The Training Practices of Large Organizations in New Zealand

Abstract

This study explored the formal training practices of 50 large New Zealand organizations. With the increased globalization of businesses organizations are constantly challenged to stay relevant in a rapidly evolving worldwide economy. Employees constitute the human capital of an organization and therefore it is strategically important to ensure that employees are able to perform to the best of their abilities. Organizations require strategies and processes to ensure that their employees are performing to standard, and to identify and remedy shortfalls. The ADDIE Model is a well-established systematic model used to address training requirements (Molenda, 2005; Noe & Winkler, 2009) and as such was used to develop the theoretical model underpinning this research. Formal training practices were defined as training programmes which underwent evaluation after it was implemented. The ADDIE model was used to design a 32 question survey directed at the individual who was responsible for the development of the training programme within their own organizations. Large organizations were defined as organizations with 50 or more employees (Statistics New Zealand, 2014). Participants were recruited through the New Zealand Association of Training and Development (NZATD), the Human Resource Institute of New Zealand (HRINZ) as well as existing networks and cold calling. The findings are compared to a recommended practice model that was developed across both Australia and New Zealand by Noe and Winkler (2009). The differences between common practice and recommended practices, as described by Noe and Winkler, are highlighted and discussed. The findings of this survey showed that the majority of organizations invested a lot in analysing training needs at multiple levels and less in evaluating the learning outcomes of training programmes. Design, development and implementation methods closely aligned with the recommended practices outlined by Noe and Winkler. Notably the majority of organizations focused their evaluation on Level 1 of Kirkpatrick’s Four Tiered Model of Evaluation, which were the reactions of trainees to the training programme. These are the affective outcomes as described by Noe and Winkler. However, very few organizations took evaluation further than this and actually assessed levels 2-4 of Kirkpatrick’s Model. This research adds to an understanding of formal training practices in large organizations in a New Zealand specific context. Future implications for research include exploring the formal training practices of a much bigger sample of large organizations in New Zealand, which better represents the diversity of the New Zealand economy and industries. The findings highlight an opportunity for best practice guidelines to be developed specifically to the culture of New Zealand, by qualified experts in the field.