The evolution of training’s role:

As more companies recognize the importance of learning for meeting business challenges and
providing a competitive advantage, the role of training in companies is changing. Figure 2.1
shows the evolution of training’s role from a program focus to a broader focus on learning and
creating and sharing knowledge. Training will continue to focus on developing programs to teach
specific skills; however, to better relate improving employees’ performance and to help meet
business needs and challenges (and be considered strategic), training’s role has to evolve to
include an emphasis on learning and creating and sharing knowledge. Learning refers to the
acquisition of knowledge by individual employees or groups of employees who are willing to
apply that knowledge in their jobs in making decisions and accomplishing tasks for the company.
Knowledge refers to what individuals or team of employees know or know how to do (human
and social knowledge) as well as company rules, processes, tools and routines (structured
knowledge). Knowledge is either tacit or explicit knowledge. Explicit knowledge refers to
knowledge that can be formalized, codified, and communicated. That is, it can be found in
manuals, formulas and specifications. Tacit knowledge refers to personal knowledge based on
individual experience that is difficult to explain to others. Because tacit knowledge is difficult to
communicate, it is passed along to others through direct experience. (e.g., interacting with other
employees, watching other employees).
In traditional approach to training, training is seen as a series of programs or events that
employees attend. After attending the training program, employees are responsible for using
what they learned in training on the job, and any support they might receive is based on the
whims of their manager. Also, traditional training provides no information that would employees
understand the relationship between the training content and individual performance or
development objectives or business goals. This type of training usually fails to improve
workplace performance and meet business needs. The role of training as a program or event will
continue into the future because employees will always need to be taught specific knowledge and
skills. This approach assumes that business conditions are predictable, they can be controlled by
the company, and the company can control and predict the knowledge and skills that employees
need in the future. These assumptions are true for certain skills such as communication and
conflict resolution. However, these training events or program will need to be more closely tied
to performance improvement and business needs to receive support from top management.