Question

“Great course, Sam!” said the trainees as they walked out the door and headed for the parking lot. Just like all the others. Sam Harris, a veteran trainer with Flotation Ltd., a manufacturer of life jackets and other flotation devices, smiled as he gathered his notes together.
He had just finished two hours of wisecracking and slightly off-colour storytelling as he worked his way through the third session of a human relations course for supervisors. “Keep ‘em happy” was Sam’s motto. Give the troops what they want, keep your enrolments up, and no one will complain.
Sam was good at it, too! For 25 years, he had earned an easy living, working the politics, producing good numbers of trainees for the top brass to brag about (“We give each employee up to 30 hours of training every year!”), and generally promoting his small training group as a beehive of activity.
Everybody knew Sam and everybody liked him. His courses were fun. He had no trouble convincing managers to send their people. He put out a catalogue with his course list every year in January. He hadn’t had a cancellation in more than 10 years. Some managers said that training was the best reward they had. Now, only two years from retirement, Sam intended to coast comfortably into pension-land. All his favourite courses had long been prepared. All he had to do was make adjustments here and there and create some trendy new titles.
But times were changing. The company president was thinking differently. “I need somebody to take a close look at our training function,” he said. Sitting in the president’s office, Jenny Stoppard, the newly hired vice-president of human resources, wondered what he meant. Flotation Ltd. had a reputation as a company with a well-trained workforce.
“We need to increase our productivity per person by 50 percent over the next three years,” the president continued. “And you are going to spearhead that effort. We spend a lot on training and we cycle people through a lot of courses. But I’m not satisfied with the bottom line. I know that while Dad was president he swore by Sam and said he was the greatest. I don’t know anymore. Maybe a whole new approach is needed. Anyway, I want you to take a close look at Sam’s operation.”
Later in the day, the president called Sam into his office. “Sam, I want you to meet Jenny Stoppard. I’ve just hired her as vice-president of human resources. She’s your new boss. I think the next three years are going to be very exciting around here, and Jenny is going to be a key player in the drive to increase our competitiveness. I want you to do everything in your power to cooperate with her.”
QUESTIONS
1.Comment on Sam’s approach to training. Would you want him working for your organization? What are the benefits of his training programs to employees and the organization?
2.To what extent is training and development at Flotation Ltd. strategic? What would make it more strategic?
3.To what extent does Sam use the instructional systems design (ISD) model of training and development? If he were to use the ISD model more fully, what would he do? Comment on each step of the ISD model.
4.How does Sam evaluate his training programs? Compare Sam’s evaluation to the president’s objectives. If Sam were to evaluate training based on the president’s objectives, what would he have to do? What do you think the results might be?
5.The president has asked Jenny to “take a close look at Sam’s operation.” What should she do, and what should she report back to the president?

Answer 1

1. Sam's approach to training was very much linked to practical situations. The employees remain motivated when they are satisfied. The training approach used by sam was based on making the employees happy and giving them that want they want. This will help in bringing positivity in the personal and professional life which help in increasing the productivity.

I will surely want him to work for my organization as his approach is very motivating and the trainees were very happy with his approach. This will help in keeping the employees feel attached to the organization which will help in achieving the goals of the organization.

This approach has only positive things. As the employees are motivated and they remain focussed because they have nothing to worry about as they receive what they want. This approach is also important and helpful in retaining employees.

2. The training and development at Flotation Ltd. were strategic as the employees are the backbone of any organization. Their work and the efficiency of work guides the path of the organization. A motivated employee is always an asset for the company and the motivated employees always work for the betterment of the organization. This will also help in achieving the targets and the goals of the company which will walk towards the betterment. So, the training and development at Flotation Ltd. were very strategic.  Accompanying the opportunities and threats of the company and channelizing the weaknesses and strengths will help in SWOT analysis will make the training and development more strategic.

3. An instructional systems design (ISD) model of training and development includes the development and the assessment of the solutions for training which helps in solving the purpose of the formal training. Sam was working on a model that was aimed at benefitting the employees which will in turn help in benefitting the organization. So, he was using a model which makes to improve the efficiency of the employees. He was an experienced trainer and has designed his strategy after analyzing the situations which are faced by the employees. After a lot of research, he has finalized a design which help in boosting the morale of the employees which helps in better performance. He has developed an approach that works on the fact that a happy employee is always better than an unhappy one. This was implemented through his various training and motivating speeches which he delivers in his training and the evaluation was resulted by a satisfied trainee. So, yes he uses all the steps of the ISD training model.

4. Sam evaluate his training program on the basis of the response and the feedback given by the trainees. Sam's evaluation was clearly based upon the employee's satisfaction whereas the president's objective was to increase the productivity of the employees which will help in generating more profits for the business. He must have changed the perspective and he must have to build a bridge between the satisfaction of the employees and the objectives of the company. He must have included those facts and figures and that module which will help in increasing the productivity of the employees rather than only focussing on the satisfaction of the employees. The results might be dodgy one as he has his expertise in gaining the satisfaction of the employees but he has not included the objective of the business into his core list of training.

5. She must evaluate the results and the outcomes of the training given by Sam. She must have submitted a report on the nsasis of the satisfaction of the employees and a satisfied employee alsoways helps in increasing the productivity.