CHAPTER TWELVE

Training Programs
 LEARNING OUTCOMES

 Describe orientation training programs and

essential skills training
 Describe technical skills training and information
technology training
 Discuss legislation and safety training programs
 Describe total quality management (TQM) training
 LEARNING OUTCOMES

 Describe team training and the skills required of team

members
 Describe sales training and the skills required to be
effective in sales
 Discuss customer-service training and the skills that
employees require to interact effectively with customers
 Define sexual harassment and describe sexual
harassment training
 Describe ethics training, diversity training and cross-
cultural training
 TRAINING PROGRAMS

 Many factors influence what training is delivered

• Organizational values, goals, mission, strategy
 Many programs have common or generic goals that
are transferable
 Will also determine how and to whom the training is
provided
 ORIENTATION
TRAINING
Programs designed to introduce new employees to
their job, the people they will be working with, and
the organization

 Conducted in-house by human resource

practitioners
• Health, safety, conditions of employment,
organizational history
 Results in more socialized employees
 ESSENTIAL SKILLS
TRAINING
 Essential skills training:
• Designed to provide employees with essential
skills required to perform their job, and adapt to
workplace change
• Becoming more important as competition in world
economy increases
• Success of other training programs can be
affected if essential skills not present
• Has benefits for the organization and the
employee
 TECHNICAL SKILLS
TRAINING
Training in specific job skills that all employees
need to perform their jobs
 TECHNICAL SKILLS
TRAINING
 Global competition has forces employers to spend
time and money on technical skills training,
particularly among manufacturing firms

 Low-skilled employees have had to become highly

skilled to keep their jobs and for their organizations
to survive
 INFORMATION
TECHNOLOGY
Training programs that focus on the use of
computers and computer systems
Key factor in the successful implementation of
information systems technology
Tech failures a result of lack of training
Computer software training:
Planned, structured, and formal means of delivering
information about how to use a specific computer
software application
 HEALTH AND SAFETY
TRAINING
 Work-related injuries on rise
 Present serious threat to employees and
organizations
 HEALTH AND SAFETY
TRAINING

Safety training is one of most important ways to

prevent accidents
Goal is to educate employees on safe work
methods and techniques
Employees should also be trained to recognize
chemical and physical hazards
 QUALITY TRAINING

Total Quality Management (TQM)

Systematic process of continual improvement of the
quality of an organization’s products and services
Also includes a teamwork and customer service
focus
 TQM often requires significant changes in
employees’ skills and the way employees work
 Training involves team training, the use of
statistical tools, and problem solving
 TEAM TRAINING

Programs that are designed to improve the

functioning and effectiveness of teams in areas
such as communication and coordination
 Group processes are usually the focus
 Team training focuses on two types of skills:
1. Task work skills
2. Teamwork skills
• Task work skills should be mastered first
 SALES TRAINING

Today, sales professionals need to develop:

 The ability to deal with competitive challenges
 Relationship-based sales training:
• Knowledgeable about their customer’s business
needs
• Customized sales strategies
• Learning to sell solutions that combine support
and service agreements
 CUSTOMER-SERVICE
TRAINING
 Organizations with strong commitment to
customer service invest heavily in training
 The training needs to be tailored to meet the
organization’s:
• Strategy
• Context
• Characteristics
• Customers
 Employees must have ability and motivation to
provide excellent service
 SEXUAL HARASSMENT
TRAINING
Sexual harassment training is designed to:
Increase awareness and understanding of what
constitutes sexual harassment
Train staff on policies and complaint procedures
Facilitate a positive climate that prevents sexual
harassment
Often mandatory in certain occupational fields or
environments where history of harassment has
been prevalent
 ETHICS TRAINING

Ethics training programs involve teaching

employees about the organizations’ values and
ethical policies

 Create an ethical culture and workplace

 Comply with legal mandates
 Gain liability protection
 Attract and retain the right type of employees
 ETHICS TRAINING

Components of an effective ethics training

program:
 Mandatory
 Copy of organization’s code of ethics
 Discussion of relevant compliance laws
 An ethical decision-making model
 Resources for help
 Role-playing scenarios
 DIVERSITY TRAINING

Focuses on differences in values, attitudes, and

behaviours of individuals with different
backgrounds
One of the most common ways for organizations to
manage diversity
Is controversial – some say it has helped and others
think it is a waste of time and money – and does not
work
 DIVERSITY TRAINING

Diversity Training Objectives

 Increase awareness about diversity issues
 Reduce biases and stereotypes
 Change behaviours to those required to work
effectively in a diverse workforce
 CROSS-CULTURAL
TRAINING
Training that prepares employees for working
and living in different cultures and for
interactions with persons from different
backgrounds

Training rigour is a critical factor in the effectiveness

of the various methods used in cross-cultural training
 CROSS-CULTURAL
TRAINING
Major types of cross-cultural training:
 CROSS-CULTURAL
TRAINING
Training Rigour
The degree of mental involvement and effort that must
be expended by the trainer and the trainee in order for
the trainee to learn the required concepts
 Also refers to the length of time spent on training

Examples of different levels of rigour:

Low Rigour Medium Rigour High Rigour
Lectures Role plays Field trips
Films Cases Interactive language training
 CROSS-CULTURAL
TRAINING
The degree of rigour required depends on three
dimensions:
1. Cultural toughness
• How difficult it is to adjust to a new culture
2. Communication toughness
• The extent to which employee will have to interact
with locals
3. Job toughness
• How difficult tasks/job will be compared to current role
 CROSS-CULTURAL
TRAINING
Recommendations for an Effective Cross-
Cultural Training Program
 Should be considered mandatory
 Location should be chosen based on needs of the
family
 Depth of training is of utmost importance
 Families must be incorporated into training
 Language training should be incorporated
 Education and expectations of training should be clear
See Trainer’s Notebook 1
 SUMMARY

 Presented an overview of the major types of training

programs offered in today’s organizations
 Discussed key objectives, components, and success
factors for many of the training programs
 Discussed the link between the need for these
programs, environmental influences in the world
economy, and organizations’ strategies