Directorate of distance education master of business administration

Contours of Training and Development
 
Training and Development (T & D) is a planned, continuous 
effort by management to improve employees’ competency levels and 
organizational performance. Training has a short-term focus as it is 
designed to provide the learners who are especially in the managerial 
cadre with specific concepts, knowledge, skills and techniques needed 
for their present jobs. Job related training is offered at various points in 
an employee’s tenure with a company, on technical or mechanical facet of 
work. Development on the contrary, refers to the attainment of a generic 
long-term learning that transcends the present job and applies to a wider 
life and social situation. Development refers to learning that is not tied 
to a particular role and which implies growth and a better situation. It 
is often associated with training outcomes, but it can emerge from any 
event or experience from which new knowledge is created and then used 
to improve situations.
 
Training is also referred to as a process by which any person 
designated to be a trainer imparts new knowledge, sharpens and 
strengthens skills and redefines attitudes. Training involves more 
than just teaching people how to use tools or complete assigned tasks. 
Good training seeks to make people understand what they feel about 
themselves, about their work and their contribution to the well-being 
of those they serve. The basic objective of training is to establish 
match between employees and their jobs. This is achieved by helping 
them to bridge gaps between expected and actual performance levels. 
Training has to help to prevent obsolescence of employees by updating 
their competencies. Thus, a firm is like an educational institution and 
continuous learning becomes an integral part of its vivacity. 

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After the candidates have been selected and placed in appropriate 
jobs they usually receive orientation training to help them learn 
about the company. This is also known as ‘induction’ and is the first 
training an employee has to go through in each organization of his or 
her employment.  However, training in organizations is an unending 
process. The training needs of employees get continually assessed based 
on their own requests and their superiors’ feedback in the performance 
appraisal reports.  The top management of an organization would also 
direct the training department to prepare the employees to face various 
organizational changes. 
In the present context, one may surmise that the individual who 
feels he is through learning is through in his job also. Jobs today grow 
faster than the people in them. Helping people to keep up with the pace 
of this growth is the obligation of training. No program or method would 
fit all types of needs. Programs and methods should be selected on the 
basis of how effectively and efficiently they satisfy personal needs and 
accomplish the developmental objectives of managers and the enterprise. 
The choice of a method or a mix of method is a function of a 
number of considerations such as the nature, size and capabilities of the 
target group, the aims of the program, the costs involved and whether 
the program is to impart knowledge, skill, techniques or attitudes.  The 
methods could be sub classified into traditional and modern methods, 
on-the-job and off-the-job methods, instructor-based and self-learning 
methods, simulated and real situation based methods.  Different 
combination of methods would fit into each of the above classifications. 
Based on the stage of a job during which the training is provided, the 
program may be classified as preparatory training, induction training, 
mid-term training, refresher training, development centers and re-
training. Each method of training has its own strengths and weaknesses. 
A judicious combination of the following methods alone would help to 
maximize the effectiveness of programs.