Chapter 2 Homework

2. What do you think is the most important organizational characteristic that influences training? Why?

I believe the most important organizational characteristic that influences training is staff involvement in training and development. It is important because it determines how often and how well a company’s training program is used. If managers are aware of what development activity can be achieved they will be more willing to get involved. They would also want to be more involved if incentives were used. With the help of employees planning their own development companies will support training and development activities. Identifying the needs of employees helps move to greater involvement in training and development.

3. What is human capital? How is human capital influencing the changing role of training from skill and knowledge acquisition to creating and sharing knowledge?

Human capital refers to the sum of the attributes, life experiences, knowledge, inventiveness, energy, and enthusiasm that the company’s employees invest in their work. Human capital is influencing the changing role of training from skill and knowledge acquisition to creating and sharing knowledge by offering employees ways of communicating their ideas/suggestions to better improve business functions through email and/or websites. If those ideas are approved they can be sent online to other business branches to be implemented.

6. What are the advantages and disadvantages of a centralized training function?

Advantages of a centralized training function include:
- helps drive stronger alignment with business strategy
- allows development of a common set or metrics or scorecards to measure and report rates of quality and delivery
- helps to streamline processes
- gives the company a cost advantage in purchasing training from vendors and consultants because of the number of trainees who will be involved
- helps companies better integrate programs for developing leaders and managing talent with training and learning during times of change
Disadvantages of a centralized training function include:
- multiple lines authority
- can be expensive
- may become rigid and inflexible when dealing with day to day training issues