OBH 412 MANAGEMENT TRAINING & DEVELOPMENT

Lesson No. 1
TRAINING PROCESS – AN OVERVIEW; ROLE,
RESPONSIBILITIES AND CHALLENGES TO TRAINING
MANAGER

Au thor : Dr . T ejinder Sh arma

Dept. of Commerce,
K.U., Kuruks hetr a

Structure:
1.0 Objective
1.1 Introduction
1.2 Need and Rationale of Training
1.3 Definition of Training
1.4 Objectives of Training
1.5 Training, Development and Education
1.6 Significance of Training
1.7 Benefits of Training to Employers
1.8 Benefits of Training to Employees
1.9 Changing Facets of Training
1.10 Roles and Responsibilities for the Trainers
1.11 Summary
1.12 Key Words
1.13 Self Assessment Questions
1.14 Suggested Reading

1.0 Objective
After reading this lesson, you will be able to:
• Define training
• Understand the need and rationale of training
• Appreciate the benefits of training to the employees and
the organization
• Know the role of the trainers in the rapidly changing
economy
1.1 Introduction
In the knowledge driven world of today, the pace of change is
so fast that it even defies Moor’s law. Even to stay at the
same place, the organizations have to run fast. Strategic
advantage to the organizations comes only from the core
competences, which are developed by the individuals working
in it. Such levels of excellence can be achieved only by
investing in people. Investment must not confine to
compensation only, but must entail the inputs aimed at
updating the skills of the employees. Training is one such
potion to cure the organizations of the sluggishness, which
may creep in because of the organizational inertia.

Largely, personnel department has been associated with

procuring and hiring the human resources. But, after the
newly appointed employees join the organization, it is
necessary to impart training to them in order to make them
competent for the jobs that they are supposed to handle. In
modern industrial environment, the need for training of
employees is widely recognized to keep the employees in
touch with the new technological developments. Every
company must have a systematic training programme for the
growth and development of its employees. It may be noted
that term ‘training’ is used in regard to teaching of specific
skills, whereas the term ‘development’ denotes overall
development of personality of the employees. This chapter
studies the various methods of training and development,
which are used by various organizations, particularly those
engaged in the business and industrial activities.

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1.2 Need and Rationale of Training

Training is important, not only from the point of view of the

organization, but also for the employees. It gives them
greater job security and an opportunity for career
advancement. A skill acquired through training is an asset for
the organization and the employee. The benefits of training
stay for a very long time. Training can become obsolete only
when there is a complete elimination of the desired for that
skill and knowledge, which may happen because of the
technological changes. In general terms, the need for training
can arise because of the following reasons:

(i) Changing Technology.

Technology is changing at a fast pace. Be it any industry,
technological changes are changing the way in which
operations were done. Newer machines are being used for
automation of the processes. Computers have made the
controls very easy. Advances in information technology have
enabled greater degree of coordination between various
business units, spread far across the globe.
In order to keep themselves abreast with the changes, the
employees must learn new techniques to make use of
advances in the technology. Training needs to be treated as
a continuous process to update the employees in new
methods and procedures.

(ii) Demanding Customers.

As the free markets become stronger, customers are
becoming more and more demanding. They are much more
informed about the products. They have many sources of

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information. Intensified competition forces the organizations
to provide better and better products and services to them.
Added to the customer conscious, their requirements keep on
changing. In order to satisfy the customers and to provide
best of the quality of products and services, the skills of
those producing them need to be continuously improved
through training.

(iii) Thrust on Productivity.

In the competitive times, organizations cannot afford the
extravaganza of lethargy. They have to be productive in order
to survive and grow. Continuous improvement of the
employees’ skills is an essential requirement for maintaining
high standards of productivity. Productivity in the present
times stems from knowledge, which has to be relearned
continuously.

(iv) Improved motivation.

Training is a source of motivation for the employees as well.
They find themselves more updated while facing the
challenging situations at job. Such skill development
contributes to their career development as well. Motivated
employees have lesser turnover, providing an organization
with a stable work force, which ahs several advantages in the
long run.

(v) Accuracy of output

Trained workers handle their job better. They run their
machines safely. They achieve greater accuracy is whatever
job they do. This reduces accidents in the organizations.
Adherence to accuracy infuses high standards of quality in

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the products and services, thus giving them a competitive
edge in the difficult times. Quality reduces wastages and
ensures better customer satisfaction.

(vi) Better Management.

Training can be used as an effective tool of planning and
control. It develops skills of the workers for future and also
prepares them for promotion. It helps them in reducing the
costs of supervision, wastages and industrial accidents. It
also helps increase productivity and quality.

1.3 Definition of Training

Training is often looked upon as an organized activity for
increasing the knowledge and skills of people for a definite
purpose. It involves systematic procedures for transferring
technical know-how to the employees so as to increase their
knowledge and skills for doing specific jobs with proficiency.
In other words, the trainees acquire technical knowledge,
skills and problem solving ability by undergoing the training
programme.
There are several textbook definitions of training, but the one
by Edwin B Flippo is generally well accepted. According to
Flippo, “Training is the act of increasing the knowledge and
skills of an employee for doing a particular job”.
Training involves the development of skills that are usually
necessary to perform a specific job. Its purpose is to achieve
a change in the behaviour of those trained and to enable
them to do their jobs better. Training makes newly appointed
employees fully productive in lesser time. Training is equally
necessary for the old employees whenever new machines

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and equipment are introduced and/or there is a change in the
techniques of doing the things.
Training is a continuous process and does not stop
anywhere. The top management should ensure that any
training programme should attempt to bring about positive
changes in the knowledge, skills, and attitudes of the
employees.
What Does Training Include?
Udai Pareek has observed that there are three elements of
training – purpose, place and time. Training without a
purpose is useless because nothing would be achieved out of
it. The purpose must be identified carefully and now there are
a large number of techniques, to be discussed in subsequent
lessons, available for establishing training needs. After
having identified the purpose of a training programme, its
place must be decided i.e. whether it has to be on the job or
off the job. If off the job, where a training programme should
be. Place would decide the choice of training method and
also influence its effectiveness. The next element is the time.
Training must be provided at the right time. A late training
would provide outdated knowledge, which would be useless
for the employees. The timing has also to be specified in
physical terms, i.e. which month/week of the year and at what
time of the day. This can have a lot of ramifications in terms
of the cost of training and its ultimate efficacy in achieving
the desired results.
The purpose of training is to bring about improvement in the
performance of the human resources. It includes the learning
of such techniques as are required for the intelligence
performance of definite tasks. It also comprehends the ability
to think clearly about problems arising out of the job and its

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responsibilities and to exercise sound judgement in making
decisions affecting the work. Lastly, it includes those mental
attitudes and habits, which are covered under the general
term ‘morale’.

1.4 Objectives of Training

The objectives of training can vary, depending upon a large
number of factors. The objectives depend on the nature of
the organization where training has to be provided, the skills
desired and the current skill levels. It is difficult to draw
generalizations of the objectives of training; still they can be
stated as under:
1. To increase the knowledge of workers in doing
specific jobs.
2. To systematically impart new skills to the human
resources so that they learn quickly.
3. To bring about change in the attitudes of the
workers towards fellow workers, supervisor and
the organization.
4. To improve the overall performance of the
organization.
5. To make the employees handle materials,
machines and equipment efficiently and thus to
check wastage of time and resources.
6. To reduce the number of accidents by providing
safety training to employees.
7. To prepare employees for higher jobs by
developing advanced skills in them.

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1.5 Training, Development and Education

No longer do the organizations talk of training in isolation. It

is usually addressed along with development. While referring
to the conjugation of the two processes, Dale Yoder has
observed “The use of the terms training and development in
today’s employment setting is far more appropriate than
‘training’ alone since human resources can exert their full
potential only when the learning process goes far beyond
simple routine”.

Although the terms training and development are used

together, they are often confused. Training means learning
the basic skills and knowledge necessary for a particular job
or a group of jobs. In other words, training is the act of
increasing the knowledge for doing a particular job. But
development refers to the growth of an individual in all
respects. An organization works for the development of its
executives or potential executives in order to enable them to
be more effective in performing the various functions of
management. An executive development programme aims at
increasing the capacities of the individuals to achieve the
desired objectives. Executive capacities imply his personal
abilities and potentials. Desired objectives imply
consideration for tile goals of the organization and
individuals. Increasing the capacities implies that change
must, occur in the executive and through him in his
subordinates. The distinction between training and
development is shown in Table 1.1.

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 Exhibit 1.1 Training vs. Development

Training Development
1. Training means learning 1. Development refers to the
skills and knowledge for growth of an employee in
doing a particular job and all respects. It is more
increases skills required concerned with shaping
for a job. the attitudes.
2. Training generally imparts 2. Development is more
specific skills to the general in nature and
employees. aims at overall growth of
the executives.
3. Training is concerned with 3. Development builds up
maintaining and improving competences for future
current job performance. performance and has has
Thus, it has a short-term a long-term perspective
perspective. .
4. Training is job centered in 4. Development is career-
nature. centered in nature.

5. The role of trainer or 5. All development is ‘self-

supervisor is very development’ and the
important in training. executive has to be
internally motivated for
the same.

Training is also different from education in the following

respects:
• Training it is concerned with increasing knowledge
and skills in doing a particular job. The major burden
of training falls upon the employer. But education is

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 broader in scope. Its purpose is not confined to
developing the individuals, but it is concerned with
increasing general knowledge and understanding of
total environment.
• Education generally refers to the formal learning in a
school or a college, whereas training is vocation
oriented and is generally imparted at the work place.
• Training usually has mere immediate utilitarian
purpose than education.

At times, both training and education occur at the same time.

Some schools run formal vocational courses, which can be
job-oriented whereas some employee development
programmes in industry have quite a wide scope and may be
viewed education.

1.6 Significance of Training

Fostered by technological advances, training is essential for

any human resource development exercise in organizations
in the rapidly changing times of today. It is an essential,
useful and productive activity for all human resources
working in an organization, irrespective of the job positions
that they hold. It benefits both employers and the employees,
as will be discussed later.
The basic purpose of training is to develop skills and
efficiency. Every organization has to introduce systematic
training programmes for its employees. This is because
trained personnel are like valuable assets of an organization,
who are responsible for its progress and stability. Training is
important as it constitutes a vital part of managerial control.

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Most progressive organizations view expenditure on training
as a profitable investment. Large organizations hire a large
number of persons every year, who might not know how to
perform their jobs. There are also certain types of jobs where
no one can afford an untrained person. For instance, nobody
would dream of allowing an untrained individual to work as a
pilot or operate a lathe. Such raw hand persons must be
trained properly so that they may contribute to the growth
and well being of the organization.
The responsibility for imparting training to the employees
rests with the employer. If there is no formal training
programme in an organization, the workers will try to train
themselves by trial and error or by observing others. But this
process will take a lot of time, lead to many losses by way of
errors and will ultimately result in higher costs of training.
The workers may not be able to learn the best operative
methods on their own.
The following discussion highlights some of the potential
benefits of training to the employees and the employers.

1.7 Benefits of Training to Employers

The employers invest in training because they reap several

benefits out of the exercise, which can be summed up as
under:

(i) Faster learning of new skills

Training helps the employers to reduce the learning time of

their employees and achieve higher standards of
performance. The employees need not waste time in learning
by observing others. If a formal training programme exists in
the organization, the qualified instructors will help the new

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employees to acquire the skills and knowledge to do
particular jobs quickly.

(ii) Increased productivity

Training increases the skill of the new employee in while

performing a particular job. An increased skill level usually
helps in increasing both quantity and quality of output.
Training can be of great help even to the existing employees.
It helps them to increase their level of performance on their
present job assignments and prepares them for future
assignments.

(iii) Standardization of procedures

Training can help the standardization of operating

procedures, which can be learnt by the employees.
Standardization of work procedures makes high levels of
performance rule rather than exception. Employees work
intelligently and make fewer mistakes when they possess the
required know-how and skills.

(iv) Lesser need for supervision.

As a generalization, it can be stated safely that trained

employees need lesser supervision. Training does not
eliminate the need for supervision, but it reduces the need
for detailed and constant supervision. A well-trained
employee can be self-reliant in his/her work because s/he
knows what to do and how to do. Under such situations,
close supervision might not be required.

(v) Economy of operations.

Trained personnel will be able to make better and economical

use of the materials and the equipment and reduce wastage.
Also, the trained employees reduce the rate of accidents and

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damage to machinery and equipment. Such reductions can
contribute to increased cost savings and overall economy of
operations.
(vi) Higher morale.
The morale of employees is increased if they are given
proper training. A good training programme moulds
employees’ attitudes towards organizational activities and
generates better cooperation and greater loyalty. With the
help of training, dissatisfactions, complaints, absenteeism
and turnover can also be reduced among the employees.
Thus, training helps in building an efficient and co-operative
work force.
(vii) Managerial Development

The top management can identify the talent, who can be

groomed for handling positions of responsibility in the
organizations. Newer talent increases the productivity of the
organizations. By providing opportunity for self-development,
employees put in their best effort to contribute to the growth
of the organization.

1.8 Benefits of Training to Employees

The employees are the ultimate link in an any organization,
who carry out the operations. Training can help them in
several ways, as mentioned below:
(i) Increasing Confidence.
Training creates a feeling of confidence in the minds of
employees, who feel comfortable while handling newer
challenges. It gives a feeling of safety and security to them at
the work place.

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(ii) New Skills.
Training develops skills, which serves as a valuable personal
asset of a worker. It remains permanently with the worker
himself.
(iii) Career advancement.
The managers can develop their skills to take up higher
challenges and work in newer job dimensions. Such an
exercise leads to the career development of the employees,
who can move up the corporate hierarchy faster.
(iv) Higher Earnings.
Higher earnings are a consequence of career development. A
highly trained employee can command high salary in the job
market and feel more contended.
(v) Resilience to change
In the fast changing times of today, training develops
adaptability among workers. The employees feel motivated to
work under newer circumstances and they do not feel
threatened or resist any change. Such adaptability is
essential for survival and growth of an organization in the
present times.
(vi) Increased Safety.
Trained workers handle the machines safely. They also know
the use of various safely devices in the factory, thus, they
are less prone to accidents.
It can be concluded that in light of several benefits, training
is an important activity, which should be taken very seriously
by the employees as well as the employers.

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1.9 Changing Facets of Training
The present time of rapid change has its influence on training
also. Lynton and Pareek have identified the following salient
changes, that have occurred in training in last thirty years:

1. Training has changed from training individuals to

training teams of people, comprising of members across
the hierarchies.
2. Training has acquired an inter-group learning character.
3. Training is finding itself linked with the organizational
development process. It is a part of a higher-end
corporate relearning exercise.
4. Socio-technical systems are influencing the training
processes in organizations.
5. Target audience of audience is also undergoing a
compositional change. There are more number of
females and people from diverse ethnic groups and
castes working in the organizations. This creates
diversity in the training activity as well.
6. Technologies, government and markets are undergoing
a rapid change. (This issue is not being addressed to in
detail here as it requires a detailed discussion, which is
usually included in the paper on business environment).
7. Training extends beyond employees and includes
clients, suppliers, publics as well, making a learning
organization into a learning system.

The changes have to be learnt by the organizations to ensure

effectiveness of training exercise. The roles, responsibilities
of the trainers are undergoing changes, and are discussed
hereunder.

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1.10 Roles and Responsibilities for the Trainers
A trainer has many roles to play in order to make any training
effective. Unlike in education, where the guru acted as a
friend, philosopher and a guide, the relationship between a
trainee and a trainer is more professional. Still, a trainer has
to wear many hats. There are many classifications of a
trainer’s role, which can be stated as follows (Exhibit 1.1):
1. The trainer
2. The provider
3. The consultant
4. The innovator
5. The manager

Maintenance

Trainer Provider

Manager

Innovator Consultant

Change

Exhibit 1.1 General trainer roles

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1. The trainer
A trainer’s role is primarily concerned with actual direct
training. It is a role that involves the trainer in helping people
to learn, providing feedback about their learning and adopting
course designs to meet trainees’ needs. The trainer’s role
may involve classroom teaching and instruction, laboratory
work, small group work, supervision of individual project work
and all those activities that directly influence immediate
learning experiences. In effect, the trainer is a learning
specialist.

2. The provider

This training role relates to the design, maintenance and

delivery of training programmes. It involves training-needs
analysis; setting objectives; designing courses; choosing
appropriate methods; testing out and evaluating courses or
training activities; and helping trainers to deliver the training.

3. The consultant
As a consultant, a trainer is primarily concerned with
analyzing business problems and assessing/recommending
solutions, some of which may require training. It may involve
some elements of the provider role but specifically
concentrates on liaising with line managers; identifying their
performance problems; advising on possible training
solutions (where appropriate); working with providers and/or
trainers to establish training programmes; advising training
managers (where the roles are separated) on training goals:
and policies; and ensuring evaluation takes place and the
results are used.

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4. The innovator

As an innovator, a trainer is concerned with helping the

organizations to manage the change effectively and to solve
performance problems. It involves:

• Working with managers at senior/middle levels.

• Providing support and help to managers in

coping with change.

• Identifying where seminars and workshops can

be a useful means of educating managers for
change.

• Facilitating change; identifying the real sources

of power in the organization and linking with
these to help bring about change.

• Advising the training function on how it can best

help in the change process.

In Organization Development terms, such a role might be

called ‘change agent’, ‘catalyst’, or ‘interventionist’. The role
frequently overlaps with that of the consultant.

5. The manager

A manager’s role in training is primarily concerned with

planning, organizing, controlling and developing the training
and development activity or function. It involves the following
functions:

• Setting training goals, policies and plans.

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 • Liaising with other departments and with senior
managers about the contribution training can
and should make to improving performance.

• Ensuring that appropriate training activities are

designed, developed, delivered and evaluated.

• Acquiring and developing training staff;

establishing effective lines of authority and
communication within the training function.

• Acquiring and effectively using non-staff

resources.

• Monitoring quality standards and controlling

activities against a total training plan.

Some provider roles may contain elements of the manager

role in small organizations or in situations where providers
have several training programmes to deliver.

1.11 Summary

It has been shown in the earlier discussion that two of these

roles (trainer and provider) are concerned mainly with
maintaining levels of performance. Another two (consultant
and innovator) are more concerned with training for change.
The fifth (the manager) is concerned with integrating the
activities and behaviors of the other roles but might also
include aspects of these other roles. Thus, these roles are
not distinct sets of activities, behaviors and responsibilities.
Each of them has a clear focus but do relate to each other,
as already indicated in the descriptions given above. The
manager’s role has a strong link with all others, by virtue of

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its very nature. Trainer and provider roles are more
concerned with maintenance activities, while those of
consultant and innovator are (often) involved with change
and problem solving.

1.12 Key Words

Training

Training is the act of increasing the knowledge and skills of

an employee for doing a particular job.

Development

Development refers to the growth of an individual in all

respects. An organization works for the development of its
executives or potential executives in order to enable them to
be more effective in performing the various functions of
management.

Education

Education is formal learning and is concerned with increasing

general knowledge and understanding of total environment.

1.13 Self Assessment Questions

1. Define training. Why is it important for the

individuals as well as the organiztions?

2. “In the rapidly changing world, training is an

important strategic tool for knowledge based
industries.” Comment.

3. Briefly explain the newer challenges confronting

the training managers of today.

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 4. Differentiate between training and development
and training and education.

5. Discuss various roles of a trainer in the present.

1.14 References/ Suggested Reading

1. Training for Organizational Transformation, Part-2

(2000), Roy P. Lynton & Udai Pareek, Sage
Publication, N.D.

2. Udai Pareek (1997) Training Instruments for HRD,

Tata McGraw Hill, New Delhi.

3. Management Development and Training

Handbook, (1975), Ed. by B. Tayler & G.L. Lippit,
McGraw Hill.

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