Evaluating HRM and Training Effectiveness: A KFC Case Study

This case study examines the effectiveness of training and Human Resource Management (HRM) practices at KFC, focusing on how these initiatives impact employee performance and contribute to organizational success. It investigates the types of training and development programs offered, the stages of training implementation, and the overall objectives of these programs in enhancing employee skills and knowledge. The research aims to understand the strategic approaches KFC adopts in organizing successful training programs and addresses common issues that arise during training, exploring how management addresses these challenges. Employing a mixed-methodology approach, the study utilizes in-depth interviews with KFC's senior management and employees, along with questionnaires, to gather both primary and secondary data. The analysis considers various scholarly articles to provide a comprehensive overview of training and development within the context of a global fast-food chain, highlighting the importance of continuous learning and skill development in achieving competitive advantage.

Running head: PROFESSIONAL PROJECT
Professional Project
Effectiveness of Training and HRM: a case study of KFC
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Author’s Note:

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Table of Contents
Training and Development:.............................................................................................................2
Types of Training and Development programs for employees:..................................................2
Training Stages and Developmental Programs:..............................................................................2
Overview:........................................................................................................................................3
Training and Development at KFC:................................................................................................4
Research Aim:.................................................................................................................................5
Research Question:..........................................................................................................................6
Research Methodology:...................................................................................................................6
Research Analysis:...........................................................................................................................6
Research Plan:.................................................................................................................................7
Reference:........................................................................................................................................8

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Training and Development:
Training can be defined as the systematic improvement of the factor of knowledge along
with skills and attitudes that is being required by individuals for performing effectively in a
given task or job (Shuck & Rocco, 2014). Training can also be stated as the act of augmenting
the level of skill and knowledge of employees for performing a certain job within the workplace.
The term training indicates the procedure of improving the factors of skills, capabilities and
aptitudes of the employees (Amir & Amen, 2013). Training is the process that helps in upgrading
the older talents and improving on the new ones. The primary objective of training is in making
sure the accessibility of desired and skilled employees to the organization.
Types of Training and Development programs for employees:
Various observe are being followed in various industries and organizations. Therefore, as
per Karatepe, (2013), the training and developmental training need mainly depends on the need
of the job outline. There are several kinds of programs that are being shared by various authors.
There are various types of training like on-the-job and off-the-job that can be further segregated
into things like job rotation, internship training, apprenticeship, case study method, vestibule
training and behavioral modeling.
Training Stages and Developmental Programs:
Training needs to be conducted in the most systematic of orders for deriving the predictable
benefits from it. The system of training can engage four stages like assessing of the needs for
training and developing programs, designing and training of the same, implementing the training
program and evaluating it (Mengistu, 2016).
Development Programs:

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The Development Programs for employees are being designed in meeting the specific
objectives that puts in the efficiency level of both the organization and the employee. There are
various steps in the procedure of the development of management. It states the account of
reviewing the objectives of the organization and monitoring the present sources of management
for the organization (Jehanzeb, Hamid & Rasheed, 2015). It also takes in the planning and
implementing of the programs for development and investigating the efficiency of such programs
and evaluating the impact of the participant’s training on their work life quality.
Overview:
According to Meijerink, Bondarouk & Lepak, (2016), the objectives of training are in
letting the trainees know about the things expected out of them when the training ends. The
objectives of the training are of greater implication from the perspectives of the stakeholders
which are the designers, trainees and the evaluator. According to Bardoel et al., (2014), the
usefulness of the training schedule is possible only when the trainee is able to perform the
theoretical facets learned in the program of training in authentic work environment. According to
Woods, (2014), the things that have been highlighted are the factor of role playing, simulation,
learning that are computer based offering disclosure to a present and pertinent knowledge body
along with the real world situations. As per Dhar, (2015), the training process and development
is an incessant one. It is one of the avenues in acquiring more and fresh knowledge and
developing additional skills and the methods for functioning efficiently. As per Sung & Choi,
(2014), the major goal of training is offering, obtaining and improving the required skills in order
to assist the organizations attaining their goals and creating the competitive advantage through
adding of the value to their significant resources.

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According to Ford, (2014), training develops a skill of a person required for a task.
Training assist in rationally and socially improving an employee, which is indispensable in
aiding not only the productivity level but also the expansion of personnel in any organization. As
per Anitha, (2014), training and improvement in the present setting of employment is more
appropriate than training alone since the resources of humans can apply their full prospective
only when the process of learning goes ahead of the daily normal routine. According to Lee &
Sozen, (2016), the unremitting changing scenario of the global business world makes training an
effectual measure that is being used by the employers for complementing the knowledge of the
employees along with their behaviors and skills.
According to Shuailing & Zhi, (2015), companies can no longer make sure that
employees would be promoted to the top, it is significant that training and development would be
helping the employees with planning of their career and development of the skills. Some of the
organizations are of the trepidation that communicating the career planning to employees might
make them feel that their jobs are at risk, though it can be framed variably for communicating
that the employers are much willing to invest in assisting the employees reaching their
prospective.
Training and Development at KFC:
Training and development can be stated as the life blood of KFC. Training is often been
witnessed as the vehicle in making the business better for the company, it is a key opportunity
for the company management in helping the people of the teams for developing the life and
leadership skills they require for building the career that is right for them. This is the reason why
the KFC management invests time and effort for providing programs like the KFC Degree and

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other scheduled programs that make up the Yum! University (Giovengo, 2014). Training has
always been that effective measure for the business of KFC in benefiting their team members
and the overall society. Not every individual views the industry of quick service restaurant as
their first career preference; KFC has been striving hard in changing that view through the
provision of first-class developmental prospects.
In the year 2015, KFC nearly promoted 1600 people and their expectations has always
been in exceeding the figure of the previous year. KFC has been over the years supporting
people who are willing to join them but have little qualification and perhaps not having the best
of confidence. The company supports them in every possible step through accredited training
where that individual starts viewing this ‘just a job’ factor into real career option (ShuailingI &
Zhi, 2015). KFC does invest a lot of money in its training program, signifying the fact that they
believe in the people that join them and the company wants them to be in good position in future.
Even if they are not with KFC, they should leave the company with the desired confidence and
skill required for survival in the industry.
Research Aim:
This research would aim towards understanding the effectiveness of training on
employees at workplace and the ways training is being perceived by the employees. This
research would also aim towards understanding the strategic approaches taken up by the
companies in organizing a successful training program. For this research, the researcher would
be dealing with KFC, the American fast food restaurant chain having its existence globally. This
organization focuses on training of its employees at the highest level as it deals with customer
service.

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Research Question:
This research would also be taking in certain research questions for the researcher to go through
with the study keeping in mind the things that needs to be investigated.
a. What are the effective approaches companies should adopt in making a successful training
program in KFC?
b. What are the general issues that crops up in training and how the management deals with the
same?
Research Methodology:
There are generally three forms of strategies of research designs which are descriptive,
exploratory and casual. This research would take into account a mixed methodology approach.
Interviews would be the best form of unearthing valuable information that people might feel
reluctant in group discussions. Interviews that are in-depth would be conducted with the KFC
senor management and employees over different locations. Personal form of questionnaires
would be distributed that would facilitate in explaining the questions properly to respondents,
lessening the quantity of retort errors. The preparation of the data would be taking place upon
gathering of the primary research.
Research Analysis:
The analysis would be done taking into account both the primary and the secondary data.
The secondary data has been dealt in the literature review section where various articles on the
topic matter of several scholars have been identified and monitored. The primary analysis would

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take in the interviews of the employees and questionnaires being distributed to the same for
knowing their understanding of training and the ways they deal with the changes.
Research Plan:
The following would be the research plan that the researcher has thought of to proceed with this
particular research study, as shown with the help of a gnat chart.
Fig 1: Gnat Chart

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Reference:
Amir, E., & Amen, I. (2013). The Effect of Training on Employee Performance
European. Journal of Business and Management, 5(4).
Anitha, J. (2014). Determinants of employee engagement and their impact on employee
performance. International journal of productivity and performance management.
Bardoel, E. A., Pettit, T. M., De Cieri, H., & McMillan, L. (2014). Employee resilience: an
emerging challenge for HRM. Asia Pacific Journal of Human Resources, 52(3), 279-297.
Dhar, R. L. (2015). Service quality and the training of employees: The mediating role of
organizational commitment. Tourism Management, 46, 419-430.
Ford, J. K. (2014). Improving training effectiveness in work organizations. Psychology Press.
Giovengo, R. D. (2014). Training transfer, metacognition skills, and performance outcomes in
blended versus traditional training programs(Doctoral dissertation, Walden University).
Jehanzeb, K., Hamid, A. B. A., & Rasheed, A. (2015). What Is the Role of Training and Job
Satisfaction on Turnover Intentions?. International Business Research, 8(3), 208.
Karatepe, O. M. (2013). High-performance work practices and hotel employee performance: The
mediation of work engagement. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 32,
132-140.
Lee, Y. M., & Sozen, E. (2016). Food allergy knowledge and training among restaurant
employees. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 57, 52-59.

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Mahajan, S. (2014). Competitive advantage through training and development in Mcdonald's: a
case study. International Journal of Management, IT and Engineering, 4(10), 403.
Meijerink, J. G., Bondarouk, T., & Lepak, D. P. (2016). Employees as active consumers of
HRM: Linking employees’ HRM competences with their perceptions of HRM service
value. Human resource management, 55(2), 219-240.
Mengistu, D. (2016). The effect of Training and Development on Employee Performance
Improvement the case of CBE (Doctoral dissertation, Addis Ababa University).
Shuailing, L. I., & Zhi, Y. U. (2015). KFC development in Chinese market–based on the social
responsibility and ethics. International Business and Management, 10(3), 142-146.
Shuck, B., & Rocco, T. S. (2014). Human resource development and employee
engagement. Employee engagement in theory and practice, 116-130.
Sung, S. Y., & Choi, J. N. (2014). Do organizations spend wisely on employees? Effects of
training and development investments on learning and innovation in
organizations. Journal of organizational behavior, 35(3), 393-412.
Woods, S. (2014). To identify and explore the benefits of effective training and development for
both organisation and employees of retail.