Training and Development

2215 Words5 Pages

Training and development has become increasingly essential to the success of modern organisations, yet some still look at training as a problem or as something that is not taken seriously. Training and development is one key approach used by organisations to improve and maintain the capabilities of its workforce. However, many experts distinguish between training and development, being that training tends to be more closely focused and adapted towards short-term performance concerns, while development tends to be adapted more towards expanding an individual’s skills for future responsibilities (Snell and Bohlander 2007). The main reason that organisations train their employees is to bring their knowledge, skills and abilities up to the level required for a suitable performance (Snell and Bohlander 2007). Nevertheless, despite the benefits that these organisations and employees gain from training, some are still not willing to capitalise on it.

According to Molander (1989), during the early to mid-1990s, training was not generally seen as a crucial element in a company’s corporate strategy, except possibly for management training. However, recent evidence seems to show that formal training activities have risen in the last few years, with this increase being as a result of heightened competition, provision of new services or improvement of existing ones, changes in product design, and changes in manufacturing processes (Molander 1989).

Investments in training and development are linked with a range of organisational and individual benefits, such as being a major determinant of economic growth and organisational performance (Santos and Stuart 2003). According to Pigors and Myers (1977), training is very essential to organisations...

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...enced by the trainer’s characteristics and personal manner (Belcourt et al 1996). All these can be summed up in one sentence, “If the worker hasn’t learned, the instructor hasn’t taught” (Pigors and Myers 1977).

In conclusion, although the need for training is now recognised, many companies are still reluctant to invest in this scheme, notwithstanding the fact that training and development is an essential procedure in building an effective work team that can improve organisational productivity. By investing in training, employees acquire skills, knowledge, and abilities that increase the likelihoods of their success within the organisation. If organisations are not to be constantly disappointed in their effort to implement new techniques and increase their performance, then they ought to not only provide training, but also ensure that it is the right training.

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