Training and development evaluation : a procedure for validating an organisation's investment in training and development
Training and development evaluation : a procedure for validating an organisation's investment in training and development
At a time when industrial expense is under great pressure, particularly training budgets, it is of great importance that training is carefully focused to ensure that organisations obtain the maximum benefit. The widely accepted procedures for training evaluation described by Donald Kirkpatrick (1959/60) have almost without exception only been implemented at level 1 (student reaction). Evaluation at higher levels has almost exclusively been restricted to student debrief and interview with their manager or supervisor, neither of which provide sufficiently objective information to allow meaningful comparison and evaluation. Many researchers have questioned whether this part application of a complete evaluation strategy, and the continued closure of in-house training facilities, together with the wide spread reduction in training budgets, is evidence of the inability of the training fraternity to prove their worth in terms of organisational benefit.
This thesis examines the twin themes of training evaluation and human asset valuation, set in the context of the development laboratory of a large multi national company. From the review of the literature, a relationship of ideas is seen to emerge, that developed into a model that was applied in a number of pilots in the subject organisation.
These pilot reviews lead to a number of questions that necessitated the development and analysis of two large surveys, one to a representative sample of local industry, and the other to all of the students (and their managers) that attended the subject organisations training centre for a period of one year, (some 5000 students). The less than satisfactory answers that emerged from these exercises resulted in the view that it was not possible to evaluate the organisational benefit derived from a single training event and that it was necessary to consider the effect of a number of interventions before taking a view.
University of Southampton
1994
Plant, Roger Andrew
(1994)
Training and development evaluation : a procedure for validating an organisation's investment in training and development.
University of Southampton, Doctoral Thesis.
Record type:
Thesis
(Doctoral)
Abstract
At a time when industrial expense is under great pressure, particularly training budgets, it is of great importance that training is carefully focused to ensure that organisations obtain the maximum benefit. The widely accepted procedures for training evaluation described by Donald Kirkpatrick (1959/60) have almost without exception only been implemented at level 1 (student reaction). Evaluation at higher levels has almost exclusively been restricted to student debrief and interview with their manager or supervisor, neither of which provide sufficiently objective information to allow meaningful comparison and evaluation. Many researchers have questioned whether this part application of a complete evaluation strategy, and the continued closure of in-house training facilities, together with the wide spread reduction in training budgets, is evidence of the inability of the training fraternity to prove their worth in terms of organisational benefit.
This thesis examines the twin themes of training evaluation and human asset valuation, set in the context of the development laboratory of a large multi national company. From the review of the literature, a relationship of ideas is seen to emerge, that developed into a model that was applied in a number of pilots in the subject organisation.
These pilot reviews lead to a number of questions that necessitated the development and analysis of two large surveys, one to a representative sample of local industry, and the other to all of the students (and their managers) that attended the subject organisations training centre for a period of one year, (some 5000 students). The less than satisfactory answers that emerged from these exercises resulted in the view that it was not possible to evaluate the organisational benefit derived from a single training event and that it was necessary to consider the effect of a number of interventions before taking a view.
This record has no associated files available for download.
More information
Published date: 1994
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 462783
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/462783
PURE UUID: 2349c61b-79e5-45c8-8d77-786fbffc5cce
Catalogue record
Date deposited: 04 Jul 2022 20:03
Last modified: 04 Jul 2022 20:03
Export record
Contributors
Author:
Roger Andrew Plant
Download statistics
Downloads from ePrints over the past year. Other digital versions may also be available to download e.g. from the publisher's website.
View more statistics