Handbook of Principles of Organizational Behavior - Soltanieh ...

60 E DUARDO S ALAS AND K EVIN C. STAGL
Fortunately, the science of training has benefi ted from an explosion of research activity
since the late 1990s and has much to contribute to ensuring the vitality of organizations
and the domestic and global economies they fuel. For example, Salas and Cannon - Bowers
( 2000 ) tapped the science of training to extract fundamental principles and advance targeted
guidance for designing systematic training in the fi rst edition of this book series.
Almost a decade later, this chapter continues the tradition by providing a translation
mechanism for stakeholders charged with fostering more effective individuals, teams, and
organizations via systematic training initiatives. Specifically, we advance a set of theories,
principles, guidelines, best practice specifications, and lessons learned that address some
of the many linkages among training problems, theories, techniques, and tools.
Our discussion follows a four phase process to designing blended training solutions.
We use our own experiences facilitating learning, and draw heavily upon the science of
training, to advance phase - specific guidelines for designing, developing, delivering, and
evaluating training solutions (Table 4.1 ). We cannot overstate the contribution of colleagues,
who represent many disciplines, to shaping our thinking on training issues. Next, we describe
the success of team training in the aviation industry and discuss the lessons learned from
a failure to develop a sales force. We conclude by presenting two scenario - based exercises
crafted to impart knowledge about designing and evaluating learning solutions.
ANALYZE TRAINING NEEDS
Training needs analysis can be the most important phase of training design because its
success depends on an intensive collaborative partnership between key stakeholders. The
charge of this partnership is to clarify the purposes of training, illuminate the organizational
context, define effective performance and its drivers, and begin to cultivate a climate
of learning. Essential activities conducted during the needs analysis phase include:
(a) conducting training due diligence, (b) defining performance functions and processes,
(c) defining affective and cognitive states, (d) defining an attribute model, and (e) delineating
learning objectives. When executed with care, these activities can help ensure remaining
phases yield a meaningful learning solution.
Conduct due diligence
Training methods and techniques are not interchangeable or universally applicable, as
evidenced by recent meta - analytic findings (Klein, Stagl, Salas, Burke, DiazGranados,
Goodwin, and Halpin, 2007 ). For example, the same learning solution may be differentially
effective if it is implemented to address short - , mid - and/or long - term business
objectives. Hence, effective instruction in one setting may prove counterproductive elsewhere.
This is why it is critical to describe the specific challenges and opportunities training
will address; and thereby defi ning what, and for whom, benefi ts will accrue.
Due diligence is a process for clarifying and quantifying the expected benefi ts from
training for individuals, teams, and higher- level units (division, organization, society). The
purpose of the process is to gather the information required to have an objective and dispassionate
dialog about whether or when a particular solution should be institutionalized.
And the conversation must encompass more than just performance, productivity, and