7-1        Identify each of the common points in the tenure of employees within the organization where training may be needed.

The most common points at which manag­ers should consider workforce training include new-employee orientation, which is used to accul­turate new employees to the organization and its culture and to prepare them to do their own job within the organization; when processes or proce­dures have changed; whenever there has been some failure to perform successfully (remedial training); or when employee development opportunities come up, allowing the company to develop current employees’ skills and abilities so that they are able to move into higher-level jobs within the organization.

7-2        Describe the steps in the training process and their interrelationship.

The first step involves conducting a needs assess­ment to identify the type of training needed. The sec­ond step involves selecting how to shape employee behavior. The third step involves designing the training by selecting training methods. The fourth step involves selecting the delivery method and deliv­ering the training. The last step involves assessing the training to determine if employee behavior has changed to improve performance—if not, return to step one. The steps are so closely related and based on each other that they are commonly planned together before actually delivering the training.

7-3        Summarize the four methods for shaping behavior.

The four options for shaping behavior include pos­itive reinforcement, negative reinforcement, pun­ishment, and extinction. Positive reinforcement involves the application of a reward in response to a person’s behavior in order to increase the chances that that behavior will be repeated. Negative reinforcement involves the withdrawal or avoid­ance of a noxious stimulus, or a negative thing, in response to a person’s positive behavior to increase the chances that the behavior will be repeated. Punishment occurs either when a noxious stim­ulus is applied or when a reward is taken away in response to a negative behavior. Extinction pro­vides no reinforcement, either positive or negative, to the actions of the subject.

7-4        Compare each of the major training delivery types.

On-the-job training (OJT) is done at the work site with the resources the employee uses to perform the job, and it is conducted one-on-one with the trainee. In classroom training, the organization creates a training course and provides a qualified instructor to teach the class in a single location at a specific time. Distance learning, also called e-learning, allows the students to sign in to the training site and provides materials to them for their studies. There’s typically less interaction between an instructor and trainee than in OJT or classroom training.

7-5        Discuss the Four-Level Evaluation Method for assessing training programs.

The four-level evaluation method measures reac­tion, learning, behaviors, and results. In reaction evaluations, we ask the participants how they feel about the training process, including the content provided, the instructor(s), and the knowledge that they gained. Learning evaluations are designed to determine what knowledge was gained by the indi­vidual, whether any new skills have been learned, and whether attitudes have changed as a result of the training. Behavior evaluations are designed to determine whether or not the trainee’s on-the-job behaviors changed as a result of the training. In a results evaluation, we try to determine whether or not individual behavioral changes have improved organizational results. This is the level at which ROI will be measured and evaluated.

7-6        List some of the individual and organizational consequences that can occur as a result of organizational career planning processes.

Organizational consequences include all of the major organizational dependent variables that we identified in Chapter 1: job satisfaction, productiv­ity, absenteeism, and turnover. In addition, labor costs, organizational safety, employee lawsuits, and organizational reputation can either improve or decline based on the application (or lack thereof) of the correct HR strategy. On the employee side of the diagram, if the organization applies the correct HR strategies, individual feelings of accomplish­ment and achievement increase, self-worth and self-reliance increase, the employee’s sense of security increases, and employee morale is likely to increase due to higher individual satisfaction levels. If the strategies are unsuccessful, each of these individual consequences can become negative.

7-7        Define the key terms found in the chapter margins and listed following the Chapter Summary.

Complete the Key Terms Review to test your understanding of this chapter’s key terms.