Training Techniques In Current Context

IRJMST Volume 5 Issue 4 [Year 2014] Online ISSN 2250 - 1959

International Research Journal of Management Science & Technology http://www.irjmst.com Page 85

Training Techniques In Current Context

Main Author - Ms. Navodita Chaudhary Assistant Professor,

College of Vocational Studies,

University of Delhi

Co-Author -Ms. Aakanksha Nirala

Assistant Professor,

College of Vocational Studies,

University of Delhi

Abstract

Training plays an important role in the effectiveness of organizations and to the

experience of people in work. Training has implications for productivity, health and

safety at work and personal development. All organizations employing people need to

train and develop their staff. Most organizations are cognizant of this requirement and

invest effort and other resources in training. Indian organizations have realized the

importance of training as a tool to achieve their strategic goals. It is not viewed by the

organization as a cost any longer but as an investment on one of its most dynamic assets,

namely, employees. Many organizations consider training as a strategic employee

retention tool. It helps the organization create a smarter force capable of meeting any

situation and challenges.

Introduction

Changes in technology, especially information technology, generate knowledge spreading

up at tremendous speed, as well as its quick obsolescence. In the period between 1900

and 1950, the amount of human knowledge doubled, and since then it has doubled every

5 to 8 years. Knowledge is becoming obsolete so quickly that all of us need do double our

knowledge every 2 to 3 years in order to keep up with the changes. On the other hand, the



increasing complexity, turbulency and uncertainty of the environment requires different

and greater knowledge. Modern business requires more and more knowledge and skills

that are still inadequatly present in the formal school education, i.e. the gap between

business requirements and the knowledge acquired at school is growing.

The period of mass production is over and the customers are very selective. Due to

increasing competition, the organization is required to constantly revise its product and

service mix. That is why, contemporary organizations pay more and more attention to the

development of their employees. Thus, employee training has become an optimal answer

to complex business challenges, and the management of human resources have taken

central role in modern management.

Training

Training is a planned and systematic attempt to alter or develop knowledge, skill and

attitude through learning experience, so as to achieve effective performance in an activity

or range of activities. It is a very important aspect of any organization. According to

Flippo, training is the act of increasing the knowledge and skill of an employee for doing

a particular job. Rapid technological developments and the resultant changes in the

production process have compelled the management of various companies to treat

training as a continuous process of the organization.

Reliance Industries is one of the largest private sector companies in India with 24,000

strong workforce. The company believes in people empowerment through five scalable

approaches- greater knowledge, opportunity, responsibility, accountability and reward.

Reliance Industries has spent almost a total of 160,253 man days over the years to train

its employees. Its training objective is to groom people both in the personal as well as

professional capabilities. It has several target oriented training programs for its

employees like for competence development and soft skills learning. It also conducts

other programs to meet the diverse skill needs of its employees. One such unique

technique is Dronacharya scheme. Under this scheme, senior personnel(Dronacharyas)

take charge of two or three new employees(Arjunas) and train tem intensively for

independent positions in three to six months.

The above example of Reliance Industries shows the significance of training program in

the accomplishment of corporate goals.

Importance of Training in Organizations

Indian organizations have realized the importance of training as a tool to achieve their

strategic goals. It is not viewed by the organization as a cost any longer but as an

investment on one of its most dynamic assets called employees. Many organizations

consider training as a strategic employee retention tool. It helps the organization to create



a smarter force capable of meeting any situation and challenges. Following is the

importance of training : -

Optimum Utilization of Human Resources

Training helps in optimizing the utilization of human resources that further helps

the employees to achieve the organizational goals as well as their individual

goals.

Development of Human Resources

Training helps to provide an opportunity and broad structure for the development

of human resources technical and behavioral skills in an organization. It also

helps the employees in attaining personal growth.

Greater Customer Satisfaction

Organizations are compelled to ensure superior quality, lower costs and better

services to their customers. To meet these challenges, they must enhance their

overall performance continuously. Training of employees helps in improving

upon the quality of work and in controlling costs.

Competitive Advantage

One of the most important competitive advantage for an organization is its

workforce. It can retain its core workforce competence and skills through

continuous and systematic training of its labor force.

Team Spirit

Training helps in promotion of team spirit and inter-team cooperation among the

employees. It enhances the spirit of a group and makes the members work harder

to succeed as a group.

Organization Culture

Training helps in creating a learning culture within the organization. It helps to

develop and improve the organizational health, culture and effectiveness.

Organization Climate

Training enhances the interaction and understanding between the employers and

employees. It helps build a good labor management relationship and ensures that

individual’s goal align well with the organizational goals. It aids in creating a

positive perception and feeling about the organization.



Methods of Training

On the Job Methods Off-the Job

Methods

Apprenticeship Training Programmed

Learning

Job Rotation Simulation Method

Internship and Assistantship Laboratory

Training

Job Instruction Training Case Study

Method

Lecture Method

Role Playing

Video-

Conferencing

Various methods of training are available to an organization. There are two options

available to an organization while deciding on a training program. It can either design its

own program or get an external package and make modifications in it to suit their specific

purpose. Training methods are broadly divided into two categories – On the Job Methods

and Off the Job Methods.

On the Job Methods

It is a method in which employees learn their job by actually doing it. This type of

training is practiced on a day-to-day basis along with part of the job. Almost every new

employee gets on the job training to become skilled at his/her job. The various methods

that are practiced now a days in organizations is explained below:-

1. Apprenticeship Training



This method is commonly used to train people for various crafts jobs like those of

an electrician, a plumber, a carpenter, a machinist and a printer. In this method,

the superior becomes the instructor and imparts knowledge to the trainee at the

work spot. Apprenticeship programs can last for a few months to several years.

This is a combination of class room instruction and on-the-job training.

2. Job Rotation

The employees are moved from one job to another just to widen their skill,

knowledge and experience. Job rotation training programs are applied by

organization to promote effective teamwork. Job rotation aids the employees in

doing variety of jobs and in acquiring multi-skills to manage these jobs

comfortably. It also presents the organization with wide options to effect

personnel changes to achieve the desired productivity and strategic goals.

3. Internship and Assistantship

Internship is concerned with gaining supervised practical experience. It permits

the participants to combine the theory learned in the classroom with the business

practice. It is a unique kind of recruitment-cum-training that calls for positioning

a student in temporary job without any obligation for the company to hire him/her

permanently after training. For example, Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) , has

been offering internship for several of its functions like marketing, finance,

supply chain management and HR for several years. The interns normally work as

part of a small cross-functional team, on a demanding live business project and in

an actual business environment.

4. Job Instruction Training

The step wise process of imparting training to the employee is called job

instruction training. Under this method, all the necessary steps in the job are

compiled sequentially. Each step would have a corresponding self-explanatory

note. Each note would explain what needs to be done and how it has to be done.

In this way, the job instruction training sheet for each job can be prepared and

provided to the trainees. This method will enable the trainee to learn the job

practically with minimum guidance of the trainer.

Off the Job Methods



1. Programmed Learning

This method is also known as scheduled learning or programmed instruction

method. Under this method, the trainees are made to reply to the job-oriented

questions, problems, concepts, cases and facts as part of learning job skills. As

soon as this process is over, the trainees are provided with feedback that

details the accuracy of their answers. The basic purpose of this method is to

give sufficient information to the learners and then test the trainees authority

over the subject matter. The trainees progress towards the subsequent steps

depends upon the quality of their response to the question of the previous step.

This method emphasizes on frequent questions, small steps and specific

understandable, immediate and accurate feedback.

The major benefits of this technique are:-

It can shorten the training time.

It allows the trainees to learn the subject matter at their own speed as they learn

individually.

The major argument against this method is that

although this method reduces the duration of the training process, there is no

conclusive evidence available to show that it enhances learning and retention rates

among the trainees as compared to other methods.

2. Simulation Method

This method is employed when it is impossible or risky to provide the trainees

on-the-job training. Simulation is a technique that creates a situation which

replicates the real one. In this method, the trainee gets trained either on the

actual or on the simulated equipment that are employed in the job but only in

an off-the-job mode. The trainers review the performance, prepare the reports

and make them available to the trainees. Simulation training is used to train

the pilots, simulated sales counters and automobiles. Now a days, internet

based instruments like learning portals and computer-based training have

emerged as one of the popular method of training.

The merits of this method are:-

The safety of trainees is ensured as the dangers of on-the-job training

are not there.

Learning effectiveness improves as repeat performances are possible

without any disturbance to routine business activities.



The demerits of this method are:-

It is an expensive method.

This method needs constant updating as new information

about work environment is obtained.

3. Laboratory Training

This method is also called sensitivity training or T-group training. This

training is organized for a small group of trainees who are normally not

familiar with one another. It is organized under the supervision of seasonal

trainers, who plays the role of careful observers. Sessions are organized to let

trainees meet personally to share their feelings, opinions, attitude, perceptions

and values.

The merits of this training method are :-

It facilitates a better understanding among the members by breaking

the rigidity in their relationships.

It can improve the behaviors of the members by knowing more about

themselves and others.

It increases the trainees capability to resolve the conflicting situations

by developing alternatives and problems solving techniques instead of

manipulation, intimidation and compromise.

The limitation of this method is the absence of

continuance of trained behavior in the actual work conditions in many

cases. This affects the endurance of the benefits of the training programs.

4. Case Study Method

In this method, trainees are provided the necessary information in a case study

format and they are expected to come up with decisions based on their

understanding of the given cases. In fact, each case study presents elaborate

information about a specific series of real or imaginary incidents. The case

studies may deal with the activities of an organization or with the specific

problems faced by it during the course of its operation or during the

interactions among its members. The trainees should evaluate the cases



carefully, understand the problems objectively, identify the causes

appropriately, develop possible solutions optimally, and choose and

implement the best solution finally.

. The merits of this method are:-

It can improve the analytical, lateral and judgmental skills of the

trainees.

Since case studies mostly deal with real-life events, it enables the

trainees to face the challenges of real-life difficulties confidently.

5. Lecture Method

This method is also called the chalk-and-talk method. It is a traditional

method of imparting knowledge to a large number of trainees at the same

time. It is a verbal form of delivering information in a classroom environment.

This method is appropriate when a large amount of information is to be

provided within a limited span of time. A knowledgeable trainer can make the

whole process effective by planning and preparing meticulously and

delivering the lectures in a systematic and exciting manner. When the trainer

is competent enough to capture the imagination of a class, he can excite the

trainees who desire to learn.


It is an easy, simple and quick method to share information with a large

chunk of trainees.

It is usually an economical method as the cost of training is distributed

among several trainees, thereby reducing the cost per trainee.

The demerits of this method are:-

It is predominantly a one-way mode of communication with little

scope for interactions.

Continued lecture is likely to bore the audience.

6. Role Playing


International Research Journal of Management Science & Technology http://www.irjmst.com 3

Role-playing refers to acting out a particular role. This method is simply the

learning-by-doing technique. The trainee, instead of merely listening to the

trainer's instructions regarding the ways and means of solving a problematic

situation or discussing them, responds to that particular problem by acting out

real-life situations. Typically, a trainee assumes the role of a specific

personality relevant to the given situation and responds to the problems of that

situation in that role. The role may be that of a superior or a subordinate or

any other.


It is often used to impart the skills necessary for conducting

interviews, handling grievances, performance evaluation and

disciplinary proceedings.

It helps enhance the interpersonal relations, problem-solving ability,

motivational skills and leadership techniques of the trainees.

It can vastly improve the empathetic quality of the employees.

Along with films and case studies, role-playing is among the more commonly

used techniques for training of employees.

7. Video-Conferencing

This is one of the distance learning methods for training. It is best suited when

the trainer and the trainees are separated geographically. It allows people in

one location to communicate live via audio-visual aids with people in another

city, country, or with groups in several cities.20

It is mostly interactive in

nature and offers enough flexibility.


It can bring down the cost of delivering training program as it cuts the

cost of travelling of the trainers, especially from distant locations, and

also as simultaneous training of many employees can be conducted.

It facilitates the standardization of training materials and methods and

improves accessibility to quality training.

The limitation of this method is high initial installation cost of necessary

equipment.

http://www.safariflow.com/library/view/Human-Resource-Management/9789332501393/xhtml/chapter010-fn.xhtml#ch010-fn20



Training is about knowing where you stand at present, no matter how good or bad the

current situation looks, and where you will be after some point of time. And all the

techniques of Training and Development are different means towards achieving those

ends for the organization.

Corporate Training Initiatives In India

In the last 10 years, business organizations in India have made outstanding progress in

terms of their training initiatives. This is mainly due to the boost in competition and

because of the entry of multinational companies in India, which has required them to look

for various alternatives to develop organizational effectiveness. Indian organizations have

realized the significance of corporate training. Training is considered as more of a

retention tool than as a cost to the organization. Not only have organizations increased

their investment in training and development practices, but they have also systematized

training policies and practices right from the training need analysis to training evaluation

and feedback. Today, human resource is a foundation of competitive advantage for all

organizations. Therefore, the training system in the Indian industry has been distorted to

create a smarter workforce and yield the best results. The optimum utilization of human

resource is the target of any company and training is a tool to increase business outcomes.

It is required in each area of company like sales, marketing, human resource, relationship

building, logistics, production, etc.

Since 2003, for using training function as a strategic business tool, American Society for

Training and development (ASTD) gives honor to those organizations that show

organization-wide achievement. It is proud for the nation that Indian organizations are

participating and are awarded every year by ASTD for representing excellence in training

function. In the year 2008, four organizations from India were able to get entry in the

winner list of 40 best organizations. These organizations were: Reliance Industries

Limited, Nagothane manufacturing division having strength of 2,157 employees, Infosys

Technologies Limited having 79,016 employees, Wipro Limited having 60,000 employee

strength, and ICICI Bank Limited with employee strength of 40,880. This is an optimistic

sign which clearly shows that organizations operating in India are also very serious about

their learning and development function. They are giving priority to this area and are able

to integrate it their organizational goals. In fact, the top management is taking interest in

mentoring and leadership. For example, Narayana Murthy of Infosys is now acting as

Chairman of the board as well as Chief Mentor. In this way, they prepare the next

generation leaders for the company.

Training Practices at Aditya Birla Group



In all multinational companies of India, Aditya Birla Group is the most renowned. It is

truly a value based company and its vision and mission are rooted in Indian values. The

group is driven by performance ethic pegged on value creation for its multiple

stakeholders. Its core values are integrity, leading change, excellence, respect for

individual learning and sharing. This is one of the companies that believes in the

trusteeship concept of management. To increase the knowledge and skills of employees,

this group has established a center in Navi Mumbai known by the name Gyanodaya.

Gyanodaya has been envisioned as a hub, the backbone of a process that sharpens the

group’s competitive edge. Closely linked to the vision of the group is the Gyanodaya

vision: To be at the core of an effective learning network that, as a strategic business

partner, harnesses knowledge and intellectual capital, to contribute to Aditya Birla

Group’s vision of being a premium conglomerate.

There are two ways of learning at this center:

G-learning which takes place at Gyanodaya. The training calendar is accessible to

employees via Aditya Disha, the group-wide intranet. Participants can choose the

program that they would like to participate in.

E-learning where learning is just a click away.

The training program of Gyanodaya is classified as:

Multi-tier Program:

In this program, the need of individual is fulfilled at different aspects. Training is

provided in the aspect of leadership for young and general managers.

Functional Program:

Sales and customer satisfaction are the ultimate goal of any profit making

organization. To fulfill this goal, Gyanodaya organizes this program. In this

program, skills are developed for better sales and marketing. Besides this, the

program focuses on the supply chain management.

Role-specific Program:

The role of an individual is very important for the

success of any team. In this aspect, Gyanodaya organizes program to develop the

competencies for individuals like marketing-head, unit-head, HR-head.

Business-focused Program:

This training program is designed for generating awareness regarding the current

practices, needs, and issues to a particular business.



The Gyanodaya Scorecard

Since its inception in January 2000, Gyanodaya has notched up many achievements: 190

learning events; 3,920 participants; 215 external trainers; 50 internal managers as faculty;

and a customer rating of 3.73 on a 4-point scale.

Training Practices at Infosys

Infosys has achieved awards for its Global Education Center which was set up in 2005.

This center provides training not only in technical skills but also in soft skills. It also

provides leadership program to new entrants to develop leadership qualities. New

engineering recruits undergo a 14.5 weeks ‘Initial Learning Program’ operated by the

company. This aims to transform engineers from diverse disciplines into software

professionals and initiates them into the Infosys way of life.

After joining Infosys, induction is given to the employees, addressed by NR Narayana

Murthy by an audio visual presentation. During the program, the new hires are groomed

to shed their ‘campus frivolousness’ and assume their new roles as professionals and

corporate citizens. In the induction program, the core values of company are presented

before the employees. In the company, technical as well as soft skills have its own

significance. The main focus of the company is always on developing technical skills but

they also give emphasis on various skills like leadership qualities, global business

etiquette, interpersonal skills, communication skills, management skills, analytical skills,

decision making, etc.

Training Practices at Syndicate Bank

Training is one of the most important interventions for developing human resource. For

this, Syndicate Bank’s first step is to analyze the training needs of the employees. For the

analysis of training needs they adopt scientific methods. The second step is to make a

tailored training program for senior officials of the bank. In this two institutes play a

major role—Syndicate Institute of Bank Management (SIBM) and Apex Training

Institute of the Bank of Manipal. The training centers of the bank are present in the major

cities of India like Bangalore, Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Ernakulum, Hyderabad, and

Kolkata. These centers are well-equipped with all the latest technology and facilities, and

are responsible for providing training to the junior level officers and workmen

employees. (Syndicate Bank Annual Report, 2007-2008, p: 32).



Conclusion

As seen from the industrial examples discussed above, the new trend in the corporate

world is to emphasize more on applying systematic approach to training and development

in order to achieve higher level of organizational effectiveness. It is found that training

function is predominantly structured as an integral part of human resource department

though some organizations have separate training departments. Organizations attempt to

link business strategy and training. Corporate India too has predictable training initiatives

as strategic priority rather than reactive approach, and it is used as a means to transform

in order to survive in the competitive world.

References

Training Practices in Indian Organizations : An Overview by Dr. Harsh Dwivedi

and Ona Ladiwal, HRM review vol. XI, No. 7 2011.

Goldstein I. L. & Ford K. (2002) Training in Organizations: Needs assessment,

Development and Evaluation (4th Edn.). Belmont: Wadsworth.

Employee Training and Development and the Learning Organization, by Jelena

Vemic, Facta Universities, Series : Economics and Organization Vol 4, No 2,

2007, pp. 209-216.

Human Resource Management by Pravin Durai, chapter 10, Employee Training.

Training and Development Techniques in Current Context,

blogs.rediff.com/accuratefaculty/2011/04/09/training-development-techniques-in-

the-current-context.

Human Resource Management by K Aswathappa, chapter 7, Training and

Development.

Training Techniques In Current Context

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