Evaluating rater training with double-pretest one-posttest designs: an analysis of testing effects and the moderating role of rater self-efficacy

Abstract

Previous research on performance appraisal in Human Resource Management has found that frame-of-reference (FOR) training can improve rating accuracy. However, both the time-consuming development of training materials and the almost exclusive use of experimental evaluation designs limit the dissemination of FOR training as well as a better understanding of how and when it works. Therefore, unlike past research, the present studies used more general rater training materials and examined improvements in rater accuracy by means of a double-pretest one-posttest design. Study 1, using a student sample (the majority being part-time employees; N = 58), demonstrated the effectiveness of the rater training over and above a testing effect. Study 2 with participants from the workforce population (N = 45) replicated these results. In addition, in Study 2, pre-training rater self-efficacy moderated rater training effectiveness such that the rating accuracy of trainees with low self-efficacy improved more than did accuracy scores of trainees high in rater self-efficacy. We conclude that an effective FOR training can be conducted with less organization-specific materials, though both testing effects must be controlled for and individual differences (i.e. rater self-efficacy) between trainees have to be taken into account.     

Propelling diverse leaders to the top: A developmental network approach

Scholars and practitioners are making a strong business case for greater representation of women and other underrepresented groups on senior management teams and boards. A model is developed that highlights how to create optimal developmental networks—groups of developers who help advance people's careers and personal growth—that can assist in propelling diverse leaders into the upper echelons of their organizations and board positions. Several literature streams are integrated in order to identify developmental networks that will help diverse leaders overcome barriers to breaking the glass ceiling in greater numbers. Numerous strategies intended to shape diverse leaders' network structure and content are discussed, as are contextual challenges that may inhibit optimal networks' development. Lastly, theoretical and practical implications for individuals and organizations are highlighted.     

Women in management: towards a research agenda

Relationships between specific supervisory support behaviours and training transfer among subordinates were investigated in the context of a team-building training programme. Ninety-nine employees who attended outdoor team-building training and their supervisors rated the extent to which trainees transferred each of twenty-one trained skills to the work-place. Additionally, trainees responded to an open-ended question regarding what, if anything, they applied from the training to the work-place. Ratings of transfer, provided by both trainees and their supervisors, and coded responses to the open-ended question indicated that: (1) most trainees transferred only a small to moderate amount of skills from the outdoor training; (2) the amount of training transfer varied across trainees; and (3) skills reportedly transferred the most concerned seeking and listening to the views and ideas of other team members.

Trainees also rated whether their supervisors displayed each of twenty-seven specific supervisory support for training behaviours, derived from a comprehensive list developed by Broad (1982). Partial correlations were computed between each of the twenty-seven supervisory support behaviours and an overall measure of training transfer, controlling for trainees' ratings of the quality of their relationship with their supervisor. This analysis suggested that the supervisory support behaviours most critical for transfer of this team-building training were: (1) supervisors' use of skills and terminology from the training programme; (2) creating opportunities for trainees to make decisions based on newly learned skills; (3) reinforcing trainees' use of trained skills; (4) creating opportunities to practise new skills; and (5) providing feedback on skill use. The implications of these results for training practitioners and researchers are discussed.     

基于教练技术的人才培养模式研究

教练技术作为一种新兴的管理技术,以其独特的方式正在改变过去固有的管理模式,它是通过对话,以及一系列有方向性、有策略性的过程,洞察被指导者的心智模式,向内挖掘潜能,向外发现可能,令被指导者有效达到目标。应用教练技术的人才培养模式实施有助于组织及其成员克服成长瓶颈,释放员工潜力,提高绩效,在竞争中更胜一筹。     

Contextual Influences on Thinking in Organizations: Learner and Tutor Orientations to Organizational Learning

This paper examines the orientations, or frames of reference, of participants in five bank training programmes run by three banks in the United Kingdom. Adopting a symbolic interactionist approach and ethnographic methods of investigation, the paper attempts to elucidate the ways in which both learners and tutors thought about their roles in the learning events and the goals and strategies they adopted in order to cope with their situation. It is suggested that in order to understand the participants' behaviour it is necessary to take into account the contexts in which their actions were constructed. In particular it is proposed that the organizational context of the training programmes, which exposed the participants to the gaze of ‘hidden audiences’ of organizational superiors, inhibited the potential of the programmes as vehicles for learning. It is also argued that interactionist approaches using ethnographic methods, which enable organizational actors to be studied in situ, have an important contribution to make to the wider study of organizational cognition.     

构建员工全职业生涯人才培养体系

企业通过人力资源管理的方式对员工的职业生涯进行规划,使之与企业的发展目标相结合,实现企业与员工双赢的目的。本文通过寻找员工的个人发展需要,使其与企业理念相一致,采取措施帮助员工不断提高自我,进而建立和完善人才培训体系,拓宽员工的职业通道,为企业发展提供参考依据。     

企业战略人力资源管理的探析

战略人力资源管理对经济增长和组织绩效都具有重要作用。在实践中，人们认识到了战略人力资源管理对组织绩效的重要作用．但是对于战略人力资源管理对组织绩效的作用方式尚不确定．而且企业的人力资源与企业经营的基本战略不相匹配。为了实现更好的组织绩效，有必要建立科学的战略人力资源管理模式。战略人力资源管理模式构建的实质就是协调人力资源管理战略和企业的经营战略，用科学的人力资源计划为员工提供足够的发展空间，以系统的培训开发人力资源，引导员工最大限度的实现企业战略目标，为企业做出最大贡献。     

基于企业创新创业的高技能人才培养的思考

经济全球化的高速发展,迫使企业必须不断创新创业,才能在激烈的市场竞争中获得更好的生存环境。因此,企业一方面要出资提供办学经费,支持高职院校在企业内部设立专业的教学机构和技能鉴定机构,出台在职员工继续教育的优惠制度,鼓励企业在职员工进行学历进修和专业技能培训,获取国际职业资格证书;另一方面企业与高职院校要共同出资设立奖学金,组建订单班,并将企业特有文化、国际运营理念、专业技能要求等融入其中,以培养出适合企业创新创业需要的国际化高技能专业人才。     

从安全风险管理中梳理供电培训需求的探讨

培训需求作为企业开展各种培训的重要依据,是企业人才培养目标的重要体现。长期以来员工的培训需求往往与基层班组的实际情况结合不足,不能引起基层员工的共鸣。员工虽然参加了很多培训,但更多的是被动接受,缺乏引导员工主动学习,也达不到电力企业的发展对人员素质不断提升的要求。本文重点探讨了佛山三水供电局从安全风险体系建设中根据关键风险预控措施反向推出员工的培训需要。     

The effects of network groups on minority employee turnover intentions

Companies in the United States are concerned with retaining minority employees to maintain or increase the diversity of their workforce. Here we assess the value of one approach companies have used to retain minority employees: “network” groups. Based on data obtained from a large company with extensive network groups, this study compares the turnover intentions of minority employees who have joined one of the company's network groups to those who have not joined one of the company's network groups. The data show that employee network groups can be useful in helping companies retain managerial‐level minority employees. Extensive recommendations are provided to help organizations maximize the effectiveness of network groups. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Robbing Peter to pay Paul: Feedback environments and enacted priorities in response to competing task demands

In this article, we present a model of how the feedback that surrounds performers as they do their work affects their attention and effort allocation in multiple goal situations. Differences in the frequency, specificity, and source of feedback for the multiple goals that performers hold are posited to affect attention and effort allocations. By differentially allocating their efforts in response to the feedback environment, performers often enact priorities that may or may not match the assigned priorities of the organization. These attention and effort allocations are posited to affect relative performance on the goals performers hold (or are assigned). Practical implications for performance management in organizations are addressed.     

Overcoming barriers to women's workplace leadership: insights from the interaction of formal and informal support mechanisms in trade unions

Women face gendered barriers to union leadership. In-depth interviews with UK and Australian female senior trade union leaders investigated how mentoring strategies can help women overcome barriers to leadership. Formal mentoring is most important, but the interaction of mentoring and informal support networks bolsters gender equality and workplace democracy.     

Decision support systems for human resource training and development

Human resource training and development methods and techniques have different qualitative characteristics that require a multicriteria and multiscenario framework for their assessment. This study incorporates the AHP to assess the nine most important human resource training and development methods and techniques, under five criteria and six scenarios. The methods considered are ‘on-the-job training’, ‘mentorship’, ‘apprenticeship’, ‘vestibule training/simulators’, ‘web-based learning’, ‘instructor-led classroom training’, ‘programmed self-instruction’, ‘case studies/role playing’ and ‘systematic job rotations and transfers’. ‘Vestibule training/simulators’ and ‘mentorship’ have the average best scores, and they should be among the first priorities especially when efficiency, the motivation of employees and minimization of the duration of training time are the most important factors. ‘Web-based learning’ is ideal for minimizing training costs or when ease of application is the first priority. ‘On-the-job training’ is a very good alternative when the cost of training should be reduced while the motivation of employees should be increased.     

Learning to Build a Supply Network: An Exploration of Dynamic Business Models

abstract    Firms are confronted with the challenge of learning how to develop and manage supply networks, which reduce their operating costs and maximize their effectiveness in the marketplace. In pursuit of such goals they are increasingly turning to the use of dynamic business models. Dynamic business models represent continuous change and therefore make firms learn constantly new and better ways of doing things. These changes are manifestations of inter-firm knowledge transfer. The aim of this research is to explore dynamic business models as an example of inter-firm knowledge transfer. Adopting a case study approach, we examine three components of dynamic business models – network structure, inter-firm routines and knowledge forms – and describe their integration through a problem solving approach to building an offshore supply network. Our empirical findings suggest that dynamic business models help organizations identify and link key actors with each other (at the firm and individual level), and aid the identification and specification of appropriate knowledge types and knowledge transfer mechanisms for different actors, in different contexts.     

Five Steps to Leading Your Team in the Virtual COVID-19 Workplace

The emergence of COVID-19 has presented employees and employers new challenges as many employees and managers were forced to work in a remote environment for the first time. For many reasons, managing virtual teams is different than managing employees in a traditional face-to-face office environment. Although many managers have been learning how to lead their virtual teams over the last several months, we offer five steps for leaders to follow for how to maximize the effectiveness of a remote workplace. By taking specific actions and ensuring the organization has a culture to support their virtual workforce, leaders can improve the performance output and engagement of their teams. The five steps are: first establish and explain the new reality; second, establish and maintain a culture of trust; third, upgrade leadership communication tools and techniques to better inform virtual employees; fourth, encourage shared leadership among team members; and fifth, to create and periodically perform alignment audits to ensure virtual employees are aligned with the organization’s cultural values including its commitment to mission. All these steps start with the realization that managing a team is going to be different when the members are dispersed, and new leadership strategies, communication routines and tools are required.     

The Economics of Private Sector Training: A Survey of the Literature

Abstract.  This survey organizes and summarizes existing theoretical work on private sector training. The theoretical models focus on investment efficiency, finance and turnover. Recent developments in the on-the-job training literature are characterized by strategic interaction between employers and employees and emphasize market imperfections.     

Use transnational teams to globalize your company

The authors report on their two-year study of successful transnational teams, in which they examined how such teams are designed and managed to help their firms pursue global business strategies. Based on this study, they present a comprehensive model of team effectiveness that includes the key characteristics differentiating a transnational team from other types of work teams. The model shows how transnational teams operate—how they are staffed and led, communicate across great distances, and cope with cross-cultural issues. In closing, they describe how a company's human resources department can help an “international” or “multinational” team become a “transnational” team—one that has successfully transcended the cultural, geographic, and managerial barriers to team effectiveness.     

Stretch Goals,Factual/Counterfactual Reflection Strategies,and Firm Performance

Popular business press and academic publications have advocated for stretch goals, particularly to enhance firm performance. The general assumption is that stretch goals can create a more challenging task environment that upsets complacency, inspires motivation, encourages outside-the-box thinking, stimulates search and innovation, and guides efforts and persistence. Surprisingly few systematic empirical studies have been conducted to support stretch goal deployment, such as when and how to use them. This study introduces two reflection strategies – counterfactual reflection (managers confront performance feedback and create possible alternatives) and factual reflection (managers analyse their own decisions and explain performance feedback) – and uses two experimental laboratory studies to test how different reflection strategies contribute to the stretch goal-performance relationship. The results indicated that using stretch goals does not affect firm performance, although theoretically, using stretch goals can create a more challenging task environment and enhance performance. Rather, it is the combination of the type of goal and reflection strategy that affects performance. I suspect that under stretch goals, managers may be unable to implement new ideas as expected, leading to growing performance gaps and perceived continuous failures over time. Consequently, their motivation to search for alternative solutions declines, and they may fall into a spiral of self-constrained thinking. The results demonstrate that under stretch goals, managers use factual reflection strategies to deliberately reflect on performance feedback to achieve higher performance. In contrast, managers who are assigned moderate goals perform better if they use a counterfactual reflection strategy. I suggest that by using a different reflection strategy, managers can further improve performance by encouraging directed search behaviour and avoiding self-constrained thinking spirals. My study provides a richer theoretical and empirical appreciation of the effect of reflection strategy depending on the task environment and goal-setting.     

Stop wasting your training dollars! How to use integrative learning

To succeed in today's competitive world, companies need to continually train their employees to do new jobs and to perform old jobs better. Unfortunately, most on-the-job education and training is wasted, since traditional methods do not get workers to retain what they have learned. This article describes a new method of education, integrative learning, that takes into account that each person has multiple kinds of intelligence and also has his or her own style of learning. By changing the learning environment and the way information is presented, processed, and used in the classroom, integrative learning produces substantially better results than traditional methods.