The contribution of vocational training to employment,job‐related skills and productivity: evidence from Madeira

In this paper, we analyse the transition to the labor market of participants in vocational training in Madeira in Portugal. The analysis is in two stages. First, we investigate how the employment status at different dates (1 month, 1 year, and 2 years after the completion of the training program) depends on relevant variables, such as age, gender, education and the content and duration of the training. Second, we use individuals' self‐assessment of the effectiveness of the training program along three dimensions: employment, job‐related skills and productivity. The respondents score training activities high on every dimension. Moreover, we find that training is more effective among the educated, indicating that vocational training is far from being remedial. We also find that long training programs and training related to tourism are particularly effective.     

Is it ‘you’ or ‘your workplace’? Predictors of job‐related training in the Anglo‐American world

This paper examines the determinants of job‐related training and workplace voice. Using data from a unique 2016 cross‐national survey of Australian, British, Canadian and American employees, the paper contrasts two classic formulations in the literature; (1) the neoclassical/human capital approach which predicts that individual characteristics (such as age and education) which increase the efficiency of learning, will have the largest impact on the allocation of training (i.e. younger and more educated employees will be afforded training) and (2) the traditional institutional approach which favors the structural characteristics present at the industry and firm level, the nature of the job itself and the strategic choices of firms as the major predictors of job‐related training. We find that age – a key factor in the human capital model – plays a significant role in the allocation of training but that education (in keeping with recent evidence) does not. In sum the human capital model provides, at best, only a partial explanation for the differences in training observed across individuals. In contrast, variables invoked by the institutional literature (i.e. occupation level; industry; ownership type; and market structure) are highly significant and account for a much greater proportion of the variance in training observed across workers. Other institutional factors such as the presence of a union and a human resource department were strong positive predictors of job‐related training. But most important were product‐market strategy and employee voice. Respondents working in firms utilizing a ‘high road/high quality’ product/service strategy and with a workplace consultative committee were significantly more likely to receive training than similar workers employed in observably similar firms. This last finding supports the industrial relations view of voice as an important channel by which training is optimally delivered inside the firm.     

The impact of values‐job fit and age on work‐related learning

Research shows that both individual and job‐related factors influence a worker's work‐related learning. This study combines these factors, examining the impact of fit between one's work values and job characteristics on learning. Although research indicates that fit benefits multiple work‐related outcomes, little is known about the impact of fit on learning. Moreover, life span theories indicate that values evolve throughout the lifespan. Therefore, we examined how age influences work values and thereby work‐related learning. Our self‐report questionnaire was completed by 221 workers of various ages and occupations. Our findings indicate that work values, job characteristics and their fit influence the quantity and quality of work‐related learning. Generally, a higher fit benefits learning, but misfit can also stimulate learning. Workers of different ages report an equal amount of learning, but perform different learning activities. However, this relationship is unrelated to work values. Recommendations for research and practice are discussed.     

Decision‐making biases and affective states: their potential impact on best practice innovations

Contributions from the decision‐making literature concerning biases and heuristics (i.e., anchoring, framing, confirmatory and availability biases, overconfidence, and representativeness) and from the Affect Infusion Model (Forgas, 1995) are integrated into Rogers's (2003) conceptualization of the stages of innovation adoption and diffusion. Specific propositions based on the decision‐making and affect literatures are made in relation to each stage of the innovation process (knowledge of innovation, persuasion, decision, implementation, and confirmation) to better understand the likelihood of a manager making an informed and appropriate decision concerning the adoption and implementation of best practices. Copyright © 2010 ASAC. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Improving salesforce performance: A meta‐analytic investigation of the effectiveness and utility of personnel selection procedures and training interventions

Research on the effectiveness in improving salesforce performance through personnel selection procedures and training interventions was examined by meta‐analytic techniques applied with 157 predictor‐criterion effect sizes involving selection procedures and 12 effect sizes involving training interventions. Significant effect sizes, on average, were obtained for (a) composite‐domain assessment against both subjective (ratings) and objective (sales performance) criteria, (b) single‐domain assessment against both criterion types, and (c) training interventions with respect to both criterion types combined. Significant variability was found among individual effect sizes within all categories of aggregation. Of the six specific categories of single‐domain assessment considered, five yielded significant validity for each of the two criterion types. Follow‐up utility analyses revealed improvements in sales productivity of from 14.8% to 34.1% for selection procedures and of 23.1% for training. Associated dollar‐based utility estimates indicated particularly substantial dollar gains for organizations employing composite‐domain selection with rigorous selection ratios, and lesser, but still substantial, gains from single‐domain selection with rigorous selection ratios, and from training interventions. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Using the training reactions questionnaire to analyze the reactions of university students undergoing career‐related training in Jordan: a prospective human resource development approach

The primary purpose of the present study was to validate Morgan and Casper's training reactions questionnaire (TRQ) for use in Jordan. The study also investigated the reactions of university students to career‐related training programs. Another purpose of the study was to determine the impact of certain aspects of training programs on the overall satisfaction of university students with the quality of the programs. The validated TRQ was administered to a purposive sample of 304 participants who completed at least two training programs. Results showed that the TRQ is valid for use in Jordan. Results also indicated that participants exhibited high levels of satisfaction with all aspects of the training programs completed. Further, based on regression analyses, results indicated that utility of training had the highest explained variance followed by course materials and course structure. Finally, the study provided a number of practical and theoretical implications for the field of study.     

The Dependence of Family Businesses on a Single Decision‐Maker*

Anecdotal evidence suggests that family businesses are very dependent on a single individual (the owner‐manager). However, the degree of dependence previously has not been studied formally. Further, an explanation for why some family businesses are highly dependent on the owner‐manager and others are not has not been explored. Utilizing a national survey of Canadian family‐owned businesses, this paper therefore addresses two central issues: (1) the degree of dependence of family‐owned businesses on a single individual; and (2) the factors associated with this reliance. Self‐report responses from family business owners provided evidence of a high level of dependence on the owner‐manager. In 75 percent of all family businesses, respondents believed that the company was either dependent or very dependent on them. The response to this subjective question is consistent with responses to our three more objective measures. First, 65 percent of owner‐managers responded that they made all the major decisions in at least three of five functional business areas. Second, these businesses had few key managers—in 57 percent of all businesses, there were only two or fewer key managers in addition to the owner. Third, in 62 percent of all family businesses, neither had a successor been chosen nor had a process been put in place for choosing a successor. These results strongly suggest that family businesses are highly dependent on a single individual. Six factors had significant power in explaining the degree of dependence. Two factors related to the owner‐manager—dependence decreased in the age of the owner‐manager and in proximity of the owner‐manager to retirement. Four factors related to the family business: dependence decreased in the value of the firm, the number of shareholders, and the age of the business and was greater where the owner‐manager's family had voting control. Surprisingly, neither the existence of a board of directors with outside membership nor an advisory board with outside membership helped explain the level of dependence.     

Employee post‐training behaviour and performance: evaluating the results of the training process

Despite the fact that firms invest in training, there is considerable evidence to show that training programmes often fail to achieve the intended result of improving worker and organization performance. The purpose of this paper is to examine the medium‐ to long‐term effects of training programmes on firms by means of an integrated research model combining the principal factors that the existing literature has shown to be related to training transfer and also by examining the relationship between training transfer and operational performance. The transfer factors chosen are training design, trainee self‐efficacy and work environment. The validity of this model is tested by applying the structural equation modelling approach to data from 126 employees who have participated in various training programmes in a number of Greek organizations. The results indicate that the design of a training programme has the strongest impact on post‐training job performance, along with trainees' self‐efficacy and post‐training behaviour.     

Practices and challenges of the training and utilization of labour in sub‐Saharan Africa: the case of the Eritrean civil service*

This study critically analyses and discusses the way Eritrean civil servants are trained and utilized. This study shows that, except for specific areas, scarcity of skilled civil servants could not be considered as a major problem as it was in the early 1990s. The major challenge for the government would rather be how to utilize the existing staff effectively, particularly the expertise of the ex‐trainees. In addition, the findings highlight the practices and challenges of civil service training and labour utilization in most sub‐Saharan Africa nations.     

Convergence of utility indifference prices to the superreplication price in a multiple‐priors framework

This paper formulates a utility indifference pricing model for investors trading in a discrete time financial market under nondominated model uncertainty. Investor preferences are described by possibly random utility functions defined on the positive axis. We prove that when the investors's absolute risk aversion tends to infinity, the multiple‐priors utility indifference prices of a contingent claim converge to its multiple‐priors superreplication price. We also revisit the notion of certainty equivalent for multiple‐priors and establish its relation with risk aversion.     

From a commodity to an experience: The moderating role of thematic positioning on congruity‐based product judgment

Research in positioning strategy suggests that a product schema, when presented in a moderately incongruent fashion, can evoke a greater degree of positive evaluation than if presented congruently with consumer expectations. This phenomenon has been coined the schema congruity effect. To date, one of the limitations of the phenomenon is that it has been applied almost exclusively to taxonomic stimuli, with little reference to thematic, eventlike stimuli. Two experiments verified that taxonomic and thematic product categories differ with respect to their unique characteristics. Consequently, despite successful replication of the schema congruity effect during taxonomic interpretation, when pushed thematically, the schema congruity effect failed to manifest. Furthermore, both experiments confirmed that, unlike taxonomic product categories that benefit from abstract and moderately incongruent positioning, thematic product categories benefit from concrete and congruent positioning. Implications for understanding the moderating role of thematic positioning on congruity‐based product evaluation as well as the differences between taxonomic and thematic stimuli are discussed. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Do collective bargaining institutions crowd out discussion and implementation of firm‐related training programs? Evidence from Japan

The paper empirically examines labor‐management communication concerning in‐house training programs and its relation to the actual on‐ and off‐the‐job training policy and wage structure. Using governmental datasets from Japan, we study how different labor‐management communication institutions may affect the training interests of employers and employees differently. We classify these institutions in terms of whether they have a legal (i.e. statutory) foundation (‘de jure’) or not (‘de facto’). We find that collective bargaining, with legal grounds, may crowd out employees’ willingness to communicate about training. However, the existence of ‘de facto’ communication channels such as joint labor‐management councils or shop floor committees is positively correlated with both on‐ and off‐the‐job of training. At the same time, the existence of unions is positively correlated with the steepness of wage profiles for mid‐career workers, which is consistent with the fact that employers and employees assume a long‐term relationship. Thus, we show that a multi‐tiered structure of labor‐management communication, together with a long‐term orientation toward the employment relationship, contributes to strengthen employees’ voice in training matters.     

Boundary conditions of the impact of a hypervigilant coping style on the subjective decision‐making experience

Two experiments explored how characteristics of the task environment and the consumer's propensity to a use a hypervigilant coping style interacted to influence ratings of perceived information amount, choice difficulty, decision‐process–related satisfaction,choice deferral, and the desire for decision assistance. Results indicate a series of main effects of time pressure on the dependent measures across two different choice scenarios. In addition, the findings suggest that a propensity to use a hypervigilant coping style seems to have little influence on the subjective decision‐making experience. Theoretically, this research establishes boundary conditions under which decision‐process–related thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are not likely to be influenced by coping style, and extends prior work on the determinants of choice deferral and the desire for decision assistance. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Team‐based learning and training transfer: a case study of training for the implementation of enterprise resources planning software

While traditional models of training such as behavioral modeling (BMT) have been found to enhance training transfer, research suggests that more active learning strategies such as error management (EMT) and team‐based learning (TBL) may be more effective. This paper analyzes BMT, EMT and TBL strategies to train employees on new enterprise resources planning (ERP) software and discusses which training leads to successful procedural and declarative knowledge transfer, knowledge retention and application, and tangible business outcomes. TBL was predicted to be the most effective training type, as it models several components needed to use ERP software in the actual job setting. Overall and procedural knowledge as well as knowledge application scores improved most for TBL participants, while declarative knowledge improved the most in the EMT condition. During training, all conditions showed significant improvement in knowledge application; however, the TBL condition showed the highest knowledge application gains. This paper discusses the elements of TBL that support its use as an effective strategy to increase knowledge transfer in an organizational context.     

How gender influences the effect of age on self‐efficacy and training success

Previous research has shown age and gender differences in training, but the results have been mixed and their combined influence is only rarely examined. We fill those gaps by analysing age and gender effects on self‐efficacy and training success. Study participants were trainees in an e‐learning time‐ and self‐management behaviour modelling training programme. We measured self‐efficacy before and after training and time‐ and self‐management behaviour before and 6 weeks after training. We expected the differences between pre‐ and post‐test results to indicate self‐efficacy development and we expected differences between pre‐ and follow‐up tests to indicate training success. A hierarchical regression analysis showed that age and gender interacted in both self‐efficacy development and training success. A structural equation model confirmed that men and women showed different relationships among age, self‐efficacy and training success. Older women showed more positive development compared with older men. We conclude that age and gender should both be considered in future design and training evaluations.     

Returning to flight: simulation‐based training for the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Space Shuttle Mission Management Team*

Following the tragic loss of Columbia in early 2003, executives at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration implemented a simulation‐based training program to facilitate the development of the Space Shuttle Mission Management Team (MMT). This article discusses the findings from an evaluation of two multi‐day simulation training events. The results of both evaluations suggested that MMT members: (1) possessed shared beliefs in their joint capabilities to execute their corecompetencies; (2) were motivated and ready for their Return to Flight mission; (3) achieved targeted levels of team performance during the simulations; and (4) were both satisfied with the training program and found it useful for facilitating performance improvements. This note concludes with a discussion of lessons learned.     

The impact of a pro‐rata algorithm on liquidity: Evidence from the NYSE LIFFE

This study investigates the impact of introducing a pure pro‐rata algorithm on the liquidity of the market for Euribor futures contracts on NYSE LIFFE. Results indicate that the Euribor market experiences deterioration in liquidity: (1) both best and total depth fall and (2) quoted spreads widen after the structural change. Results also reveal that the Euribor market becomes more active after the event; both trading volume and trade frequency increase substantially after the event. Finally, after the transition, liquidity demanders are more likely to submit smaller market orders. The reduction in depth and increase in quoted spreads suggest that liquidity demanders incur higher trade execution costs after the transition. In contrast, the transition is beneficial for the exchange since trading volume is higher under the new regime. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Jrl Fut Mark 32:660–682, 2012     

Understanding the impact of employer‐provided financial education on workplace satisfaction

The present study examines the linkage between workplace financial education and workplace satisfaction. Data gathered from a national sample of employees of an insurance company favor the hypothesis that employees who participate in workplace financial education more fully understand personal finances and recognize how financial literacy impacts their future financial expectations. In addition, employees who gain considerable literacy in financial matters and confidence in their future financial situation are also more likely to be satisfied with and supportive of their company. Implications of these results for nonwork settings and for consumers in general have also been developed.