IJMRR/ August 2013/ Volume 3/Issue 8/Article No-5/3229-3237 ISSN: 2249-7196

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MANAGEMENT RESEARCH

AND REVIEW

INVOLVEMENT OF STAKEHOLDERS IN EVALUATION: A PREREQUISITE

FOR SUCCESS OF TRAINING PROGRAMS
Lovleen Kaur*1, Dr.Ambika Bhatia2
1
Research Scholar, Punjabi University, Patiala (Punjab), India.
2
Assistant Professor, Punjabi University, Regional Centre Mohali, (Punjab), India.
ABSTRACT
“Firms that contract with their stakeholders on the basis of mutual trust and
cooperation will have a competitive advantage over firms that do not”
Thomas M. Jones
Nowadays every organization lays huge emphasis on training programs due to the increase in
demand for the skilled workforce. To check whether the training program is a success or a
failure, it is necessary to evaluate the training programs. Evaluation of training is one of the
most difficult & challenging tasks and is also an important aspect of every organization .An
effective training program is one that addresses training needs and delivers training according
to training objectives. Various groups in an organization have a stake in the training of its
personnel. The efforts involved with the planning, implementation, and evaluation of training
must take into account the various needs and requirements of multiple stakeholder
groups.This paper presents reviews on stakeholder’s participative approach in evaluation of
training programs where the stakeholders are involved in incorporating the design,
administration, and interpretation of training programs.
Keywords: Stakeholders, evaluation, personnel.
INTRODUCTION
Training in organizations plays a vital role in skill development as well as workplace and
business productivity. Training increases employee skills and competence and can also
improve organizational productivity, profit, and growth (Yamnill & McLean, 2001).
Estimates suggest organizations spend between $55.3 and $200 billion dollars annually on
employee training (Bassi & Van Buren, 1999). For this reason, many companies try to
employ the most effective training methods to ensure the preservation of the knowledge and
skills acquired during training. The purpose of training program is to bring about change in
the way the workers behave so that their performance is increased in such a manner that
business performance objectives are achieved .Training programs should therefore show a
interest in return on investment. In that the relationship between the money spent on the
training and the increase in productivity becomes evident. Many organizations try to measure
training effectiveness in terms of its financial impact or return on investment (ROI) (Phillips,
1997).

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Esque and McCausland (1997) suggest that to get a return on investment, training should not
only be delivered but the skills learned during training should be repeated on the job. The
goal of the current research is to judge the contribution of various stakeholders (trainees,
trainers, and supervisors) on knowledge gained within training. Some common reasons for
using financial tools for measuring performance (Atkinson et al. (1997),) are that these
measures are:
• Generally regarded as reliable and consistent, thereby giving a solid foundation for
developing reward and accountability structures.
• Mesh with the primary objective of creating profits for owners, thereby giving a
performance measurement focus consistent with organizational objectives.
Despite evidence of the growing importance of training in modern organizations, few
organizations regularly and comprehensively evaluate their training programs in business-
relevant ways (Kraiger, 2002; Nickols, 2005; Twitchell, Holton & Trott, 2000).Having a
stakeholder based approach to training evaluation can move evaluation from training
function-focused activities to one that provides various organizational members with the
types of evaluation data they need to make training related decisions.
RESEARCH DESIGN
The research design adopted for the present study is descriptive. The source for data
collection is secondary data and focus has been placed on websites, published reports, online
databases, journals, newspapers and literature reviews. Interpretation of the data is more on
qualitative terms than on quantitative terms. The paper highlights the contribution of various
stakeholders in training & development programs. The paper aims at analyzing the
significance of key stakeholders within an organization.
Current Practices in Evaluation of Training
Evaluation becomes more important when one considers that while American industries, for
example, annually spend up to $100 billion on training and development, not more than “10
per cent of these expenditures actually result in transfer to the job” (Baldwin & Ford). This
can be explained by reports that indicate that not all training programs are consistently
evaluated (Carnevale & Shulz, 1990). The American Society for Training and Development
(ASTD) found that 45 percent of surveyed organizations only gauged trainees’ reactions to
courses (Bassi & van Buren, 1999). Overall, 93% of training courses are evaluated at Level
One, 52% of the courses are evaluated at Level Two, 31% of the courses are evaluated at
Level Three and 28% of the courses are evaluated at Level Four.
Stakeholders in the training programs take the training plan a step ahead and set parameters
and priorities for the implementation stage. The questions, which can be considered in the
training systems, are:
• What type of training is required?
• Why the training is required?
• What is the budget of the training?

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IJMRR/ August 2013/ Volume 3/Issue 8/Article No-5/3229-3237 ISSN: 2249-7196

• What are the most sensitive and critical areas?

• How the training will be carried out?
• By whom the training program will be carried out?
• Where and when will the training program be carried out?
Nickols (2005) says that most trainers have an interest in seeing that the training they develop
and deliver is successful. Others want training to be successful too, including the managers
who sponsor or fund the training, the managers who manage the training department, and the
trainees. He lists some examples of training stakeholders as trainees, trainees' managers,
funding managers, training developers, instructors, training managers, training vendors, and
the training community. In cases where the training is expected to have a fairly direct and
substantial effect on some critical aspects of the organization's performance, senior managers
and executives are also important stakeholders.
A general list of training stakeholders is:
• Trainee
• The Trainees’ Managers
• Funding Managers
• Training Developers
• Instructors
• Training Managers
• Training Vendors
• The Training community
According to Nickols (2005), using a stakeholder-based approach needs trainers to
incorporate stakeholder requirements into the design, development, and delivery of training
and increasing stakeholder interest in the outcomes and in evaluating those outcomes in ways
that offer meaning, value, and relevance to all of the stakeholders. Not all stakeholders
contribute at each step of the training process and not every one has expectations at each step.
Similarly, the contributions and expectations of some stakeholders have a higher priority than
those of others. Sometimes, the expectations of different stakeholders may be conflicting and
a compromise or prioritization is required to ensure that the expectations of all stakeholders
are aligned (Heugens & Oosterhout, 2002).
The model of managing through a stakeholder approach can, thus, be defined as consisting of
the following steps:
1. Identify stakeholders at each step.
2 Identify their contributions
3. Prioritize these contributions
4. Communicate these priorities to the stakeholders
5. Implement processes that help hold the stakeholders accountable for their contributions.

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IJMRR/ August 2013/ Volume 3/Issue 8/Article No-5/3229-3237 ISSN: 2249-7196

Stakeholder Contributions
Alkin (1991) distinguished four different stakeholder roles. These include stakeholders as
(1) Primary users of evaluation results
(2) Information sources for framing the evaluation
(3) Data sources during the evaluation, and
(4) The audience for the evaluation report.
Stakeholders put something in and they take something out. Investors put their money at risk
in hopes of a return just as the managers who fund training do so in hopes of a positive
impact on performance or costs or productivity or some other payoff. Trainees contribute
their time, attention, energy and other forms of input (e.g., participating in discussions and
exercises) and they hope to take out useful knowledge and skills, methods, techniques and
tools. Instructors put in their time and energy, too, along with their skills at leading or
facilitating discussions, presenting subject matter in interesting, relevant ways and handling
the occasion-ally difficult trainee. They hope to walk away with a return in the form of a
sense of accomplishment, a reputation maintained or enhanced and high marks from the
trainees. Developers invest a great deal of time and energy in designing, developing and
field-testing instructional materials and most of them hope to receive in return a decent pay
check, a modicum of recognition and a sense of satisfaction with a job well done.
Contributions (Put In) Stakeholders Inducements (Take Out)
Their time, energy, skills Trainers Pay, personal satisfaction,
and knowledge, professional
manifested in individual development, continued
training events. employment.
Resource commitments, Training Managers Pay, personal satisfaction,
direction, support, enhanced standing (e.g., a
leadership. seat at the table)
Money, sanction, support. Funding Managers Operational and financial
impact of greater value.
Opportunity costs of Trainees’ Managers Improved performance on
releasing the employee the job.
for the training, sanction,
support.
Their time, attention, Trainees Useful information, skills
energy and knowledge, and knowledge, tools and
participation. job aids, improved
standing.
Courses and course Vendors Money, repeat business,
materials, development enhanced reputation,
costs and their reputation. referrals.
The courses, materials Developers Pay, personal satisfaction,
and their time, energy, professional
skills and knowledge. development, improved
standing
Nickols (2004)

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Who should be involved in Training Evaluation?

There are a number of numerous groups that should be involved in evaluating training, more
than just the trainers & the trainees
The Big Five in Training Evaluation

Senior Management Contribution

• Senior management doesn’t clearly have a role but they will be contributing towards
developing a culture where evaluation is seen as an essential activity encouraging managers
to allocate an appropriate resource for evaluating training.
• Senior management should also be instrumental in driving change as a consequence of
evaluation results. Senior managers have busy schedules, and as such they should be
presented with information in a way that enables them to quickly assimilate those results.
The Training Manager Contribution

The training Manager plays a key role in ensuring that training evaluation occurs within
the organization. He should also be the person responsible of any training evaluation strategy
which provides the big picture of the evaluation activity that will be taking place.

He works closely with Program Manager; & communicates regularly to oversee needs
assessment surveys, focus groups, evaluation process, etc.

He gathers information in determining training audience and their knowledge and skills
training needs

Identifies appropriate training methods for target audience (Level 1- 5)

Works directly with curriculum developer; communicates content needs and changes
relevant to setting.

Makes sure all arrangements are made for participants and trainers when appropriate.

Coordinates pilot training and feedback.Training managers will also need to interface
with senior managers over evaluation results as well as engaging with line managers on how
they can support and inform the evaluation process.

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Training Facilitator

Sets ground rules.

Creates a learning-friendly environment.

Facilitates discussion.

Teaches the curriculum so that participants gain knowledge and skills.

Provides opportunities for feedback.

Models and encourages a climate of open-mindedness.

Supports the learning environment and the needs of the learners, funders, and other
stakeholders.

Adapts to needed changes onsite.

Provides feedback in appropriate, open conversation.

Before training prepares materials, practices with colleagues.
The Line Manager Contribution
• Involving line managers is essential in order to conduct evaluation at the higher levels of
the Kirkpatrick Model. Line managers are generally busy people and it is up to the Training
Manager to communicate why their role is so important, they hold significant influence over
how effectively the training can be transferred into the workplace.
• Line managers should be encouraged to participate in determining what type of
evaluation activity occurs for different types of training.
• Along with contributing towards any evaluation project the line manager should also
encourage their employees to participate & support senior management in creating a culture
where evaluation is a routine.
The Trainer Contribution
• Individual trainers need to be bought into the methodologies that are been used to
evaluate the training that they deliver.
• In the training environment, trainers can influence the mood and should strive to create
an environment where participants feel able to provide open and honest feedback.
• They will also be integral to how the participants are assessed and will need to be clear
on the assessment procedures to ensure they applied consistently.
• Trainers will need to be provided with the results of the evaluation so that they can be
involved in developing and implementing any necessary action plans.
The Learner Contribution
• The learner also needs to contribute to the evaluation process. Learners need to provide
their initial feedback on the training, undertake the assessments at the end of the training and

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providing their views on the relevance and opportunity to transfer the learning into the
workplace after the event.
Human Resource Managers
• Create detailed job requirements, job descriptions, and performance benchmarks to help
identify person and task level training needs.
• Set up and execute the evaluation mechanism best suited for the organization's
information requirements and to help improve training programs
• Share the findings of training evaluation and incorporate them in future programs.
Coordinating the contributions
Training strategy should clearly outline roles and responsibilities for everyone who is
involved in training evaluation. However, establishing the accurate culture across all levels of
the organization can be a challenge. In some circumstances it maybe helpful to use the
services of an external evaluator to help coordinate the stakeholders.

The trainer's overall responsibilities - aside from training evaluation

Over the years the trainer's roles have changed, but the basic purpose of the trainer is to
provide efficient and effective training programmes. The elements of the basic role of the
trainer are suggested below:
1. The basic role of a trainer is to offer and provide efficient and effective training
programmes aimed at enabling the participants to learn the knowledge, skills and attitudes
required of them.
2. A trainer plans and designs the training programmes, or otherwise obtains them in
accordance with the requirements identified from the results of Training need analysis for the
employees of organization.
3. The trainer with the direction by the management takes into account costs and values.
4. The trainer designs the program using the most effective approaches, techniques and
methods.
5. During the end of the program, the trainer should ensure that an effective form of training
validation is followed and the learners complete an action plan for implementation of their
learning when they return to work.

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6. He should continue to provide effective learning opportunities as required by the

organization.
7. Arrange and run educative workshops for line managers on the subject of their fulfillment
of their training and evaluation responsibilities.
Implications for Training Design
If the organization accepts the idea that training has multiple stakeholders whose needs,
requirements and preferences must be taken into account, then it should also accept that the
only effective way of doing so is to take them into account during the design, development
and delivery of the training. Moreover, it is well to keep in mind that, although training
providers and their constituencies might agree in general about the results to be obtained from
training, they also hold very different perceptions regarding the criteria to be used in
evaluating training programs (Michalski, G., 1997). For this reason, evaluation issues belong
on the front-end of training endeavors as well as on the back-end. Generally the organization
should
• Find the shared interest.
• Involve the stakeholders.
• Think optimization, not maximization.
• Be willing to make trade-offs
CONCLUSION
Trainers are not the only persons responsible for the success of training. The trainees,
developers, facilitators and managers and clients have also something to do with that. The
managers who fund the training have a right to expect some-thing for the money they spend
but they also have an obligation to contribute to the success of that training. Under a
stakeholder’s participatory approach, all the stakeholders are answerable to one another and
they share the responsibility for success as well. Adopting a stakeholder approach to
evaluating training will likely involve a lot of time-consuming, complicated and delicate
work.
REFERENCES
Bassi LJ, Cheney S, Buren MV. Training Industry Trends 1997. Training & Development
1997; 51(11): 46-56.
Michalski G, Bradley J. Differences in stakeholder perceptions about training evaluation: a
concept mapping/pattern matching investigation. Evaluation and Program Planning 1999;
211-230.
Michalski G, Bradley J. Multiple Perspectives on Training Evaluation: Probing Stakeholder
Perceptions in a Global Network Development Firm. American Journal Of Evaluation 2001;
22(1): 37-53.

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