Training and Development Methods: Module 3: Session 2

Case Study:

 The case study technique is based on a belief that the trainee can best attain
managerial understanding and competence through the study, contemplation and
discussion of actual situations.
 The material of case study may be quite elaborate and may include:
o The history of a company,
o Biographies of key persons,
o Information about finances, marketing, production and other
functions,
o Information that is pertinent to the problem as well as a tremendous
amount of information that really has little to do with it.
Application of the Case Study Method:
 The case study provides a learning situation which depends on the involvement and
participation in group discussions for its success. It is essential that those using the
method have a thorough knowledge of discussion leading techniques.
 No two trainees will view a given case in exactly the same way; although they will
generally agree on the existence of certain issues, their interpretations are likely to
be very different.
 Good case discussion also generally requires conscientious preparation by the
participants.
 To select the right case at the right moment, the instructor needs a good
understanding of his group, for it is primarily the members that he is teaching, not
the case.
 The decision to use cases would be based on programme objectives, potential
participant profile and contents of the programme. The case study method of
learning requires significant preparation by individual participants, discussion in a
small group (of 6 to 8 members) before attending the class, class discussion by
participants with the help and guidance of a resource person, and after-class
discussion and reflection.

Importance of Case Study Method

 Professionals would relate the situation in the case to relevant theory, models and
body of knowledge.
 Helps the participants in developing the ability to think, decide and choose
appropriate course of action.
 Case study provides the participants an insight and experience in evaluating a
situation correctly and allows them to develop skill in working with data, relating
facts to action, deciding what to do and committing them to a course of action.
 Helps in developing problem solving and decision making skills of the participants.
 Develops the ability of the participants to look at the facts of case analytically, study
the process by getting totally involved in the process and assume responsibility for
the decision taken by them thereby also assuming responsibility for their learning.
Procedure for the Case Study Method
I. The case study method involves preparation, both individual and in small groups and
also discussion with the help of a resource person of a situation as described in the
case.
II. In stage (i), the participants first go though and prepare each se individually by
assuming the role of the decision-maker in the situation and them decide on
appropriate decisions and action plans to resolve the problems faced.
III. The individual participants next discuss their inferences and action plans in the
forum of a small group of 6 to 10 participants.
IV. In-class discussion is also like small-group discussion, except that the range of
experiences encountered in the inferences and action plans may be much larger, and
that there is also a discussion leader to help the class in its deliberations.
V. After class discussion, synthesis should be made within the initial small group aiming
to arrive at an improved understanding of, and better decisions made in, the
particular situation, also tentative generalizations about individual approaches,
attitudes and values for improved decision making in the future.
VI. The instructors assign the cases and associated readings for classes, provide
guidance, if any, for preparation, and make themselves available for any clarification.
VII. The programme coordinator, along with the programme faculty and support staff,
creates a learning climate conductive to learning through planning as well as
implementing both academic and non-academic components of the programme.

Role of the Resource Person

 Should be Prepared
 Should be flexible
 Should not try to force the discussion along predetermined lines
 Should ask questions when necessary, but as few as possible
 Should never become emotionally involved
 Should summarize at the end and leave time to arrive at key points.

Role of Participants
 Adequate preparation is necessary
 Case materials should be given at least a day in advance
 Must understand that there is no one solution to the problems in arising out of the
case

Steps for Case Study Analysis

1. Read the case carefully more than once
2. Analyse the company’s development from the information provided
3. If appropriate, undertake a SWOT analysis.
4. Identify the problems
5. Evaluate the options of possible solutions
6. Recommend solutions (remember there is often no correct answer to a case)

Usefulness of the Case Method

 Acquiring knowledge
 Developing Skills
  Forming Attitudes and values
 Influencing Behaviour

Advantages of Case Study Method

 Develops analytic and problem solving skills
 Allows for exploration of solutions for complex issues
 Allows participants to apply new knowledge and skills
 Good source of ideas about behaviour
 God opportunity for innovation
 Good method to study rare phenomena
 Good method to challenge theoretical assumptions
 Good alternative or complement to the group focus of psychology
 Distributes knowledge and facts
 Improves skills of participants in problem analysis, communication and decision-
making
 Helps in attitude formation

Disadvantages
 Hard to draw definite cause-effect conclusions
 Hard to generalize from a single case
 Possible bias in data collection and interpretation
 Students may not see relevance to own situation
 Insufficient information can lead to inappropriate results
 Not appropriate for elementary level

In-Basket Exercise
What is an In-Basket Exercise?

 An in-basket exercise assesses a candidate's ability to perform a manager’s job from an

administrative perspective.
 In-Basket on In-Tray technique involves simulation of a series of decisions a trainee might
have to make in real life. The trainee is presented with pack of papers and files in a tray
containing administrative problems and is asked to take decisions within specified time limit.
 The decisions taken by several trainees are recorded and compared with one another.
Learning occurs as trainees reflect and evaluate the decisions taken on priorities, customer’s
complaint, superior’s demand, irrelevant information and the like.
 In the exercise, the candidate is confronted with issues and problems that have accumulated
in the manager’s "in-basket" after returning to work from an extended absence. A sample of
in-basket items might include memos, correspondence, e-mails, directives, requests,
reports, forms, messages, minutes, hand-written notes, etc., from management, supervisors,
staff members, inmates, and other stakeholders.
 The candidate's task is to review the in-basket items and then take action on these varied
issues and problems using action forms to record notes, comments, and responses. These
actions are then assessed and rated based on job related competencies through a formal
question and answer session by a group of trained raters. Standardized criteria and
predefined rating scales are used to assess the candidate.
What does an in-basket exercise measure?

 The in-basket exercise measures administrative skills that are critical for effective
performance in supervisory and managerial jobs.
 The in-basket is a standardized, behaviourally based exercise. Multiple trained raters assess
and score candidates according to defined competencies of performance specific to the in-
basket exercise. After each candidate completes the in-basket exercise, a group of trained
raters conduct a question and answer session with the candidate to assess performance on
the exercise using a set of predefined rating scales based on job related competencies (e.g.,
planning and evaluating, problem solving and decision making, etc.). The end product of the
in-basket exercise is that each candidate receives a combined score from multiple raters
based on standardized criteria.
 The in-basket exercise is designed to test the candidate’s adaptive thinking, problem
analysis, judgment, administrative abilities, planning, organizing, delegating, and integrative
skills while under pressure dealing with memos, e-mails, requests, messages, handwritten
notes, etc.

What competencies are measured in the in-basket exercise?

 Like all tests, the in-basket exercise measure certain attributes or qualities. These attributes
or qualities are commonly referred to as competencies.
 To provide an example, all competencies have both a title (e.g., oral communication) and a
definition (e.g., ability to communicate orally in clear, understandable, and polite tones at
the level of the listener giving clear instructions and detailed information). The definition will
list behaviours appropriate for that competency based on a job analysis. Some examples of
common oral communication behaviours expected are listed as follows: clear and easy to
understand, speaking at the level of the listener; fluent and articulate, without frequent
pauses; spoke at an appropriate rate (not too fast or slow); information was in a logical
order; volume of voice was appropriate, and used appropriate inflection to emphasize main
points, etc.
 In any given in-basket exercise, various definitions may be combined or modified. While the
exact competencies will vary, the following competencies will be tested in the in-basket
exercise:

o Planning and Evaluating:

Organizes work, sets priorities, determines resource requirements; determines
objectives and strategies to achieve them; monitors and evaluates progress against
goals.

o Problem Solving and Decision Making (judgment):

Identifies problems; gathers, interprets, and evaluates information to determine its
accuracy and relevance; generates and evaluates alternatives; makes sound and well-
informed decisions; and commits to action to accomplish organizational goals.
 o Managing and Organizing Information:
Identifies need for information; analyzes and interprets data in complex situations
involving conflicting demands, needs, and priorities; determines its importance,
accuracy, and communicates it by a variety of methods.

o Self-Management (initiative):
Show initiatives; sets well-defined and realistic personal goals; monitors progress and is
motivated to achieve; manages own time and deals with stress effectively.

The in basket method of executive development offers the following advantages:

(I) Through in-basket method of executive development, the efficiency planning and
systematic approach, he efficiency of long-term objectives and planning can be
demonstrated.
(II) Instant feedback provides an opportunity for the executives to identify their loopholes
and rectify them.
(iii) The decision-making is quick, rapid and effective.
(iv) Decisions are taken by a group of people from different departments and hence each
executive gets a fair chance of participating in the decision-making.
The chief disadvantages of the in-basket method are:
(I) The in-basket method may discourage original ideas because the ideas of an executive
may be turned down by the group a whole.
(ii) The solutions prescribed by the group of executives may not be accepted by the top
Management and hence the entire exercise may become redundant and unnecessary.
Training and Development Methods: Module 3: Session 3

Business Games

 Business games are used for teaching skills and concepts related to economics or the
business world. This could include contents on corporate or business management, finances,
human resources, negotiations or trading shares on the stock market.
 Most of these games use simulators to imitate real life and favour experiential learning. So
much so that business games are also referred to as business simulation games.
 Also termed as ‘management games’, these games refer to the classroom simulation
exercises in which different teams consisting of individual executives are required to
compete with one another in order to achieve a given objective. Here, an artificial
atmosphere close to the real life situation is created in which the participant executives play
a dynamic role and enrich their skills through involvement and simulated experience.
 The teams usually consist of two to six members and each team takes decisions on
production, prices, research expenditure, advertisement expenditure, marketing, and the
amount of expected profits under hypothetical conditions.
 Management games are aimed at teaching the executives how to take useful and profitable
managerial decisions and make the executives aware of the existence of various group
processes, conflicts, leadership problems, and ways of maintaining ties of friendship with
peers in other departments or functional areas.
 Business games initially followed the spirit of experiments carried out in the 1950s by the US
Army to train its soldiers. By the 1960s, different universities incorporated business games in
their economics and business departments, where board games and experiential activities
were used to teach students. Video games eventually took their place and still continue
evolving, forcing their way into learning institutions such as Harvard or corporations such as
Coca-Cola.

What are the advantages of business games?

There is a simple explanation for the growing popularity of business games: they work.
Overwhelming scientific evidence confirms that the use of games and simulators improve the
learning process. Why? There are at least three reasons:

1. Learning by doing. The secret to success of business games resides in their capacity to
represent real-life problems and afford the direct practice of knowledge and skills via
simulators. Learners are given a safe environment (therefore lacking economic risks) to
immerse themselves in the same corporate issues that company executives face regularly,
responding and interacting with them from the very beginning.
2. Interactive learning. Another key aspect of business games is their capability to capture
learner engagement and participation. Numerous studies demonstrate that our brains
remember knowledge better if we actively participate or interact when learning it. Compared
to classroom-based or video lessons, business games bolster the direct participation, including
emotional involvement, of the learners.
3. Cost reduction. Even though developing a good business game requires time, knowledge and
money, once created, economies of scale entail an enormous competitive advantage. Unlike
classroom lessons, these business games can be quickly and securely implemented anywhere
 in the world. Many of the best business games currently available only require learners to have
smart phones and an Internet connection.

Examples of business games

Though something of a quirk in the beginning, there are currently an enormous amount of business
games on the market. The following are only 4 of the most salient ones:
 Capitalism. First published in 1995, this video game soon became a business game classic.
Used by Harvard and Stanford universities, Capitalism helps students understand and tackle
the challenges of virtually every company and sector (marketing, distribution, manufacturing
or import/export). Its latest version, Capitalism Lab, was released in 2012.
 Beer distribution game. Designed by the business school at the Massachusetts Institute of
Technology (MIT) toward the end of the 1960s, this game has often been reinterpreted and
reworked. It was designed to teach all the secrets of supply and distribution chains (with cost
overruns, delays and multiple suppliers).

The possible pay-offs of management games can be listed thus:

(I) It is very interesting for the dynamic executives to play games and learn, in this process,
the art of making decisions, developing the problem-solving skills, understand the
importance of planning in management.

(II) Executive can analyses and select the relevant data from the available mass of
information and would be able to decide about the important aspects even with
incomplete information by filing up the gaps.

The chief limitations of the management games as a method of executive development can be
listed thus:

(I) Games are expensive to develop and administer and small organisations cannot affront
to manage them.
(II) As pointed out by Taylor and Lippett, “Executives are forced to choose from among the
closed list of alternatives whereas, in real life, managers indulge in creating better
alternatives and get ample reward for developing fruitful alternatives and appropriate
selection of an alternative from the available ones”
(III) Games represent merely simulations which may one be very close to reality and,
therefore, it would be wrong to infer that those who are successful in management
games would also be successful in real jobs.
Multiple Management:
Multiple Management

 This technique of training was first introduced by McCormick, President of McCormick & co. of
Baltimore in 1932. He gave the idea of establishing a junior board of directors.
 Authority is given to the junior board members to discuss any problem that could be
discussed in senior board and give recommendations to the senior board. Innovative and
productive ideas became available for senior board

It may assume two forms viz:

(i) A study of the various organisational problems by a permanent advisory committee of

executives set up by the enterprise. It will evaluate all such problems and makes
appropriate recommendations to higher management, which retains the right to make
final decisions.
(ii) Establishment of a Junior Board of Directors for executives’ training. It is vested with
powers to discuss any problem which the Senior Board constituted by the shareholders
of the enterprise, could otherwise discuss. Such an additional Board can impart a very
good training to junior executives. Appropriate provisions are generally made to declare
that membership of the Junior Board is a pre-requisite for getting membership of the
Senior Board.

Action Maze

 Action Mazes are interactive reading exercises. In action maze, participant will be presented
with a situation, and a number of choices. The choice individual selects will determine the
outcome of the situation, and present with another set of choices.
 Each Action Maze has several situations leading to a final solution. To complete the maze, the
performer must work through each solution.
 The rationale behind the decision in selecting the maze is the creation of a simulated situation
which mimics the strategic decision-making in real life. It is a form of problem based learning.
 Action Maze is a sort of case study, which has been programmed. Participants are provided with
enough details to take them to the first decision point. The description gives them options to
select from, which takes them to the next choice.

Method of Working on Action Maze

 An action maze is a series of reading cards – the number of cards may vary from 15-40. Card 1
outlines a problem situation and offers readers four or give possible course of action. Learner
may tackle the maze in groups of three or four and they have to reach agreement in their groups
on what action to take.
 Once a small group has agreed t on a course of action they turn to appropriate card and read the
result of their choice. The new situation opens up new set of choices, and so on.
Training and Development Methods: Module 3: Session 4

Role-Play Method of Training/Development

 Training and development have become the soul of every organization. The topics
like Knowledge management, talent development and managing the intellectual
capital has become the biggest challenge for organization in order to retain Human
capital thus increasing stability.
 It becomes imperative that it is the prime responsibility of top management and the
HR department to look after the needs of training so as to make the job more
effective, innovative and thus making the employee multi- task oriented.

Defining Role play as a training technique

 Role play can be defined as a technique in which people are presented with a real or
artificial environment and they are exposed with some kind of case or situation and
they need to exhibit the same in form of roles.
 It is a spontaneous human interaction involving realistic human behaviour under
artificial or stimulated environment .It consists of interviews or series of interview in
which the participants or the trainees are provided with a role brief and a s et of
circumstances which they need to enact.
 The trainee develops a strategy to how should he react or think in a particular
situation and possible suggestive solutions for resolving the problem or analyzing the
situation .He also learns and forecasts what the other party or as per the case may
be what can be the other reaction. This technique thus not only leads to self learning
about expected job outcome or to create a fit in the job but also helps in
understanding others perception about the task or issue.

Objectives of Role play as a training technique-

1) It helps in developing a better understanding of the job

2) It helps in understanding how to handle a particular situation.
3) It helps in developing better understanding of the issue an better decision
making
4) It helps in anticipating reaction of other party
5) It helps in developing communication, management development and
leadership quality.
6) It helps in improvement of interpersonal relationship.
7) It helps in providing an insight to understanding behavioural patterns of
others.

Salient Features of Role play as a training method for learning

a) Learning by doing- Since in this the participant plays role as per the given
circumstances he learns practically and understands the demand or requirement
of skill set to resolve or get the task done.
 b) Learning through imitation – while playing the new or the expected role the
participant gets the feelings about the other persona and tries his best to include
and accrue all traits of the given role. Thus he gets an opportunity to understand,
analyze and reflect the other person perception and behavior.

c) Learning through observation and feedback – This method helps in dual

learning .The trainee not only learns and reinforces the concepts by self learning
but also develops an understanding about a new role. This approach helps in
building good decision making ability, management capacity and leadership
overall.

d) Learning though analysis and conceptualization – The role played by the

trainee helps in analyzing the various skills involve din he role right from domain,
conceptual, design or human skills and thus helps in designing a broader
understanding and clear outlook towards task.

Reasons and areas for selecting role play as training technique –

The trainer or the facilitator should be very logical and clear about the purpose of using
this as a training technique .The success of role play depends on the role brief, set
circumstances and the utility expected from he technique.

 The areas where the trainer and get the trainees benefited with this method includes:
o To practice behaviour where new role needs to be assigned to individual or
as on anticipated problem situation.
o To analyze the problem situation and develop approach and technique to
resolve it
o To learn insight into motivation and roles of others
o To develop new skills and insight on resolving problems
o To develop a holistic understanding of the job for present as well as future.
Benefits or outcome of role play as a training technique

a) It helps in both cognitive and effective development of trainees and better

learning by doing.
b) It permits practice by repetition and helps in better reinforcement
c) It also helps in improving human relation since it helps I developing empathy
d) It helps in making people sensitive towards others
e) It helps in better SWOT analysis of individuals and thus the feedback given
helps in identifying and overcoming the deficiencies.
f) It enables the role player to control his behaviour and enact as if he is
enacting in a real life situation
g) It helps in bringing attitudinal changes in the employees as trainees
h) It is a more practical approach than other technique since in this the learning
by doing and feedback that whether a behaviour reflected is acceptable or
requires change can be given.

Essentials to be considered before selecting role play as a training technique

 It is the responsibility of the trainer to identify the objective, need, experience of

trainee, the issue or task for which this method is selected. The focus should be
on maximum involvement of individuals as participants so that an overall exposure
and understanding of attitude, skills, knowledge, behaviour, expectation, need for
improvement, emotional stability and required competencies can be identified.
 Other important factor that determines the success of training method is
the feedback provided by the trainer from time to time to the learner or the
trainee so that he can inculcate the required knowledge and skills on continuous
basis.
 Apart from this it is also important to see for what purpose and objective is the
method used for e.g. for which level of employees as trainees the method is chosen
and also for what skills whether analytical, domain, conceptual, leadership, human
relation development or as per job demand skills need to be inculcated.
 Thus, it can be concluded that role play as a training technique serves as a multi –
skill developing weapon where the trainee not only develops a broader perspective
about the task or new role but also the horizon of understanding others behavior
resulting into empathy, team work, better communication, interpersonal skills and
management development takes place.
 Such methods helps in developing both cognitive and affective component of
perception and helps in knowing how people behave and why people behave in
different ways. Role play as a training technique focuses on emotional, behavioral
and perceptual basis for development.

Sensitivity Training Programmes:

 Originally developed by a behavioural scientist Kurt Lewin and popularised by the
National Training Laboratories, U.S.A., sensitivity training (also known as T-group
training) is a “group experience designed to provide maximum possible opportunity
for the individuals to expose their behaviour, give and receive feedback, experiment
with new behaviour and develop awareness of self and of others,” (Chris Argyris)

 A T-group is a small group consisting of ten to fifteen executives who meet with no
formal agenda and discuss on important problems. This is a leaderless group and the
essence of T-group training is a self- examination and introspection of the behaviour
of oneself. This is a kind of behavioural training that is aimed at bringing about
organisational development.

 They are generally conducted under controlled laboratory conditions. They constitute
certain experiences in interpersonal relationships which ultimately result in the
bringing of a change in feelings and attitudes towards oneself as well as others by
developing among them awareness and sensitivity to behavioural patterns.

Such programmes prove useful because they:

(i) assist in learning as well as unlearning certain related issues;
(ii) they enable the participants to understand how groups perform their
activitiesand thus get chances to discover how they arunderstood/interpreted
by others; and
(iii) increase the power of tolerance of the individual and his ability to understand
others.

The fundamental objectives of sensitivity training are:

(i) To help the executives in improving their understanding of human
behaviour and their ability to read others and predict actions of fellow-
colleagues.
(ii) To increase the participant’s awareness of the impressions created by
him on others.
(iii) To highlight the insensitivity of other executives for the actions and
feelings (opinions) of him.
 (iv) To increase personal satisfaction from relationship with other
executives.
(v) To achieve greater behavioural effectiveness in transactions with one’s
various environments.
(vi) To develop concepts and theoretical insights that will serve as tools in
linking personal values, goals and intentions to actions that area
consistent with these inner factors and with the requirements of the
situation under question.

Experiential & Discovery Learning

Experiential learning is a well-known model in education. Kolb's Experiential Learning
Theory (Kolb, 1984) defines experiential learning as "the process whereby knowledge is
created through the transformation of experience. Knowledge results from the
combination of grasping and transforming experience."

Kolb's Experiential Learning Theory presents a cycle of four elements

1. Concrete Experience
2. Reflective Observation
3. Abstract Conceptualization
4. Active Experimentation
The cycle begins with an experience that the student has had, followed by an
opportunity to reflect on that experience. Then students may conceptualize and draw
conclusions about what they experienced and observed, leading to future actions in
which the students experiment with different behaviours. This begins the cycle anew as
students have new experiences based on their experimentation (Oxen dine, Robinson
and Wilson, 2004) . Although this continuum is presented as a cycle, the steps may
occur in nearly any order. This learning cycle involves both concrete components (steps
1 and 4) and conceptual components (steps 2 and 3), which require a variety of
cognitive and affective behaviours.
Components of Experiential Learning

Andresen, Boud and Choen (2000) provide a list of criteria for experience-based
learning. The authors state that for a project to be truly experiential, the following
attributes are necessary in some combination.

 The goal of experience-based learning involves something personally

significant or meaningful to the students.
 Students should be personally engaged.
 Reflective thought and opportunities for students to write or discuss their
experiences should be ongoing throughout the process.
 The whole person is involved, meaning not just their intellect but also their
senses, their feelings and their personalities.
 Students should be recognized for prior learning they bring into the process.
Teachers need to establish a sense of trust, respect, openness, and concern for the well-
being of the students.

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