Work Study

New Developments in Employee Training

Christianne Derouen Brian H. Kleiner
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Christianne Derouen Brian H. Kleiner, (1994),"New Developments in Employee Training", Work Study, Vol. 43 Iss 2 pp. 13 -
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 New Developments in
Employee Training
Christianne Derouen and Brian H. Kleiner

In order to accommodate the rapid (1) aligning training strategies with various problems and assignments
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technological changes, employees corporate goals; presented to them on the computer.

must master increasingly complex (2) continuous learning; Group training follows the
technical skills. Five major forces employees to the workplace, where
behind training becoming so important (3) manufacturer-user; and groups often meet to discuss needs and
and central to any firm’s operations are (4) designing and delivering training problems of the company. From this
as follows: cost-effectively. process the goals of training for the
company are met. The computer/no
(1) global and domestic competition; Additionally, various magazine articles instructor process is not mentioned
supplement some of the ideas very often but is a more modern way to
(2) changes in technology;
discussed in the two books as well as train as computer use is so widespread.
(3) mergers, acquisitions and dives- introduce new training methods. American Transtech found this method
titures causing realignment of
is successful in getting people to work
structures and functions of together as well as learn together.
companies; Aligning Training Strategies Corning Glass Works is another
(4) better educated workforce; with Corporate Goals company which implemented a
The first type of training mentioned in training programme aligned with its
(5) emergence of new occupations
the above books discusses aligning corporate goals. Training is so
(computer, etc.).
training strategies with corporate goals, important to Corning Glass that it felt
New training ideas are developed which is necessary because each the training given would directly relate
because trends are towards making company must evaluate what is needed to success and hopefully put it a step
training more practical, realistic and for it to be competitive and successful. ahead of its competition. The
pertaining to employees’ jobs. Training Once this is known, training can be corporation, with the help of outside
must give employees broader applied accordingly. consultants, put together a textbook
knowledge, enabling them effectively American Transtech, a subsidiary of about quality at Corning Glass. The
to utilize new technology and integrate AT&T, aligns its training with training department worked hard
it into the workplace. Lower costs, corporate goals by focusing its training exposing all 28,000 employees to
better quality, faster return on training in product and people quality.
in the following manner: managers are
investment, increased productivity and Mid-level management was the focus
trained to hire their own personnel,
long-term growth are all achieved once of the training. The book was used as a
relying less on Human Resources.
guideline, and the emphasis was
employees adapt to changes and are Once hired, new employees go through teamwork. From the initial training,
trained accordingly. In the past, a two-day orientation where company Corning Glass found problem areas
training was very classroom/instructor- policy and procedures are outlined and which needed to be addressed in
oriented. This has recently proven teamwork participation is encouraged, further company training courses,
ineffective compared with more since teamwork is an integral part of including interpersonal relationships
modern developments. American Transtech. On completion of and problem solving. Though use of
Two books published in 1988[1,2] the orientation, the new hires are books is by no means a modern
discuss many companies and modern placed in groups and trained about their training method, a company writing its
employee-training ideas which are job and its functions with the aid of a own book for training purposes and
being utilized today to keep pace with computer. There are no instructors updating as needs arise is not a
technology. The four areas addressed leading the class, so it is necessary for commonality. Most companies rely on
are: the teams to discuss among themselves outside training courses.

Work Study, Vol. 43 No. 2, 1994, pp. 13-16, © MCB University Press, 0043-8022 WS March/April, 1994 13
 Continuous Learning
More recent trends show training going
beyond “job specific” to “continuous
learning”, in which the focus is on
other areas of expertise within the
company. In continuous learning
employees are encouraged to learn and
understand the jobs and skills needed
of those around them and more often
perform them on a regular basis. Semi-
autonomous work teams are most
conducive in the continuous learning
environment because each employee
trains others in their group. This way
employees know one another’s jobs
and can perform them in case of an
employee absence. Employees begin to
realize that learning and continuous
training is as big a part of their job as
the job itself.
Training one another, or “train the
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trainer”, is another important aspect of
continuous learning. It allows
employees to develop new applications
and techniques and share them with
their peers or supervisors.
S.B. Thomas, Inc. feels there are two
types of training in its continuous
learning plan – social and technical
task training. In social training
employees are given a secondary job,
such as communicator, counsellor,
safety officer. These secondary jobs
change frequently and are minor jobs
compared with the job for which they
are hired, but it gives employees a
“teamwork” sense of pride in
productivity. Although this is not an
actual training course in the truest
sense, it is a training method to
increase employees’ morale, and good
employee morale increases work
output as well as interpersonal
relations.
The technical task training is
focused on learning the job which the
employee will perform. Films are used
to illustrate and explain various tasks
the company performs and those which
will be undertaken by the new
employee. As this is not a new
development, it will not be discussed.
S.B. Thomas has work teams in
which members train one another. A
new hire learns from a facilitator the
overall job of the group in which
he/she is placed. In the course of this, a
new employee receives direction and
support from a co-worker already
experienced in the task. Although S.B.
Thomas does not focus as much on
outside training (e.g. college courses),
its commitment to the in-house training
14 Work Study
and motivation of all employees has
proved effective.
Factories are also utilizing modern
training ideas. They are prone to
employ multiskilled workers and use
multipurpose machines. Factories now
use flexible automation – organizing
the shopfloor into cells and short
assembly lines. Workers in each cell
must have knowledge and skills to
operate a variety of machines and
know product requirements. Single
purpose assembly lines are a thing of
the past because the ability to do more
than one job increases productivity,
giving companies a competitive
advantage. Traditionally, single-skilled
training was highly specialized with
centralized decision making. The
“factory of the future” focuses on
cross-training and decentralized
decision making.
“Communication
plays a
major role
in ensuring
tasks are
learned
” training agreement on award of an
In order to succeed in using
multiskilled employees, a factory must
train immediately, get employees
involved, and get the support of top
management. Training must address
many issues such as planning,
operating methods, communication
flows, safety, etc. Communication
plays a major role in ensuring tasks are
learned. Additionally, stress and con-
flict must be overcome for employees
to be most productive.
Through performing a variety of
functions, the employee gains task
identity and skill variety, creating
increased motivation, work perfor-
mance and decreased absenteeism.
This is another form of continuous
learning, as employees are learning not
only their particular job but also those
of their cellmates. This area of training
has recently become widespread but
not a major training impetus.
Manufacturer-User
Another form of training is
“manufacturer-user”, which involves
the vendor and supplier sharing ideas
and information about design and
implementation and having joint
responsibility for training. Turning to
the manufacturer for aid in training
would seem a likely choice as it should
know about the machine in use and its
various functions. This form of
training can result in more up-time,
increased creative applications,
manufacturer and customer
satisfaction and improved design of
machines. It is also a relatively
inexpensive way to train because the
supplier does not need to implement
training programmes or hire outside
consultants. Manufacturer-user
training asks for a training
commitment from the supplier on
entering into a buying agreement; and
the more co-operative and committed
the vendors and users are, the more
productive the training is. It is believed
that this type of training, although not
used extensively, will gain a foothold
in the next ten years.
Goodyear Tire and Rubber
Company is an example of a company
which initiated a manufacturer-user
programme with its suppliers. It
requires its suppliers to enter into a
equipment bid. A typical training
agreement with suppliers requires:
● Access to supplier’s plant by
training poeple from Goodyear in
order to prepare task analysis and
training material.
● Hands-on use for operators,
maintenance workers, and
managers. Classroom work,
media, equipment and instruction
are also used.
● Training content matching
specifications required.
● Complete training before the
equipment goes into operation.
● A training representative of the
supplier dedicated to full-time
training.
Goodyear’s training is limited,
teaching only a basic knowledge of
how to use the equipment, then leaves
training new or additional employees
 up to the supplier using train-the-
trainer style mentioned earlier.
Designing and Delivering
Training Cost-effectively
There are three approaches to
designing and delivering training cost-
effectively. The first is a systems
approach, which organizes the
educational process into manageable
steps, resulting in improved decision
making and training delivery.
The second approach is training
partnerships with community colleges.
Companies get together with colleges
to decide which training courses can be
offered and what the company needs.
Then the company signs up employees
to attend. This area is enhanced when
colleges increase their flexibility of
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courses offered and provide high
quality instruction.
The third approach is satellite or live
interactive TV, which usually offers
graduate level courses. Many
companies use a combination of the
above three approaches.
“They realized
that
learning
occurs
on the
receiving end
” concentration increased, creating a
The first approach mentioned is not a
modern development so will not be
discussed. The second and third
approaches have more recent
applications.
National Technical University is an
example of a company which uses both
the second and third approach to design
cost-effectively and deliver training-
college and satellite TV. National Tech
is a non-profit private educational
corporation which awards master
degrees in selected fields. Involvement
by 24 universities nation-wide as well
as employees’ companies allows
National Technical University to
emphasize high quality instruction.
Companies pay a fee to join, which
allows employees to partake in the
education. Then the student pays the
fees and may receive reimbursement
from the employer. The basic functions
of National Technical University are,
in addition to awarding master degrees
in selected disciplines, to provide
research seminars, operate tele-
communication for on-site services,
offer short courses, seminars and
workshops to introduce new
technology, and establish a satellite
network between industries and
universities. Classroom time is done
on-site or at work, over satellite. This is
the wave of the future, as there is a
growing number wanting to take part in
this type of programme.
The US Army utilizes the third
approach – TV – for effective, cost-
efficient training. Although this
method is already used in industry, the
approach which the army took in
presenting it is more modern. The
Army Training Department found that
a simple, dry lecture on TV was not the
most productive way to train. They
realized that learning occurs on the
receiving end; so, getting the students
involved through TV training would be
a tough challenge. They decided to
restructure TV training by having their
lecturers “interact” with the viewers by
speaking to them as if they were in the
same room, asking questions, and
presenting problems which required
teamwork among the students.
Training was found to be more fun, as
students sat forward in their seats and
more conducive training programme.
This “interactive” approach, although
it works best, does not seem to be the
approach which many companies take.
Accelerated Learning
Accelerated learning is based on
providing good training in a short
amount of time and learning new skills
and knowledge at an increased rate.
The major principles behind acce-
lerated learning are that it:
● be positive,
● have a comfortable setting,
● exalt the trainees,
● reduce learning barriers and stress,
● be supportive,
● accommodate different learning
speeds, and
● provide group-based learning.
Atlantic’s C&P Telephone Company
implemented accelerated learning and
found its costs of one course reduced
by 42 per cent. Collaboration rather
than competition is important in this
technique because the group is
responsible for its success. For
example, one student will relate to
another the material just learned and
vice versa. This process helps to speed
the learning process. Other types of
learning accelerators may include
positive suggestion, metaphors,
analogies, mental imagery exercises
and role plays.
There are three essential elements in
teaching accelerated learning – state
of mind called relaxed alertness,
exposure to subject by orchestrated
immersion, and active processing.
Relaxed alertness calls for low threat in
the classroom allowing students to be
motivated to take on the challenge at
hand. Orchestrated immersion is an
educational process enveloping the
learner in multiple, interactive contexts
and integrating experiences in those
contexts. Active processing involves
internalization of learning by the
learner. It includes reinforcement and
conscious analysis of what has been
learned and succeeds when skills, basic
information and theoretical under-
standing are all integrated into the
teaching process. The instructors enjoy
teaching in the accelerated learning
environment because it allows them to
step out of their “teacher” role.
Although the information behind
accelerated learning seems quite
complex, the end result shows cost
reduction and employees who enjoy
learning and are back to work sooner.
Action Learning
Action learning is a newer deve-
lopment. It is intended to be practical
and realistic and requires four things:
(1) managers with a common interest,
(2) an external consultant,
(3) the real problems faced by the
company, and
(4) teams focused in their areas of
responsibility.
Once all four are brought together,
the problem-solving phase begins.
WS March/April, 1994 15

First-line management
Middle management
Senior management
Conceptual skills
Human skills – significant
people responsibilities
Human skills – communication and
negotiation, people and non-people resources
Technical skills – specialized
Technical skills – new technology
Figure 1. Levels of Management Skills
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Employees are allowed to take on
responsibilities not currently defined in
their present job, therefore creating
role differentiation and developing
team skills. Action learning also brings
out shortcomings to the work group
and helps the team develop ways to
deal with them. It is geared towards
product and process versus traditional
organizational development which is
inclined to be quite process-oriented.
Action learning is known as a rough
process because not only is learning
involved but also that learning needs to
be transferred to action, as the real
problems of the company must be
solved. It takes time and can be
frustrating; but the end result is having
company problems solved and
employees having learned a great deal,
not only about how to work in groups,
but also about operations of the
company.
Team Training
Two can learn more together than one
can learn in twice the time. This is the
main force behind team training, which
has recently become widespread. Team
training utilizes more than one trainer
to teach a course, and team members
share in planning and doing the actual
training. Studies show that this
interaction arrangement stimulates
understanding and increases
productivity for the students. Training
is handled in several ways. With the
team-training arrangement, as one
presents, the other(s) distribute(s)
16 Work Study
information or set(s) up for their part.
When it is question and answer time,
the team trainers are there to answer,
supplement, redirect, or clarify
contributions made by the other(s).
To be a team trainer, one should
complement the other trainers and
work well with them, as this aids their
training process to run more smoothly
and efficiently. The whole training
phase is enriched by utilizing team
training. Team training is a proved and
effective mechanism when the
company and trainers co-operate to
make it work.
Management Level Training
The skills needed in management are
somewhat different from those needed
by lower-level employees and also
differ depending on what level the
manager is (see Figure 1). These data
are taking a foothold as more
companies realize their managers do
not have the knowledge needed to
perform their jobs at the highest level.
As one moves up the corporate ladder,
less technical skill is needed and more
conceptual skill is required. First-line
managers must focus their training on
human skills and the more experienced
managers on technical skills. The
senior managers learn more of the
coaching and self-development side.
Conclusion
No matter what type of job one
performs or the company one works
for, training should be a very important
part of the job. Considering that and the
rapid technological changes, new
training methods are being developed.
Some of the training methods
mentioned in this article will be used
extensively in the next few years, while
others may take some time in catching
on. Deciding on what training
method(s), new or old, will work best
for the needs of the company is an
important consideration which all
companies must address and constantly
re-evaluate.
References
1. Casner-Lotto, J., Successful Training
Strategies, Jossey-Bass Publishers, San
Francisco, CA, 1988.
2. Rosow, J. and Zager, R.H, Training –
The Competitive Edge, Jossey-Bass
Publishers, San Francisco, CA, 1988.
Further Reading
Caine, G. and Caine, R.N., “Learning about
Accelerated Learning”, Training and
Development Journal, Vol. 43 No. 5,
1989, pp. 65-73.
Clancy, J.A., “Training Workers for the
Factory of the Future”, Training and
Development Journal, Vol. 43 No. 2,
1989, pp. 46-9.
Gill, M.J. and Meier, D., “Accelerated
Learning Takes off”, Training and
Development Journal, Vol. 43 No. 1,
1989, pp. 63-5.
Johnson, D.A., “Training by Television”,
Training and Development Journal,
Vol. 43 No. 8, 1989, pp. 65-8.
Lawrie, J., “Take Action to Change
Performance”, Personnel Journal, Vol.
27 No. 1, 1989, pp. 59-69.
Pell, V.L., “Management Insights”, Journal
of Property Management, Vol. 54 No. 1,
1989, p. 14.
Ripley, D., “Trends in Management
Development”, Personnel Admin-
istrator, 1989.
Snyder, K.J. and Anderson, R.H., “Team
Training”, Training and Development
Journal, Vol. 43 No. 2, 1989, pp. 58-61.
Christianne Derouen and Brian H. Kleiner
are with the Department of Management,
School of Business Administration and
Economics, California State University,
Fullerton, California, USA.
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