Chapter 2

Strategic Training

Objectives1. Discuss how business strategy influences the types and amount

of training a company utilizes.

2. Explain how the role of training has changed in American firms.

3. Explain how changes in work roles have influenced training.

4. Discuss how a company’s staffing and human resource planning strategies influence training practices.

5. Explain the training needs created by concentration, internal growth, external growth, and disinvestment business strategies.

6. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of organizing the training function according to the faculty, customer, matrix, and corporate university models.

7. Discuss the characteristics of the virtual training organization and how it can contribute to the company’s business strategy.

Work Roles

• Of Employees

• Of Managers

• Of Executives

Other Human Resource Functions

• Human Resource Management

• Staffing

• Human Resource Planning

• Unionization

Business Strategies and Training

• Concentration Strategy

• Internal Growth Strategy

• External Growth Strategy

• Divestment Strategy

Organization of the Training Function

• Faculty Model (Training Director and functional topic experts)

• Client Model (Responsibility to a function e.g., finance)– Focus on business needs rather than staff capabilities

• Matrix Model (report to both line manager and training department director)

• Corporate University• Virtual Training Organization

Training Values

• Prepare employees to develop specific skills necessary to perform effectively in current job assignment

• Provide know ledge that will make employees more effective in a variety of jobs

Training Values (Con’t)

• Prepare employees to take on more demanding or broader job assignments in the future

• To help employees recognize their full potential