarification, and employees tended to be sent back to work right away.

Today, formal training sessions have evolved to be more interactive, with employees allowed to ask questions or request clarification of the training materials. Generally, a two-way communication platform is also used after the training session to help employees implement the materials presented during the session. Depending upon the nature of the training material and its level of complication, training could also be provided in more than one session, until it could be ensured that all employees were sufficiently trained to apply the material to their work.

The main advantage of this training methods is the control that the instructor and/or employer is able to exercise over the materials presented to employees. In this way, employers can ensure that all the relevant trainees receive the instruction and materials considered necessary for performing optimally at their jobs.

The main disadvantage of this method is the cost. As mentioned above, the cost of formal training per year for organizations run into the billions. The cost can vary according to the materials presented and the expertise level of the instructor enlisted for the training. A further cost is also the work hours lost during this type of training, where hours or days need to be invested to ensure effective instruction.

E-Learning

E-learning has become an increasingly popular method of instruction with the increasing use of the Internet across businesses. This type of training can be either formal or informal, and can take many different forms. In contrast to instructor-led training, e-learning means that each individual can use his or her free time to engage in the learning materials. The employer or instructor can, for example, provide a certain time frame within which the materials must be used or implemented by trainees, for example. E-learning can be used for a variety of purposes, from teaching a new job skill, to a new software application, to a new work protocol. Trainees can then use the material to learn during work sessions that require the particular skill, application, or protocol being learned. Like instructor-led training, this type of instruction can also occur by means of two-way communication, where employees ask questions and receive responses by e-mail or by meetings with the instructor or employer.

The main advantage of e-learning is that no work hours need to be lost during training.

Trainees can learn the required skills and materials they need even as they implement these in the workplace. Even if clarification is required, the work time lost during questions and meetings is minimal when compared to instructor-led training. Furthermore, the cost is much lower, as e-training can occur from a remote location. In cases where this occurs, no transport or accommodation costs are needed to host instructors. The fact that training materials can be provided electronically also precludes the need for the expense of printing training materials. Depending on the outcome requirements, e-training can be either formal or informal.

Peer Training