REVIEW OF LITERATURE

A number of studies on the identification of training needs in India are available. Some of them
deal with the general framework while others are specific company based studies.

For training activity to be meaningful, Dayal (1970a) suggests that a detailed study of jobs and
skill analysis is absolutely necessary. The training, thus, imparted would help the employee to
adjust to their job requirements. As far as the supervisory category is concerned. Sundaram
(19709) points out that the training needs for supervisors can be identified through careful
observation of their work which is indicative of poor performance, low production, high cost,
poor product quality, high scrap, spoilage, wastage, accidents, absenteeism, and turnover. The
day-to-day complaints and grievances also form useful sources for identifying their training
needs. Given that supervisors are the first contact point for the workers. Ghosh (1984) stresses
the need for behavioral inputs in any training programme organized for managers. Srinivasan
(1977) recommends that their training programmes should focus on corporate planning,
organizational development, and personnel management.

Bhatia (1981) sees a shift from knowledge to attitude as the main objective of training. He
identifies three areas of training- technical skills and knowledge, knowledge of organization and
external systems, and conceptual and interpersonal skills. He suggests that the emphasis on these
three must vary according to the level of the employee. The workers training should focus on
technical skills and knowledge followed by conceptual and interpersonal skills, and knowledge
of organization and external systems. In the case of supervisors, conceptual and interpersonal
skills should be emphasized followed by technical skills and knowledge, and knowledge of
organisation and external environment. As far as managers are concerned, the sequence is the
same as that for supervisors except that the order of knowledge of organization and external
environment and technical skills and knowledge is interchanged.

Seth (1984) administered a 720item questionnaire on 119 personnel managers. The cluster
analysis revealed personnel managers to be more employee oriented; able to recognize the utility
of group processes, and having fait in workers ability to take initiative and handle responsibility.
On the basis of results. Seth suggested that training for personnel managers should be directed
towards attitudes and beliefs underlying managerial philosophy and their inter relatedness.
As far as identifying training needs by the company is concerned, Glaxo Laboratories considers
the following factors.

Level and rapidity of technological and administrative changes

Level of individual and group performance.
Changing organizational structure
Perceived organizational imbalances.

At the individual level, the person himself identifies the need for training and records it or the
appraise discusses the individuals training needs in view of this deficiencies on the job. Since
Glaxo uses the MBO system, this process helps a great deal in making training useful to both the
employees and the organisation (lawande, 1980)

Studies on the identification of training needs thus emphasise not only the organisational analysis
but job and individual role analysis as well. It is also useful to note that many studies emphasise
the need for training in human resources management.

Johnson (1967) suggests that clues for training needs can also come from a number of written
sources. He lists 17 sources for identifying training needs. Some of them are highlighted below.

Articles: Articles published in journals or magazines often indicate individual companys

experiences with personnel utilizations and the ways organizations improve productivity. Such
individual experiences could be a good source of learning from the experiences of others.

Books: Knowledge in training and development is increasing at a faster speed today than before.
Many books are published every year on training and they provide useful sources in learning
newer techniques developed in identifying training needs.

Case studies: In an attempt to find solutions to specific problems people often show gaps in
understanding. These can become useful themes for training.

Companies: All organizations in organizations provide useful data for preparing people to not
only face such situations but learn to avoid them in future.

Crisis: Crisis situations in organizations provide useful data for preparing people to not only face
such situations but learn to avoid them in future.
Factual data: Factual information such aspects as absenteeism, wastage, turnover, machine
breakdown, sales, and the like also open avenues to identify what can possibly be done to
improve upon them.

Grievances: Formal grievances are important sources to identify training needs.

Reports: Often reports submitted by many departments provide useful clues on what is lacking or
what should be reinforced.

Rumours and grapevine: Taken seriously, they provide useful feed-back on the total activity of
an organisation and may often identify gaps in various areas of organizational functioning.

Suggestions: A number of organisations are very particular about suggestions and take them very
seriously. Since suggestions have a base in experience they provide useful clues for training
needs.

A more direct approach for identifying training needs was used by Kanitkar etc. al.(1994).
Instead of going to HRM department, they approached section heads and senior managers of 73
milk unions associated with National Dairy Development Board. Their study revealed five
contents of training that were identified by a very large majority of respondents. These were cost
consciousness, loss control, marketing, sanitation and hygiene, and operations and maintenance
of utilities.

Who needs what kind of training was the focus of a study by Singh et.al. (1998). In a study of 92
Anganwadi workers, they found that the need for training correlated inversely with age and in
service training. In other words those who were older did not feel ten needs for training and if
offered in service they did not want to go through it. However the need for training correlated
significantly and positively with education, years of experience, communication skill, job
satisfaction, knowledge level and attitude towards integrated Child Development Service.
Scheme.

Mayo and DuBois (1987) cite eight criteria for including a task in a training course. Think about
how you would apply these criteria to a task area that you teach (e.g., performance appraisals,
World processing, project management, etc.)
Criteria for selecting a Training task

The percentage of job incumbents who actually perform the tasks

The percentage of total work time that job incumbents spend on the task.
How critical the task is.
The among of delay that can be tolerated between the time when the need for
performance of the task becomes evident and the time when actual performance must
begin.
The frequency with which the task is performed.
The difficulty or complexity of the task.
The probability of deficient performance of the task on the part of job incumbents.
How soon the task must be performed after a person is assigned to a job that involves it.

Finally, the selection of training objectives may hinge on ones understanding of adult learning
needs.