Travor C. Brown

The Effectiveness of Verbal Self-Guidance as a Transfer of Training Intervention: Its Impact on Presentation Performance, Self Efficacy and Anxiety.

We developed a verbal self‐guidance (VSG) training program as a transfer of training intervention (i.e., an intervention designed to enhance the application and usage of skills learned in a training session post‐training). We then assessed the impact of this training on presentation performance, self‐efficacy (i.e., task‐specific confidence) and anxiety. Results indicated that participants trained in VSG (n = 33) had significantly higher self‐efficacy concerning their presentation performance relative to those in the comparison group (n = 32), who took part in a lecture and discussion activity. Self‐efficacy was significantly and positively correlated with presentation performance such that self‐efficacy increased as performance increased. Anxiety was shown to be negatively and significantly correlated with presentation performance and self‐efficacy such that anxiety increased as performance and self‐efficacy decreased. Overall, the results suggest that verbal self‐guidance is an effective training technique for helping students with presentations.

Which Goals should Participants Set to Enhance the Transfer of Learning from Management Development Programmes

This paper is designed to critique the goal setting literature, with particular emphasis on the effectiveness of different types of goals for successful transfer in management development programme...This paper is designed to critique the goal setting literature, with particular emphasis on the effectiveness of different types of goals for successful transfer in management development programmes. In reviewing the literature, particular focus was given to goal interventions used in education, training and skill acquisition settings over the last 20 years and how these studies have advanced the understanding of knowledge transfer from management development programmes. Overall, the evidence suggests that the traditional result (or distal outcome) based goals are ill-suited for effective transfer and instead management development scholars and practitioners should use the newer forms of goal setting (e.g. proximal plus distal, behavioural and learning) to facilitate transfer.

Using evidence-based practices to enhance transfer of training: assessing the effectiveness of goal setting and behavioural observation scales

Using evidence-based practices we designed goal setting interventions, used in conjunction with behavioural observation scales (BOS), to facilitate transfer from a 2-day performance coaching programme. A total of 210 managers from public sector organisations took part in the study. Transfer was assessed using self-administered surveys and subordinate feedback (in the form of BOS). Transfer was high across all measures; however, our experimental design did not detect any positive effects for learning or behavioural outcome goals relative to being urged to Do Your Best (DYB). Results suggest that providing managers with BOS that outline the key skills covered in the training programme, having them set goals or urging them to do their best to use these skills back at work, and having workplace colleagues assess their performance at work using these BOS, may be sufficient to bring about transfer.

What went wrong at university hospital? An exercise assessing training effectiveness

Many organizations struggle with effective training interventions—in particular, the transfer of skills learned in the classroom to the workplace. The present experiential exercise allows students, who are asked to play the role of consultants, to assess training effectiveness from pretraining to posttraining. Student feedback demonstrates that this exercise provides a practical and realistic simulation that aids in the understanding of effective training interventions. This article presents the University Hospital exercise, its linkage to Goldsteins Instructional Systems Design framework, instructor notes, and questions for students. The exercise can be used for undergraduate, graduate, and professional courses.

Developing Behavioural Observation Scales to Foster Effective Entrepreneurship

Abstract Effective entrepreneurship behaviours were developed empirically using survey data from 34 entrepreneurs. The data were then systematically collapsed into a 9-criterion, 47-item measurement instrument comprised of Behavioural Observation Scales (BOS; Latham and Wexley 1977). The resulting BOS now can be used in a variety of applications, including coaching and developing entrepreneurs, identifying the training needs of prospective entrepreneurs, and for evaluating the effectiveness of entrepreneurial training programs. The paper concludes with a discussion of implications for practice and a description of future research that can enhance the efficacy of the instrumentation.

Evaluation of transfer of training in a sample of union and management participants: a comparison of two self-management techniques

We examined transfer from a training intervention in a management-development programme that focused on general management skills. Our sample included union (n = 57) and non-union (n = 119) leaders. Transfer was evaluated using multi-source feedback and surveys. A quasi-experiment was also conducted where one group was trained to develop self-management contracts that included longer term (i.e., distal) goals while the second group was trained to develop self-management contracts where they broke their longer term goals into shorter term (i.e., proximal plus distal) goals. The overall training programme increased self-efficacy and transfer. No significant differences were found between the two self-management conditions on any key measures.

Human resource business partner lifecycle model: exploring how the relationship between HRBPs and their line manager partners evolves

The human resources business partner (HRBP) role is advocated as a way for human resource (HR) professionals and the HR profession to become more strategic and less transactional, necessitating the development of different competencies. Few researchers have examined how the HRBP Model plays out in practice, over time, from the perspective of HR professionals and their line manager partners (LMPs). We collected data through interviews and focus groups with both these stakeholders at three UK organisations to understand the dynamics of the individual HRBP–LMP relationship. After analysing the data, we propose an HRBP Lifecycle Model. The model suggests the relationship between the parties is dynamic, complex and dependent upon the organisational culture as well as the skills and competencies of the main stakeholders in the partnership.

Declining versus Participating in Employer-Supported Training in Canada.

Although employer‐supported training may be beneficial to all stakeholders, some workers have difficulty accessing it, and a surprising number of workers decline some or all of it when it is offered. We present a conceptual model that uses four categories to define workers according to whether or not they are excluded from, participate in and/or decline training. Our aim is to examine the characteristics of workers in each category in order to better inform public policy. The study utilizes the Statistics Canadas 2005 Workplace and Employee Survey data set. We found that 44 percent of workers were ‘excluded’, in that they did not participate in nor decline employer‐supported training. A further 47 percent took all the training offered to them (i.e. are ‘takers’), whereas 3 percent were ‘decliners’ because they declined all of the offered training. Finally, the remaining 6 percent are ‘choosers’ because they both took and declined some employer‐supported training. Thus, 9 percent of Canadian workers declined some employer‐supported training in 2005. This was 16 percent of those who were offered training. Consistent with existing literature and dual labour market theory, our descriptive and multivariate regression results indicate that individuals exhibiting the characteristics of ‘primary’ workers are more likely to access and are also more likely to decline training than their ‘secondary’ counterparts. Considering the importance of training, these results have significant social and policy implications.

Behavioral Criteria for Grounding Entrepreneurship Education and Training Programs: A Validation Study

The entrepreneurship literature lacks a systematically developed and validated framework to ground educational programs. We previously developed behavioral observation scales (BOS) consisting of 9 dimensions and 47 behaviors. In this study, we validated the BOS using 12 performance measures and a national survey of 149 entrepreneurs. The BOS were found to be valid. All 9 BOS dimensions, as well as the total score on the BOS, correlated significantly with many of the 12 nonbehavioral performance measures. These BOS provide entrepreneurship education and educators with a validated and systematically developed instrument that can be used to appropriately ground education programs.