Web viewCaterpillar, Inc. is a global company in my countries around the world so it would be easiest to provide employees and distributors the option to take self-paced

Running Head: Case Study Assignment I

Group E Case Study Assignment 1


Case Study 1

Kasikorn Bank (K-Bank) is a large corporation in the financial industry. K-Bank has a

clear mission statement and attempts to adhere to the standards they set for themselves and their

workforce. K-Bank is highly recognized and is a prominent company in Thailand. K-Bank has a

leadership team that strives to maintain clear career development goals for its employees and

wishes to maintain high performing staff members. This organization values its employees and

would like to maintain its efforts to enhance and improve career development and succession

planning of its personnel (Werner & DeSimone, 2012).

In order for K-Bank to remain a leader in the banking industry they must first recruit

employees that meet the standards and requirements set fourth by management. K-Bank can

recruit employees by introducing an employee referral program. Employee referrals can help K-

Bank find talented and reliable employees. According to Martin Gannon (1971), employee

recruitment programs are one of the best methods for obtaining and sustaining new employees.

Furthermore, K-Bank can introduce a reward program that will compensate employees who refer

new hires with monetary incentives. The introduction of this program will not only help those

employees who refer new hires, but will also help K-Bank find new hires that are equip with the

proper skills needed to fill vacant positions.

Hiring the right employees helps ensure that K-Bank has knowledgeable and trainable

employees that can meet the organizations current and future needs (Werner & DeSimone,

2012). If K-Bank is able to hire and maintain high caliber staff, K-Bank can enhance its high

quality employees by implementing developmental opportunities. By hiring competent and

skilled employees K-Bank is ensuring that they will have a trainable workforce.


Hiring the right employees is the first step organizations can take in order to eliminate the

skills gap. It is imperative that organizations hire trainable employees that are capable of meeting

the needs of the organization (Werner & DeSimone, 2012). In addition to the employee referral

program K-Bank can introduce a screening process to further ensure the right employees are

being hired. In addition to interviews employees should be required to pass a basic skills test.

This can be in the form of a pre-employment computerized test that assesses reading,

comprehension, and basic math skills.

Introducing such a measure will help ensure K-Bank hires the right employees. Hiring

knowledgeable employees can also help reduce organizational cost. Hiring employees who

already possess the skills required for the job will help eliminate cost related to training.

In addition to lowering the cost of training, employees who pass a pre-assessment test and

understand what is expected of them will be more likely to stay with the organization. During the

recruitment and screening processes it is important that employees understand what the job

requirements are. New employees that have realistic expectations of the job, perform much better

than those with inflated expectations. So it is important that K-Bank consider introducing

recruitment and screening processes in order to maintain its high employee standards (Werner &

DeSimone, 2012).

Once the proper employees are hired, K-Bank can introduce a formal mentor program to

enhance career development and provide specialized training to its employees. This type of

training and development tool uses behavior modeling to ensure that new employees learn from

seasoned employees. Using behavior modeling helps employees understand organizational

culture as well as proper procedures (Werner & DeSimone, 2012). Introducing a mentoring

program that focuses on advancement into management will help solidify the organizations


culture and will yield high performing management staff. Maintaining a competent management

team will ensure that K-Bank can continue its legacy as a leader in the banking industry.

Introducing a mentoring program helps employees at K-Bank advance within the

organization adding to their career development opportunities. Also, mentoring programs can

help guide the organizations succession planning. Mentors are typically employees who have a

great deal of knowledge and rank within an organization. Introducing senior employees to

younger “fresh” employees can help rejuvenate the staff at K-Bank, while simultaneously

training new employees with valuable knowledge to take their senior mentors place (Hunt &

Michael, 1983).

This type of succession planning ensures that the organization will replace effective

senior employees with newly acquired effective talent (Hunt & Michael, 1983). Succession

planning and career development at K-Bank can be improved by introducing a mentoring

program that pairs senior employees with new “fresh” employees. The employees selected to

take part in the mentoring program will be those capable of mobility within the organization.

Mentorships are one of the most effective training and development tools available to

organizations. Not to mention that work and training are done simultaneously, saving the

organization money (Hunt & Michael, 1983).

Introducing such a program will ensure that those employees fit for mobility within K-

Bank will have the opportunity to engage in a mentor program that will help increase their career

development opportunities. By introducing a mentor program K-Bank will not only help ensure

that eligible employees receive proper training and advancement, but a mentor program will also

benefit those doing the mentoring. Mentoring programs serve many benefits that will help

enhance the entire organization.


As mentioned previously the mentee is able to learn valuable roles from a seasoned

employee. The mentor will benefit by training a reputable and competent replacement while

creating valuable working relationships. By introducing a mentor program organizations are able

to create a line of dependable employees while simultaneously solidifying its culture (Hunt &

Michael, 1983).

In addition to introducing a mentoring program K-Bank can also implement a training

and development course geared toward management. This course can focus on maintaining and

building strong managerial staff. Since the banking industry is constantly changing,

organizations must ensure they can compete. In order for K-Bank to ensure that management

will have the ability to interact appropriately with staff, they can implement a training group that

is specific to their personal developmental needs.

In order for K-Bank to dissect what training and development needs management

requires, they can introduce a 360-degree feedback. This type of feedback allows managers to

rate their own competencies and also gives subordinates and peers the opportunity to share their

opinion on managerial performance (Noe, 2010). This type of feedback is very valuable to

organizations because training and development needs can be designed specifically to fit the

needs of the manager in question. This type of feedback can help organizations set specific

development goals based on the strengths and weakness presented in the survey (Noe, 2010).

After the 360-degree feedback is complete some examples of training and development

that may be valuable to the organization include sensitivity training, continued education, and or

leadership training (Werner & DeSimone, 2012). The method of training will depend on the

results of the feedback. Implementing a 360-degree feedback will help employees feel involved

in the process and will allow management to evaluate their own competencies.


Introducing a 360-degree feedback will help the organization and management

understand what skills, behaviors, and development needs are apparent within management. This

assessment will help narrow down the training needs of employees and managers (Noe, 2010). In

addition the 360-degree feedback will help K-Bank develop its management team into high

performing individuals that are capable of maintaining and working well with lower level

employees. Since K-Bank is already a highly regarded organization within the banking industry

it is important that K-Bank maintains its high employee standards. Implementing training and

development programs that focus on career development and succession planning will enable K-

Bank to retain a highly developed workforce.

The organizations commitment to its employees is what drives employee improvement

programs and will continue to motivate employees to succeed within K-Bank. Improving the

caliber of employees employed at K-Bank will affect the consumers and shareholders by

providing a better banking experience. K-Bank’s mission statement is that they aim “to be a

strong Thai financial group that provides a variety of financial services of world-class quality

responsive to technology and human resources so as to achieve optimal benefits to customers,

shareholders employees and the county” (Werner & DeSimone, 2012, p. 3).

Hiring the right personal through referral programs will help K-Bank maintain an

effective workforce with the ability to use and learn new technologies. Employee referral

programs were shown to be one of the most effective ways to reduce employee turnover rate and

gain reliable motivated employees (Gannon, 1971). In addition to the recruitment program K-

Bank will have a screening process that will ensure the right employees are hired for the job.

This will help K-Bank maintain its mission to provide world-class quality to its shareholders and

customers.


The 360-degree feedback and mentorship will tie into the organization business strategy

by maintaining high performing management staff that is capable of assisting themselves as well

as lower level employees with training and career development opportunities (Werner &

DeSimone, 2012). The implementation of these HRD functions will help ensure that K-Bank

maintains its mission statement while simultaneously improving its business goals and strategies.

Case Study 2

Every day, organizations make adjustments to effectively achieve their goals and visions

while constantly responding to external and internal environmental changes. Among these many

variables, organizations need to focus on employee’s behaviors. Employee behaviors impact

organizations’ culture and performance. To enhance understanding of influential causes of

employee behavior, this case study facilitates awareness of employee behavior and its overall

implication for HRD.

When massive revenues were derived from outside of the U.S, United Technologies

Corporation (UTC) underwent major reductions of its U.S. workforce in 2009. This phenomenon

is a good example of organization change to external influences, namely economic conditions.

The first question that the case study posed was: “What do you think is likely to happen to

employee training and development efforts in the midst of major downsizing efforts?”

Downsizing is defined as voluntary actions of organizations to reduce the overall size of their

workforce (Werner, J., & DeSimone, R., 2012). Hence, downsizing refers to an organization

change. According to Bartunek and Moch (1987), organization change can range from nominal

(e.g. adopting new routines) to radical (e.g. traumatic events like bankruptcies or joint ventures).

For UTC, the reduction of the U.S. workforce is a radical transformation, and the organization

will face numerous challenges by transforming their workforce. Before organizations downsize,


employers need to consider the effectiveness of this in terms of organizational performance,

employee satisfaction, and product and service quality, etc. According to the American Society

for Training and Development (ASTD) survey, downsizing organizations has resulted in lower

employee satisfaction compared to organizations that have retained their employees (Werner, J.,

& DeSimone, R., 2012). Therefore, primarily, organizations need to focus on efficiently

maintaining their original workforce and working with what they have. Moreover, for HRD

professionals, it is vital to establish an up-to-date training and coaching system corresponding to

major changes such as reconstructing or downsizing periods.

The second question posed was: “Do you think employees will take advantage of a

tuition reimbursement program during reconstructing?” The company, UTC, was committed to

reimburse tuition for both undergraduate and graduate courses for their employees’ sake. This

statement itself supports the company’s willingness to support employees’ personal outcomes,

which will eventually lead to organizational outcomes. It also shows employers loyalty to the

employees of UTC. Employees will feel valued because of the company’s benefit program, and

this may affect their motivation to work. The research on a self-fulfilling prophecy has shown the

connection between supervisors’ expectations and employees’ performance outcomes (Werner,

J., & DeSimone, R., 2012).

If employers show sincere efforts to improve employees’ knowledge and skills,

employees will keenly strive to reach mutual goals. Also, expectancy theory can be applied to

enforce a tuition reimbursement program. Expectancy theory illustrates that people will perform

behaviors that they perceive will bring valued outcomes (Werner, J., & DeSimone, R., 2012). To

prevent employees from taking advantage of a tuition reimbursement system, an employer can

set the ground rules or standards before reinforcing that system. For instance, employers can


limit their rewards to those who performed up to certain levels or higher. Then, employees will

be motivated to strive further, and this may change their performance or perceptions at work.

The third question raised was: “What happens to employees who are laid off at the time

they are taking college classes?” Unexpected layoffs are disappointing from both employers’

and employees’ perspectives. However, if organizations decided to lay off their employees, they

should provide some scope of unemployment benefits for them. Obviously, change is

challenging, and leaders must continuously adapt to changes in the external environment to be

successful (Burke, 2011). Also, the situations and states may vary, and HRD professionals need

to consider diverse solutions promptly respond depending on conditions. Equity theory may

apply to building organizations’ decision-making processes. People in general desire to be

treated fairly, and they determine fairness by comparing relevant returns and contributions based

on their perceptions (Werner, J., & DeSimone, R., 2012). In order to reduce any tension, HRD

professionals need to develop organizational policies for employees. In some cases, employees

may be rehired later, while others may have to choose other options in a different organization.

In order to assist employees, HRD professionals can help them find the best fits to be successful

in their field.

Lastly, the case study’s final question was: “Can Pratt & Whitney (and UTC) maintain

their commitment to tuition reimbursement in such an environment?” Even when organizations

are facing difficult situations, their investment in their employees should be continued. Keeping

the tuition reimbursement program is a good example of the Pygmalion effect (Werner, J., &

DeSimone, R., 2012). The Pygmalion effect is a self-fulfilling prophecy that represents how the

expectations a supervisor establishes can influence a subordinate’s behavior (Werner, J., &

DeSimone, R., 2012). When UTC announced layoffs, tension may have arisen among the


employees. Perhaps, they eventually searched for ways to reduce their fear and worry. The action

of providing tuition reimbursement itself supports the idea of UTC’s investment in their

employees.

According to UTC’s 2011 annual report, UTC offers the tuition reimbursement program

called Employee Scholar Program (ESP). The report states, “Since its inception 15 years ago,

UTC employees have earned more than 32,000 degrees through the ESP. To date, we have

invested $1 billion in the program. We see the payoff on that investment every day. And so do

our customers and other stakeholders” (UTC website, p.15). These figures indicate that the

investment in employee educational support has created fruitful outcomes for the organization.

Through this program, the employees may have achieved some sense of self-fulfillment, and this

may have affected their performance outcomes. Hence, HRD professionals need to facilitate

positive expectations for employees while continuously providing applicable support to obtain

the best result in a given situation.

In conclusion, it is essential for organizations to have high expectations for their

employees by providing them with adequate training, benefit programs, and reward systems.

That being said, HRD professionals should consistently study employees’ needs and wants in

order to assist them. Ongoing training and frequent feedback for current employees will help

them to be motivated and perform better to enhance both personal and organizational goals.

Furthermore, there will always be challenges of employee retention and turnover considering this

globalized era. To cope with these changes, HRD professionals are required to not only develop

human resources, but also to retain them efficiently. HRD professionals should observe their

workforce carefully and diagnose it in a timely manner. Then appropriate intervention should be

designed and implemented to strengthen an organization.


Case Study 3

In today’s changing economic climate, companies must fight to stay competitive and

attractive to employees in order to keep them engaged. One way of keeping employees engaged

while aligning with company objectives is through learning and development programs.

Learning is one of the most important aspects in Human Resources Development. “Learning is

defined as a relatively permanent change in behavior, cognition, or affect that occurs as a result

of one’s interaction with the environment” (Werner & DeSimone, 2012, p. 67). An example of a

learning and development program is Caterpillar’s CAT U. CAT U was founded in 2001, during

a time where Caterpillar, Inc. made a commitment to become and organization that provided

continuous learning for its employees.

Caterpillar, Inc. is a global manufacturing and financial services company based out of

Peoria, Illinois. Caterpillar has over 132,000 workers employed in the United States, Canada,

Africa, Asia, and Europe (Caterpillar, Inc., 2013). Founded in 1905, Caterpillar, Inc. is a

household name when it comes to machinery. With a wide global reach and hundreds of

thousands of employees, it can be difficult to establish a learning and development program.

However, Caterpillar’s CAT U has exceeded expectations. An interesting facet of CAT U is that

courses are offered to employees, distributors, and customers (Caterpillar, Inc., 2013).

One of the first objectives that must be considered when putting together CAT U is

deciding on what type of learning should be offered to employees. When thinking of any

manufacturing company, safety comes to mind. Whether it is employees making Caterpillar

machines or customers using them, safety should be at the top of CAT U’s list. According to the

United States Department of Labor, 13 workers die each day due to workplace injuries (OSHA,


2013). It is important to have instruction on how to stay safe on the job, as well as being in

OSHA compliance.

Another topic of learning could be training on how to use Caterpillar’s machines

correctly. This would be most beneficial for distributors and customers. Distributors would find

this helpful when they are showing a potential customer a certain product. They would have the

knowledge and expertise not only to explain to the customer how to use a machine, but could

actually show them with a test run. Once a customer purchases machinery, they will be able to

take courses for further instruction and also as continuing education. In addition, if a new

operator comes on board, instructional information is available for the new hire.

Finally, it would be important for employees and distributors to have access to learn more

on the company’s values and how they conduct business, as well as career development courses.

It is always a smart idea for companies to provide additional training or continuing education on

best practices including company values, beliefs, service procedures, and customer service. For a

global corporation like Caterpillar, it is easy to have cultural differences across the company.

With organizational development tools, it would be possible for Caterpillar to smooth out any

cultural differences and paint the picture of employee expectations across the company. This

could include modules on company values, how Caterpillar views the customer, and tactful

communications. Courses like these help establish the company culture. In addition, there should

be courses that serve as steps in an employee’s career development. It is common for an

employee to be in one position but desires to transition into another role. By providing

employees with courses that prepare them to transition into another area of the company,

Caterpillar could increase employee engagement.


The next area Caterpillar would need to focus on is how to deliver the learning to its

employees, distributors, and customers. It is important to take into consideration the perceptual

preferences of different groups. Caterpillar Inc. should take into consideration many different

methods of instruction including online live courses, online self-paced courses, printed materials,

and instructor led classroom courses (Werner, J., & DeSimone, R., 2009). Different methods of

delivery would work best depending on what type of information is being taught. Caterpillar,

Inc. is a global company in my countries around the world so it would be easiest to provide

employees and distributors the option to take self-paced courses online.

This way, employees could take courses of interest at a time convenient to them, which

would eliminate problems with time differences. Also, employees would be able to take courses

that were translated into their native language, which would eliminate any problems that a live

online course may present. If onsite training could be offered in the many locations of

Caterpillar, Inc., that would be very positive. As stated earlier, people learn information in

different ways and it is important to allow employees to learn in their optimal environment. If

printed information for the courses could be provided as well, those who enjoy self directed

learning could benefit from printed material.

In addition, Caterpillar, Inc. must consider the issue of multiple generations when

developing a training program. There is research that suggests that older employees do not score

as well in an open-learning situation such as a self-directed computer-based training. In addition,

older employees generally take longer to learn information (Werner & DeSimone, 2012). Given

this information, managers may need to provide older workers with more time to complete

training courses in order to give equal opportunities to all employees. With any age group, it is

important to motivate employees while learning. Any learning activity should involve


encouragement and praise for partaking in learning. Additionally, learning programs should

provide the opportunity to transfer skills learned back to the job of the employee (Werner &

DeSimone, 2012).

It is extremely important for Caterpillar, Inc. to provide their employees with ample time

to take courses of interest through CAT U. Managers should communicate with employees to

schedule appropriate times for their employees to stop their regular tasks to participate in

learning. For online courses, computers should be provided for the employees to view material.

In addition, it is important for the Human Resources Development department at Caterpillar, Inc.

to translate course material to all languages of employees. Each Caterpillar employee should be

provided the same opportunity for learning.

As for measuring the effectiveness of a training and development program, Caterpillar

must establish metrics to track the success. For safety, employees should be required to take

courses on occupational safety, and this information should be recorded. From there, the

compliance department should watch each employee’s safety. Any work place accidents are

reported and it is possible for Caterpillar, Inc. to see if these instructional courses have a positive

impact on reducing workplace injuries or safety violations. For personal development courses

such as those based in customer service, positive or negative changes can be seen in customer

satisfaction surveys. Managers can gain information on their employee’s behavior over the

course of a financial quarter or year to see if there are improvements in the daily operations of

the employee. Career development courses are fairly easy to get metrics around as well. All

employees who take career development courses can be monitored over the course of their

employment with Caterpillar, Inc. The Human Resources Development team will be able to see

if the employees who have taken these career development courses are using them to elevate


themselves to the next step of their career. Any promotions or internal transfers to different

departments can be recorded and analyzed.

Training and developing employees is extremely important in order to retain the best

talent. Before setting a training and development program, it is important to first determine what

should be taught, the method of instruction, and how the outcome of the program can be

measured to compliment a company’s strategy. Caterpillar, Inc. has done an excellent job of

analyzing these questions and implementing a program that engages and retains employees.

Case Study 4

In the 1990’s customers of Cathay Pacific Airways rated the airline’s customer service as

good but “robotic”. The airline wanted to transform its flight attendants to provide exceptional

customer service. In the past, the training department adhered to strict lesson plans. This all

needed to change if the airline wanted to go to the next level and provide exceptional customer

service (Werner, J., & DeSimone, R., 2009).

How would you go about designing a needs assessment for the airline?

“Training Needs Assessment refers to the organizational process of collecting and

analyzing data that supports decision making about when training is the best option (or not) to

improve individuals’ performances, define who should be trained, and exactly what content

should be taught (Clarke, 2003)” (Ferreira & Abbad, 2013). The first step would be to conduct a

needs assessment survey based on diagnostic needs that would prevent future performance

deficiencies; analytic needs identify better ways to perform tasks; and compliance needs which

are mandated by law. With the flight attendants, trainers need to know where there are gaps in

their performance when it pertains to customer service. Also, if there are some ways of serving


the customer that could be improved upon. Finally, which rules they had to teach, because they

were laws and if they did not follow them, they would put the company and themselves at risk.

A task analysis would need to be performed as well to evaluate flight attendants. A job

description would need to be developed to determine the activities of the job. If the job

description is not available, a job analysis will need to be performed (Werner & DeSimone,

2009, 118). This is usually done by observation of a job and determining the tasks being done.

The amount of hours that are worked per day, how long they are in front of people and what are

some of the stressful activities that flight attendants engage in are all things that need to be

addressed when determining a job description.

The next step involved in a task analysis is called task identification. This would identify

the major tasks that are involved in being a flight attendant and determine standards for all flight

attendants. Flight attendants cannot determine what expected of them until the standard in which

they are to perform is communicated to them.

Also, a strategic/organizational needs analysis should be evaluated just to determine the

organizational goals, resources, climate and constraints to make sure they are in-line with the

training and development being designed for the flight attendants. Other effective departments

could be used to strengthen flight attendants and improve effective practices already in place.

The resources need to be determined to decide on the allowable budget for the training. The

climate is very important for a trainer to know, so they can better serve the student. As a trainer,

you do not want to design a training that is totally counter-cultural and have it rejected by the

organization and the learner. The trainer has some control over the climate by making it a safe

environment for learning. It is also important to take into account the constraints that the flight

attendants might have such as time, Internet accesses or motivation. Finally, it is also important


to assess who the learner is. What is their educational background? What trainings have been

done in the past? What has failed? What has been successful?

What methods would you use to design training that emphasized exceptional customer

service? The best kind of adult learning is self-directed and in order to foster learning a new

culture must be created. The employees’ learning must be self-directed. The best way to motivate

employees is through incentive programs and rewards. Also, the best way to train a population

that is mobile is through technology. The flight attendants would need to take a number of short

30-minute trainings with assessments that would improve the customer service. These short

trainings would pose as coaches that would remind them of customer service principles that

Cathay Pacific is trying to instill in its employees. Each training and assessment would be worth

point values. Also, at the end of each flight, the customers would rate the flight with a short

questionnaire on how they did as a team. That would be another form of evaluation. The

individual would gain points based on how well his or her flight attendant team performed. The

incentive points could be redeemed for a number of rewards such as money, time off, and gift

certificates. Hopefully, this incentive program would encourage teamwork as well as self-

directed learning.

What types of training would you recommend for flight attendants, if the new goal were

to provide exceptional customer service? Their students learn many different ways. One way

other than the thirty minute trainings, will be coaching sessions where a more experienced flight

attendant will be deemed a coach and will help each flight attendant on the airplane and provide

feedback. These coaches will also be chosen based on how they adhere to the new customer

service culture. The job of the coach would be to encourage the flight attendants perform the

principles of exceptional customer service. They are also there to build rapport with the team, so


they can build teamwork, so they can better serve the customer. Less experienced flight

attendants would benefit from being able to lean on more experienced flight attendants for

wisdom. “In surveying workers across multiple industries, Billet (1992, 1993, 2001) found that

being involved in everyday work tasks, direct guidance from experts, and indirect experience

that emerged in the workplace contribute to how workers learn and develop their professional

knowledge” (Hutchins, Burke & Berthelsen, 2010).

These coaches will also be mentors that have been trained by the trainers in the principles

of the exceptional customer service that Cathay Pacific Airways wants to produce. They will be

each employee’s connection to the company that instills a culture that encourages diversity and

an atmosphere that is safe for employee learning. Employees will also build collaboration if the

environment is safe among coaches and other flight attendants.

The curriculum will mainly be focused on providing exceptional customer service, but

being in the airline business trainers cannot ignore safety. There was a study in The Journal of

Marketing done in 1987 that, “…for hotel and airline customers, the most important need is the

need to feel secure, especially in terms of their physical safety. Hotels and airlines need to do

everything they can to portray safety; this can be achieved via visible physical structures (e.g.

secure door locks, maintenance of equipment), material tangibles (e.g. brochures, posted

policies), as well as employee behaviors (e.g. reassurance from service personnel)” (Chung-

Herrera, 2007). This article articulates that in the airline industry safety has to be part of

exceptional customer service

How might the training programs themselves have to change in order to promote

innovation and collaboration among flight attendants, as well as from the trainers? The training

programs would have to work as a team to gain points for the incentive program. Today’s


trainings are no longer simply done in a formal classroom setting. The training program uses

technology to be flexible, so the flight attendants could take a thirty minute training and

assessment while waiting for another flight on a smartphone. The software would be easily

accessible on the company website or a smartphone application. If they had a question, they

could simply send an email to the trainer or online chat with them if it is during working hours.

Another part of the online training would be online discussions with the trainer, coaches

and other flight attendants. This is another opportunity to build collaboration and give employees

a forum for innovation. The discussion can be from frustrations to how to deal with disgruntled

customers. Through the forum, the trainer can pose questions that facilitate learning and cause

the culture to change in an organization. This gives employees a chance to converse and build

rapport with each other as well.

Combined with the online training, the online discussions, coaching, and access to

trainers through email and online chat with an incentive plan curriculum, can help change the

face of customer service at Cathay Pacific Airlines. Through education is the only way to have

real change of a culture and effectively improve performance in an organization.

Case Study # 5

When we think of human resource development in an organization, training employees

are one of the most common approaches to achieve both performance and culture development.

To facilitate employee career development, providing proper education and training with work

experience allow individuals to move forward and work to build skills and expertise (Scully-

Russ, 2011). It is essential for future Human Resource Development (HRD) professionals to

provide effective learning opportunities to support employees’ work performance and career

development. In order to obtain well-developed training skills in HRD, an organization needs to


focus on proper training design, development, and implementation to minimize risk while

accentuating organization strengths. The case study about Rockwell Collins’ training issue is a

good example to examine of HRD professionals responding to both internal and external factors

when launching training programs.

Rockwell Collins is a prestigious company that manufactures electronic controls and

communications devices. In 2001, it spun off from Rockwell International to become a publicly

traded company. The company headquarters is located in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and consists of

over 20,000 employees worldwide in places like Europe, Asia, South America, and Africa.

Although Rockwell Collins emphasized the importance of training, it offered merely face-to-face

classroom instructions until 1998. Moreover, there were only twelve in-house trainers in the

main branch that provided training to employees. Due to the difficulty of access for employees

outside of Cedar Rapids, the company had low rate of participants in training sessions. Hence,

the Learning and Development group at Rockwell Collins started to consider outsourcing

training, as well as changing the types of training methods.

The first case study question posed was: “If you were manager of learning and

development at Rockwell Collins, where would you start in your efforts to improve the

availability and effectiveness of company-sponsored training efforts?” Our group believes that

diagnosing the current situation of Rockwell Collins by answering to the following questions is

necessary:

Where the training is needed the most?

What kind of training is most efficient for Rockwell Collins?

Who needs to be trained?

What conditions are established depending on diverse training types?


Communicating closely with the current employees will be the primary step for the needs

assessment. Based on the results, we will prioritize the needs in order to help the company’s

leaders to make decisions efficiently. We need to develop strategic plans for the HRD programs

considering the Rockwell Collins’ training and budget. In addition, establishing new goals and

visions will be required in order to assist employees to reach their personal and professional

goals.

The second question was: “What suggestions would you have concerning how training is

designed and provided?” The key actions that should be considered during designing programs

are as follows: (1) defining objectives, (2) selecting the trainer, (3) developing a training plan, (4)

selecting program methods and techniques, (5) preparing proper materials, and (6) scheduling the

program (Werner, J., & DeSimone, R., 2012). The aforementioned steps are major components

during a HRD program designing phase.

After the need of assessment is defined, we should elaborate them into a set of objectives.

By conducting defining objectives, employees will feel more comfortable to engage with

programs or interventions that are offered by an organization. Therefore, establishing clear

objectives are vital. There are three useful tips by Mager that will communicate intentions:

performance, conditions, and criteria

Performance represents what a learner is expected to be able to do and/or produce

Conditions exemplify the conditions under which leaners are able to do or perform the

task

Criteria clarify how well learners should perform the task in order for the outcome to be

acceptable


For the next step, we are going to select the most competent trainer in order to conduct

training programs. Training competency does not solely entail the knowledge and different skills

in HRD. An effective trainer must know how to communicate well with employees, and having

good interpersonal skills by using various instructional techniques (Werner, J., & DeSimone, R.,

2012). If trainers lack some skills, for instance considering subject matter experts, we should

provide them with a train-the-trainer program to improve their skills. Then, trainers need to

develop the most effective training plan, methods, and techniques.

To translate program objectives into training content, a well-developed lesson plan

should be prepared. According to Gilley and Eggland, a lesson plan should cover the following

elements: (1) content to be covered, (2) sequencing of activities, (3) selecting various training

media, (4) establishing experiential exercises, (5) timing and planning of each activity, (6)

selection of methods, and (7) variety of an evaluation items (Werner, J., & DeSimone, R., 2012).

When constructing lesson plans, trainers should be aware that plans should be flexible depending

on each situation.

After completing the lesson plan, we should select the appropriate training methods for

the company. Considering a large amount of employees existing worldwide from Rockwell

Collins, we will weigh in on conducting virtual training called computer-based training (CBT)

than face to face training. The methods and media selections should be selected by studying

objectives of the program, time and money allowance, availability of other resources, and trainee

learning style. Also, CBT will help employees in different regions to view their training

materials easily depending on their schedules. However, some training such as personal skills,

verbal communication skills, and demonstration skills will be provided face to face.


The third question posed was: “What suggestions do you have concerning who should

provide the training (i.e., in-house trainers versus outside vendors)?” We suggest applying both

in-house and outside vendors for obtaining efficient training of Rockwell Collins employees.

Having outside vendors teaming with in-house trainers might be more effective when building

training designs. They can elaborate various training methods and options. Accordingly, outside

vendors can enrich training programs of the company. However, if a company decides to hire

only in-house trainers, it can benefit from flexible customization for any team or department in

an organization. In-house trainers are more flexible, and they can offer hands-on training with a

better understanding of the company and its employees.

The final question posed was: “How would you seek to “sell” your recommendations to

top management?” After the completion of training development phases, it is vital to talk to the

right person who has power for making decisions. To be successful, our group will prepare a

clearly stated training program proposal that delivers the following elements: training objectives,

tangible outcomes, time tables, methods, techniques, and the cost, etc. Well-designed power

point slides will be helpful to visualize our proposal. The benefits of training are not confined to

improved performance with additional benefits such as empowerment, self-efficacy,

effectiveness, and profitability studied by research (Aguinis & Kraiger, 2009). Hence, we will

focus on how these training programs will benefit the overall company’s new goals and missions

by showing potential future growth. Therefore, it is important to articulate our plan of action.

Having genuine communications with the top management should be conducted as well to

discuss our program’s impact and intention.

In conclusion, as future HRD professionals, HRD people constantly seek positive

changes in an organization. Organizations’ high commitment HR practices, including training


and development, aim to prompt a strong bond of attachment to the organization leading to

improved job performance and further positive outcomes (Kooij, 2010). Training can be a

stepping stone for these changes. Moreover, the goal of this training and development should be

based upon emerging employee’s job satisfaction and performance that will lead to better

organization performance.


References

Aguinis, H., & Kraiger, K. (2009). Benefits of training and development for individuals and

teams, organizations, and society. Annual Review of Psychology, 60, 451-474.

Bartunek, J. M., & Moch, M. K. (1987). First-order, second-order, and third-order change and

organizational development interventions: A cognitive approach. Journal of Applied

Behavioral Science, 23, 483-500.

Burke, W. (2011). Organization change: Theory and practice (3nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA:

Sage.

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http://www.caterpillar.com/home

Chung-Herrera, B. (2007). Customers’ psychological needs in different service industries.

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Ferreira, R., & Abbad G. (2013). Training needs assessment: where we are and where we should

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Hutchins, H.M., Burke, L. A. & Berthelsen, A. (2010). A missing link in the transfer problem?

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Kooij, D. T. A. M., Jansen, P. G.W., Dikkers, J. S. E., De Lange, A. H. (2010). The influence of

age on the associations between HR practices and both affective commitment and job

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Werner, J. M., & DeSimone, R. L. (2012). Human resource development. (6th ed.). Mason, OH:

South-Western Pub.

Documents

Web viewCaterpillar, Inc. is a global company in my countries around the world so it would be easiest to provide employees and distributors the option to take self-paced