Techniques of Management Development Program - Human Resource Management | Human Resource Management - B Com PDF Download

Techniques of Management Development Program
They are mainly two types of methods by which managers can acquire the knowledge, skills and attitudes and make themselves competent managers. One is through formal training and the other is through on the-job experience.

On-the-job training is of utmost importance as real learning takes place only when the learner uses what he has learnt. The saying, “an ounce f practice is worth tons of theory” is true, whoever said it. But it should also be remembered that class-room training or pedagogical techniques have also got their own importance in gaining new knowledge, learning new techniques and broader concepts.

On-the-job techniques
The importance of on-the-job training technique are coaching, job rotation, under study and multiple management.

1. Coaching: in coaching, the trainee is placed under a particular supervisor who acts as an instructor and teaches job knowledge and skills to the trainee. He tells him what he wants him to do, how it can be done and follow up while it is being done and carry out its errors. Couching should be distinguished from counseling. Counseling involves discussion between the boss and his subordinates of areas concerned with man’s hopes, fears, emotions, and aspirations. It reaches into very personal and dedicated matters. To be done correctly, counseling demands considerable background and ability on the part of the counselors. If carried out poorly, it may do considerable change.

The act of coaching can be done in several ways. The executive apart from asking them to do the routine work may ask them to tackle some complex problems by giving them a chance to participate in decision making.

One of the most important limitations of this technique is that the individual cannot develop much beyond the limit of his boss’s abilities.

2. Job rotation: the transferring of executives from one job to job and from department to department in a systematic manner is called job rotation. When a manager is posted to a new job as part of a program, it is not merely an orientation assignment. He also has to assume the full responsibility and perform all kinds of duties.

The idea behind this is to give him the required diversified skills and a brooder outlook which are important at the senior management levels. It is up the management to provide a variety of job experiences, for those who have the potential for higher ranks before they are promoted.

Job rotation increases the inter-departmental co-operation and reduces the monotony of the work. It makes to executives general management and does not allow them to confine themselves to their specialized field only.

3. Under Study: an understudy is a person who is in training to assumes at a future time, the full responsibility of the position currently held by his superior, this method supplies the organization a person with as much competence as the superior to fill his post which may fall vacant because of promotion, retirements.

As under study nay be chosen by the department or its head, he will then teach what his entire job involves and gives him a feel of what his job is. This under study also learns the decision-making as his superior involves him in the discussion in the daily operating problems as well as long-term problems. The leadership skills can also be taught by assigning him a task of supervising two or three people of the department.

4. Multiple Management: multiple management is a system in which permanent advisory committees of managers study problems of the company and makes recommendations to the higher management. It is also called junior-board of executives system. These committees discuss the actual problems and different alternatives solutions after which the decisions are taken.

The technique of multiple management has certain advantage over the other technique, they are;

1. Members have the opportunities to acquire the knowledge of various aspects of business.

2. It helps to identify the members who have the skills and capabilities of an effective manager.

3. Members have the opportunity to participate in the group interaction and thereby gain the practical experience of group decision making.

Off-the-job methods
Because of the fact that on-the-job techniques have their own limitations, these off-the-job techniques are considered important to fill those gaps. The following are some of the important off-job-techniques;

1. The case study

2. Incident method

3. Role playing

4. In basket method

5. Business game

6. Sensitivity training

7. Simulation

8. Grid training

9. Conferences

10. Lectures

11. Behavior.

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1. The case study: cases are prepared on the basis of actual business that happened in various organizations. The trainees are given cases for discussing and deciding upon the case. Then they are asked to identify the apparent and hidden problems for which they have to suggest the solution.

• The situation is generally described in a comprehensive manner and the trainee has to distinguish the significant fact from the insignificant, analyze the facts, identify the different alternatives solutions, select and suggest the best. This whole exercise improves the participant’s decision-making skills by sharpening their analytical and judging abilities

•  Incident method: this method was developed by Paul Pigors. It aims to develop the trainee in the areas of intellectual ability, practical judgment and social awareness. Under this method, each employee develops in a group.

Incidents are prepared on the basis of actual situations which happened in different organizations. Each employee in the training group is asked to study the incidents and to make short-term decisions in the role of a person who has to cope with the incidents, based on group interaction and decisions relating to incidents, based on the group interaction and decisions taken from each member. Thus, this method is similar to a combination of a case study and in basket method.

• ​Role playing: a problem situation is simulated by asking the participant to assume the role of a particular person in the situation. The participant interacts with other participants assuming different roles. The mental set of the role is described but no dialogue is provided. The whole play may be tape recorded and the trainee may thus be given the opportunity to examine his or her own performance.

Role playing gives the participant vicarious experiences which are of much use to understand people better. This method teaches human relation skills through actual skills. The exemplary role playing situations are employment interviews, a grievances discussion.

• In basket method: the trainees are first given background information about a simulated company, its products, key personnel, various memoranda, request and all data pertaining to the firm. The trainee has to understand all this, make notes, delegate task and prepare memos within a specified amount of time. abilities that all this kind of notes develops are; situational judgment in being able to recall details, establish priorities, interrelates items and determines need for more, social sensitivity in exhibiting courtesy in written notes, scheduling meetings with personnel involved and explaining reasons for actions taken and willingness to make decision and take action.

• Business games: under this method, the trainees are divided into groups or different teams. Each team has to discuss and arrive at the decision concerning such subject as production, pricing, research expenditure and advertising. Assuming it to be of the management of the simulated firm. The other teams assume themselves as competitors and react to the decision. This immediate feedback helps to know the relative performance of each team. The team’s co-operative decision promotes greater interactions among participants and gives them the experiences in co- operative group. All this develops organizational ability, quickness of thinking, leadership qualities and the ability to adapt under stress.

• ​Sensitivity training: The main objective of sensitivity training is the development of awareness of and sensitivity of behavioral patterns of oneself and others”. This development results in the, increased openness with others, greater concerns for others, increased tolerance for individual difference, less ethnic prejudice, understanding of group process, enhanced listening skills, and increased trust and support.

The role played by the trainee here is not structured one as in role play. It is laboratory situation where one gets a chance to know more about himself and impact of his behavior on others. It develops managerial sensitivity, trust and respect for others. One of the limitations of sensitivity training is that it attracts a huge emotional cost from the manager.

• Simulation: under this method, the situation is duplicated in such a way that it carriers a closer resemblance to the actual job situation. The trainees experience a feeling that he is actually encountering all those condition. Then he is asked to assumes a particularly in circumstances and solve the problems by making a decision. He is immediately given a feedback of his performance.

One of the limitations of sensitivity training is that it extracts a huge emotional cost from manager, and it is difficult to duplicate the situational to the extent of making the trainee feel the pressures and realities of actual decision-making on the job. The very fact that the trainee knows that it is an artificial situation prevents him from experiencing in real job situation.

• Managerial grid: it is sixth phase programs lasting from five years. It starts with upgrading managerial skills, continues to group improvement, improves inter group relations, goes into corporate planning, develops implementation method and ends with evaluation phase.