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Systematic Training
Systematic training began during World War I and accelerated during World War II. World Wars created labor shortages as working age males volunteered for military service. The labor vacuum was exacerbated by the demand for increased production to meet the demands of the war effort. Fredrick Winslow introduced scientific management based on time movement studies and quantitative analysis. Charles Allen introduced the show-do-tell method to train individuals working in manufacturing (Clark, 1999) -
Wars of Mass Production
President Franklin Roosevelt coined the term "arsenal of democracy" to describe the practice of providing Great Britain and Russia with bombs, bullets, and guns prior to the United States entry into World War II -
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Human Relations Training
Taylors scientific management drew criticism for the demoralizing effect the approach often visited upon employees. The human relations movement began in the 1950's spurred by the work of Elton Mayo. Mayo proposed performance could be improved by treating workers like human beings (Bruce & Nyland, 2011). The human relations approach viewed Taylors Scientific method as a form of "techno-exploitation" that enriched property owners while few benefits redound to the individual worker. -
Human Relations Training
Elton Mayo's proposition the performance could be enhanced by treating workers better sounds rhetorical today, but Mayo's theory was revolutionary in the 1950's -
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Organizational Development
Organizational development emerged as appreciation of the importance of financial and operational performance within an organization grew (Haneberg, 2005). Kurt Lewin, Douglas McGregor, and Chris Argyris advanced theories that were critical in the creation of organizational development. Organizational development marked a shift in from focus from a singular focus on the trainer toward a larger view of all factors that affected operational success. -
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Socio-Technical Training
Pasmore (1988) conceptualized organizations as a social system comprised of people and a technical system comprised of tools, processes, and knowledge. Trainers realized the social system and the technical system must be improved to optimize performance. Socio - Technical training was an amplification of the philosophy that emerged during organizational development. Sensitivity training emerged during the 70's as scholars explored the social systems in greater detail. -
Socia Technical Training
Social Issues including, feminism, gay right, and civil rights impacted the type of training that should be delivered -
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The Bottom Line
Globalization created competitive pressure to sustain profitability. Downsizing became common as companies sought ways to do more wit less. Milton Friedman's Social Responsibility of Business became the guiding principle of corporate conduct (Elrick & Thies, 2018). Training focused on financial measure during the 80's. Return on investment, earning per share, and DuPont type analysis's were core elements of training during the 80's. -
The Bottom Line
The 80's was oft referred to as the decade of greed. Training delivered during the 80's serviced the requirement for a greater focus on financial performance that supported profits. -
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E-Learning
Technology created opportunities for individuals to learn what they wanted to learn, and learn at their own pace. Support tools and job aids that provided employees with knowledge in demand (Sleight, 1994). Peter Senge authored the concept of the learning organization comprised of individuals who learn how to learn together. Reengineering, restructuring, and work life balance emerged as other training topics. -
E-Learning
E-learning describes any learning that is delivered elctronically -
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Present Day Training
Training philosophies of prior decades remain relevant to varying degrees. Blooms taxonomy and Mager's model for learning remain staples of contemporary training. Contemporary tools such as the WLP scorecard link training initiatives to organizational strategy and performance. The WLP scorecard allows organizations to evaluate their internal training programs and to benchmark their training initiative against other organizations.
