Training evaluation of a sales programme in a Portuguese cosmetics SME

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Carla Curado ◽  
Inês Sousa
Keyword(s):  
Training Evaluation ◽  
Data Gathering ◽  
Training Programme ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Sales Training ◽  
Training Outcomes ◽  
Use Of Data ◽  
Medium Enterprise ◽  
Four Levels ◽  
Training Programmes

Purpose The purpose of this study is to describe the evaluation of a training programme in a Portuguese family’s small and medium enterprise (SME) in the cosmetics industry. This study addresses the four levels of the Kirkpatrick Model and estimates the return on investment (ROI) of a training programme in sales. Design/methodology/approach The study follows a case design to address the analysis of the training outcomes. This study uses data from 53 employees and explore the programme’s results. Findings This study provides evidence on the reactions of the trainees to the programme; the learning which results from it; and on the changes in trainees’ behaviours and the consequent results. This study also estimates the ROI of the programme; it is 5.55. Research limitations/implications The limitations to this study may be the use of data from a single training programme. Practical implications The research results offer managers some critical information in terms of future options in resource allocation. Training managers become more informed in making future choices on where to invest in training programmes. Originality/value The originality of the study regards the ROI estimation for an SME’s sales training programme. SMEs are not often addressed in the training evaluation literature. Because SMEs have limited organisational resources, and they do not invest much in training. Further, this estimation requires data gathering and reporting that is not commonly done, even for large firms.

How can teachers’ entrepreneurial competences be developed? A collaborative learning perspective

2015 ◽  
Vol 57 (5) ◽  
pp. 492-511 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katariina Peltonen
Keyword(s):  
Collaborative Learning ◽  
Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis ◽  
School Context ◽  
Empirical Work ◽  
Training Programme ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Self Confidence ◽  
Collegial Support ◽  
Training Programmes

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the role of collaborative learning in the development of teachers’ entrepreneurial competences in the school context at primary, secondary and vocational levels of education. Design/methodology/approach – The research is based on an interpretative and collaborative learning approach to teachers’ entrepreneurial competence development. The empirical work relies on teachers’ written learning reflections collected during the chosen training programme and applies an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) method to analyze the data. Findings – The findings demonstrate that collaborative learning can help teachers to adopt a more entrepreneurial teaching approach. The findings highlight that social interaction and collegial support are important “drivers” for building self-confidence, further showing that conceptual and pedagogical renewal leads to an in-depth understanding of the work role and its meaning in society. Research limitations/implications – The study is of an explorative nature and bound to a specific contextual setting in Finland. Therefore further empirical research is needed to affirm the study’s suggestions on the effects of other collaborative learning interactions. Practical implications – The research findings provide new insights for teacher trainers and policy makers on how to enhance entrepreneurial teaching competences. The study concludes with new directions for designing and managing teacher training programmes. Originality/value – The paper enhances the understanding of teachers’ entrepreneurial competences, the role of collaborative peer learning in this process and thus bridges the gap between teacher research and entrepreneurial competence literature.

A qualitative evaluation of a pilot leadership programme for dentists

2015 ◽  
Vol 28 (3) ◽  
pp. 185-199 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathan Walsh ◽  
Nicholas Taylor ◽  
Donna Hough ◽  
Paul Brocklehurst
Keyword(s):  
Local Level ◽  
Qualitative Evaluation ◽  
Training Programme ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Clinical Leadership ◽  
Content Type ◽  
North West ◽  
Dental Practitioners ◽  
Training Programmes ◽  
The Way

Purpose – The purpose of this paper was to evaluate a pilot training programme run by Health Education North West to promote clinical leadership amongst general dental practitioners (GDPs). New powers and responsibilities for clinicians have caused a fundamental shift in the way that local services are planned and delivered in England. GDPs are being appointed onto the boards of local professional networks (LPNs) to influence the way that services are delivered at a local level. Analogous to clinical commissioning groups in medicine, the role of LPNs is to ensure that GDPs lead change and drive up the quality of service provision. Clinical leadership has been argued to be fundamentally important in these new structures, but has received little attention in the dental literature. Design/methodology/approach – Semi-structured interviews and a focus group were held with participants of the pilot to explore their understanding and experience of clinical leadership. These were recorded, transcribed verbatim and underwent thematic analysis. Findings – Nineteen codes were identified and organized into four themes: nature of clinical leadership, challenges for clinical leaders in dentistry, Leadership Exploration and Discovery programme evaluation and future direction. Practical implications – The research provides an understanding of how GDPs conceptualise clinical leadership and provides recommendations for future leadership training programmes. Originality/value – This is the first evaluation of a leadership programme for GDPs and so helps address the paucity of evidence in the dental literature.

Training in positive behavioural support: increasing staff self-efficacy and positive outcome expectations

2016 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 95-102 ◽  
Author(s):  
Greg Stocks ◽  
Sean Slater
Keyword(s):  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Repeated Measures ◽  
Outcome Expectations ◽  
Training Model ◽  
Training Programme ◽  
Positive Outcome ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Repeated Measures Design ◽  
Training Programmes ◽  
The Impact

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of a six-and-a-half day, Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) informed training course on staff’s self-efficacy and outcome expectations of managing challenging behaviour (CB). Training programmes for other non-psychology staff were deemed necessary due to the high demand for services and the specialist knowledge held by other professionals or carers. Design/methodology/approach – A repeated measures design was used to capture changes in specific self-efficacy and outcome expectations before and after the training programme. A questionnaire methodology was employed. Findings – Staff self-efficacy and positive outcome expectations increased on all four measured variables following training: understanding of CB, working out the functions of CB, developing and implementing a PBS plan, and managing CB for the benefit of the service user. Research limitations/implications – These findings are considered in light of previous research suggesting an impact on staff practice and burnout. Practical implications – The findings suggest that the training model delivers changes in staff cognition and may be useful in other locations where demand for services is likely to increase in the future. Originality/value – This research considers the impact of a medium length PBS training on staff cognition, evidencing the model’s utility in the current service context.

Challenges of attracting construction workers to skill development and training programmes

2019 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 321-340 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sparsh Johari ◽  
Kumar Neeraj Jha
Keyword(s):  
Construction Industry ◽  
Skill Development ◽  
Skill Training ◽  
Training Programme ◽  
Construction Workers ◽  
Successful Implementation ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Inhibiting Factors ◽  
Group Brainstorming ◽  
Training Programmes

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the factors that discourage construction workers from undergoing skill development training, and to suggest steps for making the training programmes more attractive to them. Design/methodology/approach The research used an exploratory approach of unstructured interviews with construction workers (bottom-up approach), and the guided group brainstorming technique with the help of experienced industry professionals (top-down approach). Findings From the unstructured interviews, five inhibiting factors were identified which discourage construction workers from undergoing training. Furthermore, to recognise the causes of the inhibiting factors, 13 possible causal attributes (PCAs) were identified from the brainstorming approach. Subsequently, these PCAs were classified into five possible causal factors (PCFs) on the basis of those concerned stakeholder(s) that are most closely involved and most responsible for fixing them. Research limitations/implications The research provides recommendations to practitioners for pragmatic and permanent resolution of each of the PCFs, which serves as a framework for the construction industry to reduce the scarcity of trained workers in the industry. Also, the results may serve as a model for the planning and successful implementation of any new skill-training programme for the construction workers in any developing economy, such as India. Originality/value This research contributes to the literature by highlighting the views of construction workers on the training establishments, which very few studies have considered in the past. Also, the research provides a detailed process of brainstorming approach, which will help the research community to appreciate its use in studies related to the construction industry.

A curriculum guide model to the next normal in developing construction supervisory training programmes

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kesavan Manoharan ◽  
Pujitha B.G. Dissanayake ◽  
Chintha Pathirana ◽  
Dharsana Deegahawature ◽  
K.D. Renuka Ruchira Silva
Keyword(s):  
Quantitative Research ◽  
Training Programme ◽  
Productivity Improvement ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Curriculum Guide ◽  
Learning Domains ◽  
Construction Supervision ◽  
Supervision Practices ◽  
Training Programmes ◽  
Mapping Models

PurposeThis study aims to develop a curriculum guide model to upgrade the construction supervision practices, considering evolving challenges and thereby the next normal of the industry.Design/methodology/approachBoth qualitative and quantitative research designs were adopted to identify productivity-related challenges that can be addressed through effective supervision in construction. Meetings, discussions, workshops and surveys were conducted among construction experts to systematically develop the competencies of construction supervision. The necessary mapping models were used to identify the level of outcomes for each competency element along with the learning domains and programme outcomes.FindingsA curriculum guide model consisting of 64 competency elements has been introduced with corresponding assessment weightages and mapping outcomes. Using this model, a new training programme has been designed and tested with weightage percentages on learning domains.Research limitations/implicationsAlthough the scope of the study is limited to Sri Lanka, the findings can be interpreted for critical learning in other developing countries too.Practical implicationsThe study outcomes are expected to make a high impact on improving the standards of vocational training education in the country, thereby upgrading the current industry practices.Originality/valueThe developed guide model is expected to be a valuable tool for training providers/organisations in upgrading their programmes/practices with the scope of productivity improvement. The obtained mapping outcomes are significant for the evolving next normal situations in teaching, learning and assessment methods with regard to construction supervision practices.

ICT services to students in the greater Accra region of Ghana

2017 ◽  
Vol 118 (7/8) ◽  
pp. 393-405 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patience Emefa Dzandza
Keyword(s):  
Public Libraries ◽  
Training Programme ◽  
Daily Activities ◽  
Ict Skills ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Development Goals ◽  
Method Of Instruction ◽  
Ict Training ◽  
Training Programmes ◽  
The Impact

Purpose This paper aims to describe an information and communication technology (ICT) training programme in the central library in Ghana, to discuss the benefits of the programme and the challenges faced by those delivering it and to relate this work to the broader development goals of the UN and the Africa Union (AU), offering some recommendations on how the programme can be made more effective. Design/methodology/approach The study adopted a qualitative approach to help determine the modality of the programme to two junior high schools (JHSs) in the area that benefit weekly from the training programmes offered at the ICT corner. Interviews were conducted with two staff of the ICT corner to help gather information on the services that the ICT corner offers and the challenges with the programme; ICT teachers and a library coordinator of the two JHSs were also interviewed to find out about their opinion on the programme and the impact they think the programme can make to help achieve the agenda of equipping the youth with ICT skills. Focus group discussions were held with two classes from the JHSs for them to indicate the ICT skills they have acquired from the training and what they can use the skills to achieve. The researcher also witnessed two training sessions and observed daily activities of the ICT corner and the method of instruction. Findings The study brought to fore the contribution GhLA is making to help Ghana achieve Agenda 2063 and 2030 by helping students acquire basic ICT skills that are motivating them to use computers in their daily activities. Originality/value The study highlighted the importance of libraries in the twenty-first century and recommendations were made, among others, that, the facility should be replicated in all public libraries to be used by schools that do not have their own ICT lab in Ghana and the library should employ more staff to help with the training.

Establishing the financial returns arising from an evaluation of a retail training programme

2018 ◽  
Vol 50 (1) ◽  
pp. 20-31 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cecília Olexová
Keyword(s):  
Training Evaluation ◽  
Training Programme ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Retail Stores ◽  
Product Knowledge ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Retail Chain ◽  
Training Courses ◽  
Evaluation Of Training ◽  
Shop Assistant

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to propose an evaluation of training for shop assistants, specifically in retail chains. Design/methodology/approach The proposed evaluation is based on Kirkpatrick’s model and Phillips’ modification. The representative case study includes the application of the training evaluation at the fourth and fifth levels of evaluation in a particular chain of retail stores. The data were collected from the retail chain’s financial reports, internal documents related to training of employees and interviews with managers in the retail chain. Findings The results contribute to the training evaluation literature by presenting a training evaluation for shop assistant using evidence from a retail chain. The training focussed on selling skills and product knowledge; the details of evaluating the training are presented, encompassing mainly the benefits and costs of the training and return on investment calculation. Research limitations/implications The training evaluation was tested only in selected types of training courses for shop assistants. To generalise the results, its adoption in different types of training and retail companies is required in future research. Practical implications The application of this training evaluation should help to achieve training objectives and enhance the quality of training in the retail chain. The results of the paper can be used as practical inspiration for managers of retail stores. Originality/value This paper proposes and applies a specific evaluation of training courses in retail.

Training evaluation levels and ROI: the case of a small logistics company

2014 ◽  
Vol 38 (9) ◽  
pp. 845-870 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carla Curado ◽  
Susana Martins Teixeira
Keyword(s):  
Training Program ◽  
Training Programs ◽  
Training Evaluation ◽  
Individual Performance ◽  
Accounting Data ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Evaluation Practices ◽  
Logistics Company ◽  
Four Levels

Purpose – This study’s purpose is to contribute to literature on training evaluation following Kirkpatrick’s four-levels model and estimating each training program’s return on investment (ROI) using evidence from a small firm. Design/methodology/approach – This case study uses data collected at a logistics company based upon training output indicators like training program evaluation data; individual performance evaluation reports; information on attained objectives; service and productivity levels; quality audit reports; and accounting data. Findings – Results show that all the training programs addressed report evaluation procedures at the four different levels (reactions, learning, behavior and results). ROI for each training program was estimated based upon costs and benefits associated to each program. The two training programs presenting above-average returns address work quality and conditions. The program addressing corporate social responsibility issues produced below-average results. Research limitations/implications – Limitations to this study may result from collecting data in a single moment in time and using data from a single organization, excluding generalization and extrapolation of results. Practical implications – This case study should inspire managers in small and medium enterprises (SME) to implement training evaluation practices and ROI estimation. Having the ROI estimation available allows better management of the training budget, as ROI’s presentation is an argument to assign value and progress. Originality/value – The originality of this study regards the way it reports training evaluation practices at the four levels established by Kirkpatrick’s framework (2005) and complements it with ROI estimation regarding five training courses run at a Portuguese SME logistics firm.

Assessing the influencers of sales training effectiveness before and after training

2019 ◽  
Vol 26 (4) ◽  
pp. 1233-1254
Author(s):  
Amitabh Deo Kodwani ◽  
Sanjeev Prashar
Keyword(s):  
Training Evaluation ◽  
Training Effectiveness ◽  
Organizational Level ◽  
Motivation To Learn ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Sales Training ◽  
Training Stage ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Transfer Climate ◽  
Evaluation Mechanism

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to decipher the possibility of ensuring the effectiveness of sales training by focusing on selected organization-related variables and thereafter aims at making recommendations for enhancing the overall sales training effectiveness. Variables that are under organizations’ control, like training transfer climate, training evaluation and degree of choice (mandatory or by choice) were selected for this study. The study also attempted to understand how these variables influence at pre-training stage and post-training stage. Design/methodology/approach This cross-sectional research involved both exploratory and conclusive phases. To test the postulated hypotheses, data were collected in two phases from sales executives of a large oil and gas petrochemical company having the presence across India. A total of 370 sales executives, who were the part of a sales training program, were approached twice, one before the training and once after the eight weeks of training. Data from the respondents who completed both pre- and post-training survey (255) were used for analyses. Findings The results indicate that all the three predictor variables – training awareness, perceived transfer climate and the presence of an appropriate training evaluation mechanism, influence trainees’ motivation to learn. The results depict that motivation to learn mediates the association between the predictor variables and the resultant variable. Also, degree of choice was found to moderate the association between motivation to learn and sales training effectiveness. The research reinforces the significance of pre-training factors in designing sales training programs to ensure its better effectiveness. Research limitations/implications The present study captures organizational-level variables as they are under the control of the organization and can be managed. The study included both motivation to learn and training effectiveness in the hypothesized model to understand the motivational issues in a holistic perspective. The outcomes of this research strengthen the role of trainees’ motivation to learn as a connecting variable between organizational-level variables and sales training effectiveness. Thus, the outcome of this study contributes to the literature on training motivation as well as training effectiveness. Practical implications The findings of this study are significant for sales organizations or the organizations offering sales training aiming to enhance overall training effectiveness. Training managers must focus on these factors and ensure that all the pre-training organizational-level variables are very well-taken care of. This implies that the trainees need to be well informed about the training calendar, training policies, training content, expectations from them and how the program will be evaluated after training, along with appropriate positive transfer climate. Organizations should also include proper training evaluation mechanism to measure training at different levels. Originality/value This study is an attempt to decipher the possibility of ensuring the effectiveness of sales training by focusing on select organization-related variables, and thereafter aims at making recommendations for enhancing the overall sales training effectiveness. The study’s uniqueness lies in simultaneous examination of influence of various variables, and that too at two different points of time (before and after the training). These two perspectives are apparently missing in the existing sales training literature.

Evaluation of an entrepreneurship training programme: a proposal for new guidelines

2019 ◽  
Vol 61 (2) ◽  
pp. 136-152 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anderson Galvão ◽  
Carla Susana Marques ◽  
João Ferreira
Keyword(s):  
Descriptive Analysis ◽  
Education Programme ◽  
Training Programme ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Management Decision ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Entrepreneurship Training ◽  
Content Type ◽  
New Guidelines ◽  
Training Programmes

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to evaluate an entrepreneurship training and education programme, which has already had five editions in the Sabor region of Portugal’s northern interior. This evaluation was conducted in order to propose new guidelines to improve the Sabor Entrepreneurship Programme (SEP). Design/methodology/approach The research included primary data collection using mixed methods (i.e. quantitative and qualitative). Questionnaires were distributed to 103 entrepreneurs who participated in the SEP, and interviews were conducted with entities involved in developing this programme. The data were processed using cross-sectional content analysis of the interviews and descriptive analysis of the completed questionnaires in order to ascertain the opinions of all the parties involved in the SEP. Findings The results show that the SEP has been modified throughout the five editions, which has contributed to better performance. Based on the findings, new guidelines were proposed for the programme, such as the implementation of new phases and improvement of various methods used. The proposed phases include the validation and full development of business ideas, management decision training for entrepreneurs, help with financing solutions and support during new companies’ first three years. The results also indicate that the SEP needs to create an entrepreneurial ecosystem that includes public policies and the involvement of other local entities that are active in the region and that have the skills entrepreneurs need. Originality/value This study’s findings have theoretical and practical implications, which provide empirical evidence of how evaluating entrepreneurship education and training programmes can make them more effective and efficient. In addition, the results contribute to the evolution of the existing knowledge about entrepreneurial ecosystems.

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