Training and Development - 1 | Commerce & Accountancy Optional Notes for UPSC PDF Download

Introduction 

• Every organization must have competent and well-experienced personnel to carry out essential activities. Elevating skill levels, enhancing versatility, and adapting employees to the evolving needs of the organization are crucial. Job performance deficiencies can lead to decreased productivity, necessitating training and development efforts in scenarios like job redesign or technological advancements. In the dynamic landscape of today's society, investing in training and development is not just a desirable activity but a necessity for organizations committed to sustaining a knowledgeable and effective workforce.
• Efficient performance in all types of roles requires some form of training. As a result, both new and existing employees should undergo training or retraining. Every new employee, irrespective of their prior training and experience, requires an introduction to their new job's work environment and guidance on performing specific tasks. Retraining becomes essential when employees are transferred, promoted, or when job roles undergo changes. Training is valuable for new employees as it ensures better job security and increased opportunities for advancement. The skills acquired through training become valuable assets for both the individual and the organization.

Meaning of Training  

• Training is the method employed to equip employees with the necessary capabilities to perform their designated roles. As per Flippo, "Training involves enhancing an employee's knowledge and skills for executing a specific job." 
• According to Dale Yoder, "Training is the process through which the workforce is prepared for the specific tasks it is expected to undertake." Beach defines training as the organized procedure by which individuals acquire knowledge and skills for a defined purpose.
• During training, the trainee acquires fresh manipulative skills, technical knowledge, problem-solving abilities, and attitudes. It is not a one-time event but an ongoing and perpetual process. Training ensures that newly hired workers become fully proficient in their roles in the shortest possible time. 
• Even for existing employees, training is essential to update their skills and keep them well-versed in the required techniques. In essence, training involves enhancing or upgrading an employee's knowledge and skills to effectively execute a specific job.

Training, Development and Education 

The terms "training," "education," and "development" are commonly used, and while they may seem similar at first glance, there are nuanced differences. While all training involves some level of education, and vice versa, both are integral to the broader concept of development. Defining these terms precisely can be challenging, and interpretations may vary among individuals.

• Training: It is a systematic process involving the acquisition of skills and programmed behavior. Training applies knowledge to create awareness of rules and procedures guiding behavior. Its primary goal is to enhance current job performance or prepare individuals for specific future roles.
• Development: This is a related process encompassing activities not only aimed at improving job performance but also fostering personal growth. Development contributes to the maturation and realization of potential capacities, transforming individuals into not just competent employees but better-rounded individuals. In organizational terms, development is geared towards preparing individuals for promotions and increased responsibilities. It involves not only imparting specific skills and knowledge but also instilling certain personality traits and mental attitudes. In this context, development shares similarities with "education."
• Education: Education involves understanding and interpreting knowledge. Rather than providing definitive answers, it cultivates a logical and rational mind capable of discerning relationships among relevant variables and comprehending phenomena. Education imparts qualities of mind and character, fostering an understanding of basic principles, synthesis, and objectivity. Typically, education encompasses a broader range of skills and expertise, often provided by educational institutions. Organizations can leverage these institutions to complement their internal training and development efforts.

Distinction between Training and Development  

• Training is a brief and structured process that employs systematic methods to impart technical knowledge and skills to non-managerial staff for specific purposes. On the other hand, development is an extended educational process that employs systematic and organized approaches for managerial personnel to acquire conceptual and theoretical knowledge for more general purposes.
• Training exclusively focuses on providing instruction in technical and mechanical operations, whereas development encompasses philosophical and theoretical educational concepts. The target audience for training is non-managers, while development is tailored for managerial personnel. Campbell notes that training courses are typically designed with short-term goals in mind, while development involves a more comprehensive educational approach with long-term objectives.

Training and development differ on account of “what”, “who”, “why”, and “when”:

Training and Development

 Employee training and management development are distinct concepts. Employee training focuses on operational, technical, and related areas, while management development centers on principles, techniques of management, administration, and organizational aspects.
The distinctions between training and development are as follows:

• Training is applicable to all individuals, with learning for operators or non-managers and executive development for executives.
• The goal of training is to cultivate specific abilities, while development aims to enhance the overall personality of an individual.
• Training is a specific, one-time effort to impart job-related information and skills, while development is an ongoing process.
• Training is typically a reaction to meet immediate needs, while development is a proactive process with long-term objectives.
• Management usually initiates training, whereas development is often driven by the individual, stemming from internal motivation. Development encompasses various planned and unplanned, formal and informal activities initiated by both the individual and the organization.

Importance of Training 

Training plays a crucial role in introducing employees to their roles, enhancing their abilities, skills, and knowledge. It aids newly recruited individuals in becoming productive quickly and ensures that experienced workers stay current with new methods, techniques, and equipment. According to Dale S. Beach, "Training is vital and necessary in all organizational activities and plays a significant role in determining the effectiveness and efficiency of the establishment." The advantages of training extend to both the organization and its employees.

Advantages to the Organization

• Follow-up of Selection Procedure: Training serves as a follow-up to the selection procedure, helping identify suitable individuals for different jobs and rectifying any flaws in the selection process.
• Improved Performance: Training contributes to the enhancement of output quality by increasing employees' skills, enabling both new and experienced workers to perform their tasks more accurately.
• Cost Reduction in Production: Training is instrumental in the better and more economical use of materials and equipment, leading to decreased wastage. Well-trained employees also contribute to minimizing accidents and damage to machinery, resulting in lower production costs per unit.
• Reduced Supervision: Adequate training reduces the need for supervision, as well-trained employees become self-reliant and understand the tasks at hand. This allows management to focus on other essential functions.
• Increased Morale: Proper training boosts employee morale, aligning their attitudes with the organization's objectives. Training programs shape employees' attitudes, garnering support for organizational activities, fostering greater cooperation, and cultivating loyalty. Moreover, training aids in reducing dissatisfaction, complaints, absenteeism, and turnover among executives.
• Organizational Stability and Flexibility: Training contributes to the stability and flexibility of the organization. By creating a pool of trained replacements, the organization can maintain its effectiveness even in the face of key personnel losses.

Advantages to the Executives

Executives in leadership positions accrue several benefits through training, as outlined below:

• Increase in Earning Capacity: Training enables executives to acquire new knowledge and job skills, elevating their market value and wage-earning potential. Consequently, their pay and status can increase.
• Job Security: Training contributes to an executive's ability to adapt to new work methods, learn the use of new equipment, and adjust to significant changes in job content and work relationships. This enhances job security by making executives more versatile and adaptable.
• Promotion Opportunities: Training serves as a qualification for executives to be considered for promotions to more responsible positions within the organization.

Limitations of Training   

Training comes with certain drawbacks, presenting limitations that need to be acknowledged:

• Financial Costs: Training is a financially demanding process, requiring organizations to allocate a significant amount of resources, potentially diverting funds from other organizational commitments.
• Disruption to Work: Training activities can disrupt regular office work, leading to a loss of productivity. The time spent by trainees in training sessions may cause interruptions or delays in ongoing work.
• Challenges in Instructor Availability: Securing proficient training instructors and leaders can be a challenging task, adding a layer of difficulty to the training process.
• Potential Stifling of Self-Reliance and Innovation: There is a risk that extensive training may inhibit employees' self-reliance and their capacity to generate new ideas.

Assessment of Training Needs

Training requirements are determined through organizational analysis, job analysis, and workforce analysis. Training programs, methods, and content must align with these identified needs. Training needs encompass the areas where an executive lacks the necessary attitude, aptitude, knowledge, or skills to perform their job in an organization.
Various methods are employed to assess training needs, including:

• Identifying organizational requirements and weaknesses.
• Assessing departmental requirements and weaknesses.
• Analyzing job specifications and employee specifications.
• Identifying specific problems within the organization.
• Anticipating potential future problems.
• Responding to management requests for training.
• Observing employees in their roles.
• Conducting interviews with employees.
• Facilitating group conferences to gather insights.
• Utilizing questionnaire surveys to gather employee feedback.
• Administering tests or examinations to evaluate competencies.
• Using checklists to assess skills and knowledge.
• Incorporating performance appraisal evaluations into the assessment process.

Learning & Teaching 

The effectiveness of a training program is heavily dependent on the trainer's proficiency in both the technical aspects of the content and teaching aptitude and skills. Training essentially involves the principles of learning and teaching.
These principles and assumptions of learning include:

• Every individual has the capacity to learn.
• Motivation is a crucial factor for effective learning.
• Learning is an active, not passive, process.
• Guidance and feedback accelerate the acquisition of knowledge.
• Provision of appropriate materials enhances learning.
• Adequate time should be allocated for practicing what is learned.
• Varying learning methods helps counteract fatigue and boredom.
• Reinforcement of correct behavior is essential for learning.
• Setting standards of performance aids the learner.
• Different levels of learning exist.
• Learning is an adjustment on the part of an individual.
• Individual differences significantly impact the effectiveness of the learning process.
• Learning is a cumulative process.
• The ego factor is a major influence on learning.
• The complexity of skills affects the rate of learning.
• Learning is closely linked to attention and concentration.
• Long-term retention and immediate acquisition of knowledge are involved in learning.
• Emphasizing accuracy over speed is generally more effective.
• Learning should be relevant and context-based.
• Learning should be goal-oriented.

Learning Patterns 

• Trainees must gain insight into the patterns involved in acquiring new skills. In the initial stages of learning, executives often find themselves unusually clumsy, marking the discouraging stage. Once the executive adapts to the environment, the learning rate accelerates. 
• Fatigue sets in after extended training periods, attributed to a loss of motivation and a lack of breaks in the training schedule. The trainee enters the next stage when motivated by the trainer, and the training process recommences after a break. At this stage, the trainee learns at a faster rate. Repetition of the course leads the trainee to the stage of over-learning.

Learning Curve 

• Learners Job Proficiency
• Discouraging first stage
• Increasing Returns
• Fast fatigue 
• Peak proficiency 
• Over-learning period  

Thus, it is clear that learning partly takes place at a constant rate.  It varies according to the difficulty of the task, ability of the individual and physical factors.  However, the rate of learning varies from one individual to another.   

Characteristics of Learning Process 

Learning Process has the following characteristics

• Learning is an ongoing and continuous process.
• Individuals acquire knowledge through personal experience, simulated experiences, and the experiences of others.
• Learning occurs in a gradual and step-by-step manner, progressing from the known to the unknown and from simple to complex.
• Repetition is essential in teaching to instill skills and achieve perfect learning.
• Practice is key to perfection, and opportunities should be provided for the application and transfer of acquired skills, knowledge, and abilities, offering satisfaction to the learner.
• Learning conflicts may arise when the trainer possesses habits or knowledge inconsistent with the correct methods being taught.

Learning Problems 

The trainer must have a thorough understanding of the subject and its practical applications. Additionally, the trainer should be aware of potential learning challenges, including:

• Insufficient knowledge, skills, and a favorable attitude.
• Failure to apply acquired knowledge and skills.
• Presence of factors inhibiting effective learning in operational situations.
• Psychological issues such as fear and shyness.
• Resistance to transferring learned skills to real-world situations.
• Excessive reliance on repetition, demonstration, and practice.
• Resistance to change.
• Lack of interest in knowing the results of the learning process.
• Absence of self-motivation.

Teaching Principles 

In addition to principles of learning, it is crucial to consider principles of teaching for effective training:

• Trainees should be instructed to adhere exclusively to the correct work methods.
• Utilize job analysis and motion study techniques.
• Prioritize on-the-job training in real working conditions over classroom training.
• Place greater emphasis on accuracy rather than speed.
• Implement varied teaching intervals.
• Acknowledge that training younger workers is easier than training older workers, as adaptability tends to decrease with age.

Principles of Training  

A sound training programme should be based on the following principles:

• Developed with specific predetermined goals
• Cost-effective
• Tailored for universal application
• Prearranged and meticulously organized
• Aligned with the company's size, nature, and financial standing
• Adaptable
• Supervised by an experienced leader
• Encompassing both theoretical and practical components
• Addressing the interests of both executives and employees
• Incorporating multiple methods
• Followed by rewards as a part of the training process
• Allows ample time for practice

Area of Training  

Organisations provide training to their personnel in the following areas:

• Company policies and procedures
• Specific skills
• Human relations
• Problem solving
• Managerial and supervisory skills and
• Apprentice training