Running Head: IMPACT OF TECHNOLOGY ON EMPLOYEE TRAINING 1

Employee Training

Impact of Technology on Organization Training

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The impact of Technology on Organizational Training

Training is regarded as a significant part for an organization in order to provide

knowledge to all its employees about organization’s rules, regulations and standard. By

providing effective training, the organization also fulfills its legal obligation as well. While

giving training, different training modules are applied, these modules are offered to participants

of any organization by using different tools & methods. These methods are applied in the form of

fact to face training programs or with the application of advanced technology into training

programs. In this paper we will thoroughly discussed over the advantages of these technological

advances that applied in the training of employees. This paper will also provide a brief overview

of mandatory training that organization is obliged to provide as well as description over the

popularity of use of technology in the organization.

This is the era of advancement of technology where technology has been evolving at a

fast pace in almost every realm of life in homes, schools and organizations. In past, before

entering of the technology into training programs, there were lots of drawbacks faced during the

process of training in the workplace. During the conventional training personnel had faced

different time constrain. They have to take time away from their related position in order to

conduct training sessions for their subordinates. In this way, a healthy number of productive

hours could be consumed while handing and convening of these training sessions. In long term

due to these training sessions employees mostly stray from organization and could not performed

their services in most competitive as well as innovative ways. So, the traditional methods of

training were regarded as time consuming and costly particularly when there were demands of

repeated training sessions like new hiring in case of terminations or when personnel could not
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retain information. To mitigate these high costs the leaderships of the organizations realized that

they should apply such method of training which are cost effective and consume less hours

during transferring of knowledge to their subordinates.

The involvement of technology into the training programs of the employees not only

reduced the long term costs but these also provided positive results for the trainees as well as

overall performance of the organization. The use of more sophisticated advanced technology has

reduced opportunity cost, and enabled the ways of training more realistic where employees have

opportunity of active participation at any point of time and any place (Sims, R. R. 1998). The use

of technological developments has changed the delivery of training by introducing most

innovative techniques.

There are various forms off technological training that any organization can introduced

for effective results. One of the most popular forms is the web-based training that can be

provided without any limitation of time and place. Mostly, the organization offered Web based

training (WBT) twenty four hours in a day and seven days in a week with geographical

independence. This form of training can be assessed from multiple points at the convenience of

user. The WBT offered an effective, rich and collaborative learning environment for employees

so that they can receive state to the art training with fast pace, (Khan, 2001)

In this regards this type of training is helpful for those employees who cannot attend

training sessions due to schedule conflicts; or for those who cannot get easy access because of far

off geographical location from the training site. This training also helps tanning personnel or

leadership to quickly adjust with different newly entered training modules into the competitive

environment. This is one of the leading benefits of the web-based training. Web based training
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has its compatibility with the changing technological developments in the context of business

environment. Technological tanning offers a lot of choices to leadership to apply in the selected

training program.

One of the best benefit of the technology based training is that trainee can participate

without attending physically the same training room where instructor exists. The trainee can get

access to the training lecture by sitting on his/her personal computer. The further advantage of

technological based training is that it is highly trainee friendly; who not need to acquire any extra

knows how to run tools or equipment used in any training program.

The plus point of this method of training is that it is highly trainee friendly and the trainee

does not need to have high knowledge of technology to operate the equipment necessary in the

training. “Video requires minimal knowledge of technology and equipment. Most trainers and

trainees can easily use a VCR or DVD player”, (Sims, R. R. 1998). But at the same time there

are some notable drawbacks that associated with technology correlated training from trainee

prospective.

The training personnel as well as leadership have to apply innovative techniques that can

minimize the deliver cost attached to these training programs and to best utilize available fiscal

budget. Despite of incorporating certain innovative techniques there are some complexities

attached with actual workplace. “While employees are being trained to use these resources with

state-of-the-art technology, they often become frustrated because comparable technology is not

available to them at their work site.” However, despite of these drawbacks the demand of

technology based training is a highest priority by the organizations.

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The demand of ever changing technology has become necessary in the training methods

of organization, and it is expected that this trends will continue to increase in the upcoming

future. In the early advancement of technology these training methods were ventured through

DVD or CD training, but now these involve online learning and use of mobile devices etc. In

near future, the use of mobile devices, online learning and other technological devices would

become necessity in the training and development programs of an organization, (Sims, R. R.

1998). Many of the innovative organization have implemented mobile devices. For instance,

when a customer entered into an Apple store notices that every representative is holding iPod or

iPad. The customers need guidance for his needs, so in order to give all information related to

customers need and want, Apple provides full training to its employees for tracking customers

and their need. The Apple Company, while giving training its employees ensures that they are

acquiring all knowledge regarding the use of mobile technology employees can best transfer this

knowledge to customers as a return.

There are five major reasons identified that why technology has its importance for the

training of the employees of the organization. First of all is; because this technology has become

more and more popular, it will supply more training methods and techniques and ultimately

reduce the cost of deliver. This allows organizations to become cost effective and efficient while

giving necessary and mandatory training to its employees. It further leads towards second reason,

“companies can use technology to better prepare employees to serve customers and generate new

business,” Sims, R. R. 1998). This best illustrated in the above mentioned example of Apple

Company’s representatives. The use of related technology during training modules can better

prepare employees to perform their duties in the related workplace. The use of these new

technologies can substantially reduce training costs related to bringing geographically dispersed
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employees to one central training location (e.g., travel, food, housing), this is regarded as a third

reason behind use of this method of training” (Sims, R. R. 1998). The use of same devices for

work and for training it can further minimize the cost of training. The option of taking and using

of assigned iPod or iPad other than workplace & training session can reduce the time constraint

faced during training. This will allow employees to complete their training sessions on any

location without bound of time.

The fourth reason of using technological based training is associated with the

convenience of these training methods. In upcoming years, there will grow continuity in the time

saving and convenience attributes, due to use of up to date technology developments. The

popularity of technology correlated training will increase because of simplicity “these

technologies allowing trainers to build into training many of the desirable features of a learning

environment like: practice, feedback, reinforcement (Sims, R. R. 1998). Training personnel and

leadership have many responsibilities for which they are account for. The time saving from the

training sessions can be utilized in performing many other key areas. During down times,

training personnel can instruct employees to practice their training materials and they can also

make key developments to make training modules more effective for the employees. They can

get feedback from employees. This all can save their precious time because they do not need to

go through any paper work in order to identify these necessary actions.

As companies employ more contingent employees and offer more alternative work

arrangements (e.g., flexible work schedules), technology will allow training to be delivered to

any place and at any time, this is termed as fifth reason of using technological based training.

Employees, particular part-time employees have faced different time constraint during traveling

to the training location as well as the flexibility to remain at work. The technology based training
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enables them to attend in training modules that are convenient for both employees and the

organization.

There has been conducted a survey in year 2000, in the conference in Atlanta, Georgia

regarding the training of employees. The personnel included were consists of information

technologists, HR management and training leadership. The results of this survey show that “94

percent believe technology-based learning is a viable option for teaching professional

development skills. A further 74 percent believe it will become the norm within five years and

81 percent said they believe technology-based learning solutions are a cost-effective alternative

or supplement to classroom-based instruction.” Ford, J. K. (2014). These personnel are those

who were involved in preparation, evaluation and implementation of training programs &

methods. The technological based training environment is as like to the workplace environment

of the organization. The use of latest technologies brings about computer based, highly

interactive and more realistic simulations for the employees who participate in these training

modules. Because of numerous benefits associated with technological training more and more

organizations are moving to adopt it, Ford, J. K. (2014)

It is difficult to access and track about the true success during class room sessions. While

on the other side, the technology correlated training give ability to track true success as well as

participation of the trainees who are involved in the training process. As, a trainee participates in

these training modules there starts his input & output monitoring. The trainee participates in a

test and his/her performance is also evaluated from this test. This is taken as feedback for his

performance and the training personnel make necessary adjustments to make further efficient the

training program.
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While drafting training program, the organizations usually align certain goals & objective with

its training programs. “In this concern more and more organizations are embracing the principles

of Total Quality, Continuous Improvement, World Class, Best Practice and other business

improvement strategies to enhance quality and service and reduce costs to remain competitive.”

Ford, J. K. (2014). So, while designing its training program the organization needs to ensure that

this program will get desirable goals and objective for the organization. The training programs

should also be designed to ensure the enhancement of knowledge of the employees. “Training

programs which helps employees to acquire and hone their IT skills, plays a key role in ensuring

the smooth operation of organizations in the information economy.”

There are also certain technological training sessions that organizations need to conduct

by law. Occupational Safety and Health Act requires certain training programs that an

organization has to conduct for legal compliances. Others two areas are the ethics and sexual

harassment that are mandated by the Federal law. The organizations have to give ethical as well

as sexual harassment training at the orientation phase of employee and also on annual basis. In

case there arise any legal consequences against the organization, these trainings protect it

Training Today. (n.d.). Also, these types of training sessions minimize the liability of an

employer in case an employee found criminal.

In these training modules there has been included certain requirements that are necessary

to follow by the organization. “Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, providing employees

with compliance and ethics training is one of the 7 requirements for an employer to demonstrate

that it has an effective compliance and ethics program.” This further provides protection to

employers to incur any fines or criminal conviction in case of not following the ethical program.
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In the absence of these legal mandated training programs, the organizations have to face severe

legal consequences. “An organization that has an effective compliance and ethics program can

reduce its fines for a criminal conviction by as much as 90 percent, according to the Federal

Sentencing Commission.”

Moreover, an organization also has to incorporate training programs mandated by

Occupational Safety and Health Administrations. These training programs are compulsory for

the organization to compliance with. These training programs have consists of advanced

technological advancements. These enable employees as well as leadership to be aware of safety

issues as well as training to avoid these before occurrence. OSHA stress upon the use of

computer based training while incorporating these training programs and also provides

opportunities of using latest communication devices to better communicate with the trainer.

OSHA believes that this technological based training program to the workplace so that they can

better communicate with trainer. Organization also needs to provide opportunities for its

employees to ask questions from the trainer while getting training, Training Today. (n.d.).

It is obvious, that organizations always have options for providing necessary training to

their employees that are beneficial for the overall success of the organization as well as legal

obligation on the organizations. The role of ever changing technology has its dominant effect on

the development of these training programs. Throughout this paper, there has been discussed the

benefits available to the organization as a results of incorporation of technology advances into

the training programs and popularity of these technology based programs for the organizations.

Moreover, there is also made discussion over the mandated technological training programs that

an organization has to follow as well as the values of these to the organization. Although it is
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optional for any organization to place technology in its employee training program, but for the

overall success, a technological based training program supplemented with traditional training

can bring about fruitful results. As a result of technological based training personnel can get

well-rounded education which will help them in the future as well. Moreover, this will brings

about valuable information for the trainees and training personnel can provide state to the art best

training in competitive environment of the organization.

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Work Cited

1. Khan, B. H. (2001). Web-based training. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Educational Technology

Publications.

2. Sims, R. R. (1998). Reinventing training and development. Westport, CT: Quorum.

3. Ford, J. K. (2014). Improving Training Effectiveness in Work Organizations. Hoboken:

Taylor and Francis.

4. Training Today. (n.d.). Developing an Employee Training Plan for Legal Compliance.

Retrieved 19 Nov. 2014 from http://trainingtoday.blr.com/employee-training-

resources/Developing-a-Training-Plan-for-Legal-Compliance