Evaluating Training and Development Methods & Business Performance

This report explores the impact of training and development methods on business performance, focusing on Honda Motors Limited as a case study. It begins with an introduction to training methods, differentiating between on-the-job and off-the-job training, and discusses various techniques such as coaching, lectures, role-playing, and management games. The report evaluates the advantages and disadvantages of each method, highlighting how companies like Honda Motors Limited utilize these strategies to enhance employee skills and overall business performance. It also touches upon other factors influencing business performance, such as personnel acquisition, accounting practices, and technology integration. The report concludes with recommendations for effective training and development programs, referencing Kirkpatrick's model and providing examples from Honda's competitors.

Training and Development
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Training and Development
Introduction
Every company or organization usually has its own policies and their own unique way of
doing things. That is made possible by the instilling of this knowledge to the company’s
stakeholders through training and development. This knowledge and unique way of doing
things in a particular company are very crucial as it enables a company to achieve its
competitive advantages by using their internal resources. This paper is aimed at exploring
training and development of a chosen company. It seeks to unveil the training methods used
by the company, its competitors and their effect on performance and competitiveness. The
company that was chosen is Honda Motors Limited. Honda Motor company is “a Japanese
public multinational conglomerate corporation primarily known as a manufacturer for
automobiles, aircraft, and motorcycle and power equipment” that has approximately 300, 000
employees, located in Japan. This organization serves as a global supplier of automobiles and
is known for quality products as well as a reputed brand. It is one of the companies whose
products have joined almost every country of the global market. While many can’t trace it
success, it is important to know that proper training method is one of the factors behind its
success. It has put into place good training techniques for its employees and consequently
maneuvered.
Literature review
Introduction to methods of training
The unique knowledge instilled in the employees of any given company has several effects
on the wellbeing of that particular company. Companies that regularly train their stakeholders
on key issues usually do better in the market than those who do not. Training is a major factor
affecting the development of an organization and its maneuvering (Parer, 2016). According
to another school of thought, raining concerns the betterment of job performance of its
stakeholders. Another author argues that training pertains the improvement of skills for in the
struggle of achieving productivity (Mkude, 2016). However another school of thought views
training in the perspective of instilling particular knowledge to an individual or a group of
individuals. Similarly, according to (Harris, 2017), training is provision of knowledge with a
purpose. This purpose could be intending to use the knowledge to reach some long-term
goals.

Training and Development
Training methods are divided into two major categories: on the job training and off the job
training. The choice of the training method to use is majorly dependent on the probability of
that method to meet the proposed needs of the training. That implies that companies usually
have to do a research to be able to make a decision on the most appropriate training method.
These two categories of training methods are further classified into different methods. Some
of other commonly used training methods are coaching, lectures, role playing, and
management games, among others (Olaniyan, 2017).
On-the-job training
On the job training means a training method where an employee learns the job when he/she is
actually doing it in the workplace (Aguinis, 2017). In this case, a professional trainer or a
more skilled employee acts as the trainer. According to (Lynch, 2013, pp. 45-56), “a person
works on a job and learns and develops expertise at the same time.” There are different forms
of on the job training. One of them is understudy where a supervisor trains their employees.
In this case, the trainee is usually an assistant of the trainee. A good example of the same is
when an assistant manager works for a few months under the manager being trained to
become the manager. Job rotation is another form of on the job training. It means “shifting of
an employee from one job to another on regular intervals” (Buick, 2017, pp. 34-54). Another
form of on job training is special projects where a trainee requests to work on a special
project that is related to the goals of the department. This form of training enables the trainee
to be in a position to acquire the necessary information on the assigned task and be able to
work on other similar projects in future.
Experience is another form of on the job training. It is one of the earliest forms of “on the job
training” and it involves “learning by doing.” While this form of training is considerably
effective, it takes a lot of time and it is wasteful and thus should be considered after all the
other forms of training. Another form of on the job training is the committee assignment
where the trainees form the committee (Tahir, 2014). These committees are given a problem
to discuss after which they should present recommendations. Coaching is another form of on
the job training. In this form of training, the senior acts as the trainer of the junior. This form
of training pertains a mass illustration and evaluation of knowledge acquired. One of the
importance of on the job training is that it improves productivity by improving performance

Training and Development
(Paroutis, 2016). It also reduces the time and cost of training. Its major limitation is that it is
not as effective is off the job training in that less time and resources are allocated. Contrary to
a popular view, on the job training is also very important and bears good fruits (Gibbs, 2016).
In few words, off the job training surpasses on the job training in the sense that trainees focus
all their attention on the training as opposed to on the job training where trainees are getting
trained and working at the same time.
Off-the-job training
Off the job training is the other broad category of training and development. This method
“requires the trainees to leave their workplace and concentrate their entire time towards the
training objectives. (Dearden, 2016, pp. 56-78)” This method is said to be the most embraced
method in these days due to some flaws with on the job training such as limitation of
facilities and convenient training environment. This type of training primarily focuses on the
development of trainees. Like on the job training, this job training method takes several
forms. One of these forms is special courses and lectures. In this form, “special courses and
lectures” are planned by the management. The company then takes the responsibility of
sponsoring its trainees to attend them. This form is one of the most convenient, easy, fast and
simple way to pass knowledge to a large number of people. Off the job training may also take
the form of conferences and seminars. In this form participants give their views and thoughts
(Mark, 2016). In this form, the trainers look at problems at different perspectives and angles
since the trainers are of different fields.
Another form is the selected reading where trainees acquire knowledge by reading several
selected trade journals and magazines. Programmed learning is another form of off the job
training where trainees learn on their own whereby the medium of learning is textbook or
computer (Gibbs, 2016). Another form is brainstorming where employees are given an
opportunity to give out ideas openly without fearing to be judged. These ideas are later
weighed to establish the ones that are feasible and cost-effective. Another imperative form of
off the job training is role-playing where a trainer is assigned an artificial role of a created
situation to be able to understand the other person’s situation well.
In-basket exercise is another vital form of off the job training where trainees are provided
with information about other firms and required to make notes memos and letters from that
information within a certain specified period of time. Other forms of this method of training
are business games, business modelling, sensitivity training and multiple management. Of the

Training and Development
job training uses highly experienced trainees hence effective. It is also convenient as it takes
place outside the working environment. One of its major drawback is that it is costly since it
involves mass resource allocation since it involves training outside the company (Waas,
2016).
Methods of influencing business performance
There are, of course, several methods of influencing the performance of a business. Providing
enough employee training and development is the major one. Training employees makes
them aware of their responsibilities and this influences the way they undertake tasks in the
company and this is the distinguishing factor between companies training their employees
and those which don’t. When employees know their expectations, they perform their duties
well thereby improving performance (Mincer, 2016). Acquisition of the best personnel to
complement other resources is important in easing the attainment of business goals. As a
result, human resources specialists should be used to hire and retain the best employees.
Another major factor that influences business performance is an accounting. Keeping
accurate financial reports and having good procurement systems positively influence business
performance (uazi, 2016). Use of modern technology has a positive impact in business
performance. That explains why some companies integrate technology with a human resource
to improve performance. Use of technology should also be accompanied by employee
training to enable them cope up with the transition. Influencing business performance
increases productivity improves the competitive advantages of a certain organization.
Training and development at Honda Motors Limited
Examples from Honda Motors Limited
Honda Motor’s Limited, as an automobile and electronics manufacturing company, uses
several training and development methods. It uses both on the job training and off the job
training methods depending on the conditions. For instance, the company has for quite some
time used the coaching method of training (Smith, 2015). It has used this method to train new
employees where their supervisors train them while on the job to adopt the company’s
culture. The seniors demonstrate to the juniors how some tasks are undertaken. This method
has been mostly employed in the manufacturing section where the new employees need to be
shown how some machines work and how they should be handled to produce the best results
(Parer, 2016).

Training and Development
In case a senior employee is about to retire, the company uses understudy training. It ensures
that the next senior employee works for some time as the assistant of the senior employee to
acquire the necessary skills required to become the senior. After the training is over, the
junior is then considered fit and up for the task of becoming the senior. The company also
plans seminars and conferences so that its employees can get trained. The company values
this form of training so much as it offers its employees an opportunity to get the best training.
The company sponsors its employees to attend these seminars and conferences. It also uses
role-playing training. Employees are assigned temporary roles whereby after playing them
they know each other’s situation.
Recommendations
Training and development are quite critical. When dealing with this topic, it is imperative to
have a reference from Kirkpatrick’s effective training and evaluation model. His model has
four steps which range from learning to results. The first level is reaction where were the
reaction of the participants in terms of satisfaction is measured. The second level is learning
and involves analysis of whether the trainees understood the training which can be depicted
by increase in knowledge and skills. The third level is behaviour and observes whether the
trainees have a behaviour change after applying what they have learnt. The fourth and the last
step is the results which involves determining whether the training had a positive impact to
the organization as a whole. These are some of the steps followed by Honda’s competitors to
acquire competitive advantages in both on job and off the job trainings. For instance, in off
the job training, the Voxy Wagen Company arranges seminars for its employees and stepwise
find out the impact of the training to ensure that it yielded fruits to the company (Mirabile,
2016). Noah Company does the same and sets out a committee that will guide through the
four levels of training and come up with a report of the degree to which the training was
fruitful to the company. As a result therefore, Honda motors should emulate its competitors
and ensure that it goes through all the four levels in a step wise manner and be able to
establish the importance of the training to the company.
Conclusion
Reflection

Training and Development
Training and development are one of the main distinguishing factors between successful and
failed business organizations. It determines how an organization will perform depending on
the knowledge and skills given to them. It compliments all other resources to ensure that the
company performs as it should be and ensure that it succeeds in reaching its long-term goals
(Stevens, 2016).
Main findings
The study has found that training and development is an important practice for any
organization, whether small or big. Training takes either the form of on the job training were,
as the name suggests, employees are trained in the workplace and off the job training where
employees are trained outside the workplace. The paper has also found that there are several
methods of influencing business performance among them accounting, employee training,
and development as well as technology use. The paper was aimed at exploring the topic
training and development and therefore, it is concluded that the practice is very critical of
contemporary business organizations. The main findings from Honda Company is that it has
done well since it started using aspects of in job training (Mark, 2016). It has also succeeded
as a result of using the best methods of influencing business performance.

Training and Development
References
Aguinis, H., 2017. Benefits of training and development for individuals and teams,
organizations, and society. Annual review of psychology, 56(3), pp. 50-63.
Buick, I. a. M. G. 1., 2017. An investigation of the current practices of in-house employee
training and development within hotels in Scotland. Service Industries Journal, 5(7),
pp. 64-78.
Dearden, L., 2016. The impact of training on productivity and wages: Evidence from British
panel data. Oxford bulletin of economics and statistics, 5(8), pp. 54-68.
Gibbs, G., 2016. The impact of training of university teachers on their teaching skills, their
approach to teaching and the approach to learning of their students. Active learning in
higher education, 5(6), pp. 54-76.
Harris, K., 2017. Practice-based professional development and self-regulated strategy
development for Tier 2, at-risk writers in second grade. Contemporary Educational
Psychology, 6(7), pp. 43-67.
Lynch, L., 2013. The role of off-the-job vs. on-the-job training for the mobility of women
workers. The American Economic Review, 3(6), pp. 56-76.
Mark, M., 2016. Earnings and employment effects of continuous gff-the-job training in east
germany after unification. Journal of Business & Economic Statistics, 5(56), pp. 45-
63.
Mincer, J., 2016. On-the-job training: Costs, returns, and some implications. Journal of
political Economy, 87(45), pp. 39-48.
Mirabile, R., 2016. Everything you wanted to know about competency modeling. Training &
Development, 6(5), pp. 56-76.
Mkude, C., 2016. Studying Interdependencies of E-government Challenges in Tanzania along
a Pestel Analysis. Strategy Development, 6(6), pp. 43-56.
Olaniyan, D., 2017. Staff training and development: A vital tool for organisational
effectiveness. European Journal of Scientific Research, 5(76), pp. 76-87.

Training and Development
Parer, R., 2016. Impact of training and development on organizational performance. Global
Journal of Management and Business Research, 8(6), pp. 71-83.
Paroutis, S., 2016. Visual interactions with strategy tools: producing strategic knowledge in
workshops. British Journal of Management, 76(8), pp. 57-89.
Smith, L., 2015. Object name learning provides on-the-job training for attention.
Psychological Science, 78(7), pp. 55-65.
Stevens, M., 2016. A theoretical model of on-the-job training with imperfect competition.
Oxford economic papers, 5(76), pp. 88-93.
Tahir, N., 2014. The Impact of Training and Development on Employees Performance and
Productivity. International Journal of Academic Research, 76(8), pp. 67-87.
uazi, H., 2016. Impact of ISO 9000 certification on training and development activities: an
exploratory study. International Journal of Quality & Reliability Management, 6(78),
pp. 58-73.
Waas, T., 2016. Sustainability assessment and indicators: Tools in a decision-making strategy
for sustainable development. Sustainability, 6(7), pp. 67-78.
Aguinis, H., 2017. Benefits of training and development for individuals and teams,
organizations, and society. Annual review of psychology, 56(3), pp. 50-63.
Buick, I. a. M. G. 1., 2017. An investigation of the current practices of in-house employee
training and development within hotels in Scotland. Service Industries Journal, 5(7),
pp. 64-78.
Dearden, L., 2016. The impact of training on productivity and wages: Evidence from British
panel data. Oxford bulletin of economics and statistics, 5(8), pp. 54-68.
Gibbs, G., 2016. The impact of training of university teachers on their teaching skills, their
approach to teaching and the approach to learning of their students. Active learning in
higher education, 5(6), pp. 54-76.
Harris, K., 2017. Practice-based professional development and self-regulated strategy
development for Tier 2, at-risk writers in second grade. Contemporary Educational
Psychology, 6(7), pp. 43-67.

Training and Development
Lynch, L., 2013. The role of off-the-job vs. on-the-job training for the mobility of women
workers. The American Economic Review, 3(6), pp. 56-76.
Mark, M., 2016. Earnings and employment effects of continuous gff-the-job training in east
germany after unification. Journal of Business & Economic Statistics, 5(56), pp. 45-
63.
Mincer, J., 2016. On-the-job training: Costs, returns, and some implications. Journal of
political Economy, 87(45), pp. 39-48.
Mirabile, R., 2016. Everything you wanted to know about competency modeling. Training &
Development, 6(5), pp. 56-76.
Mkude, C., 2016. Studying Interdependencies of E-government Challenges in Tanzania along
a Pestel Analysis. Strategy Development, 6(6), pp. 43-56.
Olaniyan, D., 2017. Staff training and development: A vital tool for organisational
effectiveness. European Journal of Scientific Research, 5(76), pp. 76-87.
Parer, R., 2016. Impact of training and development on organizational performance. Global
Journal of Management and Business Research, 8(6), pp. 71-83.
Paroutis, S., 2016. Visual interactions with strategy tools: producing strategic knowledge in
workshops. British Journal of Management, 76(8), pp. 57-89.
Smith, L., 2015. Object name learning provides on-the-job training for attention.
Psychological Science, 78(7), pp. 55-65.
Stevens, M., 2016. A theoretical model of on-the-job training with imperfect competition.
Oxford economic papers, 5(76), pp. 88-93.
Tahir, N., 2014. The Impact of Training and Development on Employees Performance and
Productivity. International Journal of Academic Research, 76(8), pp. 67-87.
uazi, H., 2016. Impact of ISO 9000 certification on training and development activities: an
exploratory study. International Journal of Quality & Reliability Management, 6(78),
pp. 58-73.
Waas, T., 2016. Sustainability assessment and indicators: Tools in a decision-making strategy
for sustainable development. Sustainability, 6(7), pp. 67-78.