Week 9 - Training and Personality Flashcards
(19 cards)
The business of training
81% of employers provided some form of training
People in larger businesses more likely to have done more training courses
Online work-related training has increased significantly
What is training?
Planned effort to facilitate learning of job-related behaviour
Systematic acquisition of skills, rules, concepts leading to better performance
The performance problem
Training does not lead straight to performance, but is mediated by learning
Training increases probability of learning, which increases probability of performance
Psychologist roles in training
Advisors, providers, evaluators
Goldstein & Ford 5 step training model
- Training needs analysis
- Set training objectives
- Design training
- Deliver training
- Evaluate training
Step 1 - training needs analysis
Investigate training at 3 levels:
1. Person - what competencies are already possessed?
2. Task - what competencies are needed for the job?
3. Organisation - what objectives will training meet? is training the best way to meet objectives? what are the alternatives to training?
Training addresses skills and knowledge, attitudes and motivation must be addressed elsewhere
Step 2 - training objectives
Objectives must be precise and in terms of behaviour
Step 3 - training design
Baldwin & Ford model of transfer:
- training characteristics + trainee characteristics > learning outcomes > transfer outcomes (all affected by work environment)
Maximise transfer of training:
1. Positive trainee attitudes
2. Fidelity - training context and job content are similar and relevant
3. Appropriate training sequence - part vs whole, massed vs spaced
4. Practice and feedback - opportunity to apply skills, feedback given
5. Work environment - what is learnt is used and rewarded
Step 4 - training design
Should incorporate all elements of effective design + cost-effective
Can be on-job (apprenticeship) or off-job (lectures, instruction, simulators)
Step 5 - training evaluation
4 levels of training evaluation
- Reaction - survey
- Learning - test
- Behavioural - changes to work behaviour
- Organisational - outcomes at team level
Why not evaluate? - difficult, time-consuming, costly
Why evaluate? - indicates validity, gives feedback for future
What is personality?
Constellation of stable characteristics relating to a person’s tendency to behave in certain ways
Personality types vs dimensions
Type - categorical approach
- Benefits - simple to understand, explain, use
- Problems - implies bimodal distribution (it is in fact normal), reinforce behaviour as fixed, reductionist
Dimension - linear-continuum approach
The Big 5
Openness - curious, imaginative
Conscientiousness - responsible, planful
Extraversion - sociable, assertive
Agreeableness - cooperative, friendly
Neuroticism - pessimist, risk alert
Traits have varied facets, so different people can be high in different ways
How is personality important at work?
- ASA - personality dictates who applies for certain jobs, their attitudes and whether they fit
- Suitability for wellbeing
- Suitability for performance
Personality predicting performance
Personality about ‘tendencies’, however all else is rarely equal
Meta-analyses
- C most consistent predictor
- N also consistent predictor
(small effects but predictive over GMA)
Bandwidth-fidelity problem
Broad personality factors good for broad behaviours
Specific personality factors good for specific behaviours
Situational strength theory
Stronger cues dictate behaviour and override personality, weaker cues allow personality to come through
Evidence - C predicts performance in weak situations, O predicts performance in novel situations
Trait activation theory
Some jobs give cues that prompt behavioural tendencies, absence of such cues means context factors more important than personality
Evidence - E predicts performance in sales jobs
Personality as tendency, not guarantee
Personality less likely to influence where there are clear rules
Some personality aspects only activated by certain cues
