Learning Theory in Organizations, Part III
Uploaded by lancej13 on Oct 26, 2011
This paper explores leadership style, why it should be learned, the nature of such training, the role of the trainer, and various types of training. (8.5 pages; 2 sources; MLA citation style)
I Introduction
In this, the third part of our exploration of training programs within organizations, we want to consider why such things are necessary in the first place, specifically with regard to training supervisory personnel. The answer seems obvious,
It’s important that supervisors learn how to manage their employees effectively, because a disgruntled employee is more than a nuisance; he or she can cost the company significant amounts of money. Not only will a poor attitude “rub off” on other employees, it will also offend customers and potential customers, in some cases driving them off before anything more than an initial contact has taken place.
In this paper, we’ll discuss what leadership style should be learned, and why; how to determine who needs such training; the components of the training group; the nature of interactive learning taking place within the group; the role of the trainer; and National Training Labs (NTL) “sensitivity training” versus “Organization Development (OD) training.”
II What Style Should Be Learned and Why
Because of the wording of the question, it’s obvious that we’re to consider what sort of leadership style should be learned. That immediately begs the question, why should it be learned at all? The answer is simple: people are often promoted to positions in which they have to supervise others, and yet they don’t have the skills to do so. Very few people are born instinctively knowing how to manage their employees so that they do their jobs efficiently; obey the rules; and still have a reasonably good time doing so. However, supervisors can learn the “people skills” they need to run their departments efficiently, and that’s why companies have training programs to help develop their managers’ competence in these areas.
The next question is, what style of training should be used and why? Goldstein doesn’t specify a particular type of training that he feels is better than others, he simply describes the various methods available. There are literally thousands of training manuals available, so the quick answer to this must be to use the training that works best for the company and individuals involved. However, there are specific differences between OD training...