Bauer, Human Resource Management
SAGE Publishing, 2020
Lecture Notes
Chapter 8: Training, Development, and Careers
Learning Objectives
8.2. List the characteristics of the employee, the organizational context, and the training that can
be leveraged to enhance training effectiveness.
8.3. Describe some of the most important training methods and media used by organizations
and list their respective advantages and disadvantages.
Chapter Summary
This chapter aims to describe the process for developing and implementing a training program and
demonstrating its value to the organization. The chapter begins with an overview on why training is so
important in organizations and then focuses on the importance of having a training needs assessment.
Annotated Chapter Outline
I. The Importance of Training in Organizations: Organizational investment in employees
through training and development activities can be critical to its success.
A. Training should address specific organizational needs, align with the organization’s
II. Training Needs Assessment: a systematic evaluation of the organization, the jobs, and the
employees to determine where training is most needed and what type of training is needed
i. Key part of developing clearly focused training goals that are aligned with
Bauer, Human Resource Management
SAGE Publishing, 2020
on training
B. Organizational Analysis
i. Organizational goals and strategies
a. Starbucks and the 100,000 Opportunities Initiative
ii. Organizational culture
a. Understanding of company culture is key for implementation of an
iii. Organizational resources
a. What resources the organization is able and willing to invest in the
training program
c. Laws and regulations
C. Job Analysis
i. Task-KSAO approach is particularly well suited for development of training.
a. Identifies critical KSAOS for the backbone for the training program
b. Provides rich material for the development of training content
D. Person Analysis
i. Identifying KSAOs and candidates for development
a. Waste of resources to train employees on KSAOs on which they are
already proficient
E. Developing Training Goals
i. Driven by the examination of the gap between job analysis and person analysis
data
ii. Training goals should be expressed in specific, behavioral terms
III. Enhancing Learning: Effective training programs take into account characteristics of the
trainees, the organization, and the training to enhance learning.
Bauer, Human Resource Management
SAGE Publishing, 2020
ii. Trainee motivation
a. Significant predictor of training success
b. Goal setting theory: Setting specific, difficult yet achievable goals for
people will lead to the highest performance.
iii. Metacognitive skills: ability to step back and assess their own performance
iv. Effect of personality and cognitive ability on a person’s learning
B. Organizational Context: Enhancing Transfer
i. Training transfer: if the training results in changes in performance on the job
C. Training Delivery Characteristics
i. Feedback
ii. Training relevance: the degree to which trainees see training as important to
their jobs
v. Massed learning: training occurs in one large chuck
vi. Spaced learning: training occurs through several sessions over time
IV. Training Methods: an overview of some of the most common training methods, as well as
their advantages and disadvantages
A. On-the-Job Training
i. On-the-job training (OJT): a more senior employee works with a new employee
Bauer, Human Resource Management
SAGE Publishing, 2020
B. Lectures: training events in which an expert speaks to a group of workers to explain and
impart knowledge
E. eLearning: training that is delivered through an online platform via computers or mobile
devices
F. Behavioral Modeling Training (BMT): involves a trainee observing a model performing a
behavior, then practicing it and receiving feedback about their own performance
G. Diversity Training
H. Training to Increase Team Effectiveness
I. Training for Managers and Leaders
i. Role-plays
J. Current Workplace Training Issues
i. Mindfulness training: training for a person to allow themselves to be in the
present moment and to notice things around them in a nonjudgmental way
ii. Gamification: training that is made into a game or simply competition among
employees in terms of scores on their training performance
K. Onboarding New Employees
i. Onboarding/organizational socialization: process of helping new employees
ii. Effective organization onboarding
a. Welcome
b. Inform
1) Orientation program: specific type of training designed to help
welcome, inform, and guide new employees
Bauer, Human Resource Management
SAGE Publishing, 2020
ii. Determining whether to create unique experiences in
different business locations around the world
c. Guide
1) Buddy/peer
V. Evaluating the Effectiveness of Training Programs: increased pressure for accountability and
the need to understand how a training program can be adjusted or improved leads to
evaluation
A. Reasons for lack of evaluation
i. Belief that training evaluation is unnecessary
B. Measures of Training Effectiveness
i. Kirkpatrick framework
a. Four categories of training evaluation criteria
1) Reactions criteria: have to do with assessing how trainees react
to the training, namely, whether they liked it
2) Learning criteria: if the trainee actually gained some sort of
knowledge or skill while in training
3) Behavior: actual behavior on the job
ii. Most challenging aspect of developing a training evaluation approach
a. Demonstrating the training outcomes are actually tied back to business
objectives
b. Use of analytics can be particularly helpful
1) Key: measuring training outcomes accurately and in ways that
Bauer, Human Resource Management
SAGE Publishing, 2020
c. What is happening during the learning process, and how to change or
adjust the training to address any problems identified?
over time
A. Career management: continual process of setting career-related goals and planning a
route to achieve those goals
B. Career Management Activities
i. Work performed
a. Job rotation: employees who work on different assigned jobs within the
same organization to allow employees to develop a variety of skills, be
ii. Personal relationships
a. Impact of relationship with manager
b. Impact of having a mentor
iii. Education
C. Career Movements
i. Promotions and transfers
D. Are Managers or Employees Responsible for Career Management?
i. Both organizations and individuals play an important role in career management