ABSTRACT
Without a knowledgeable and skillful workforce, organizations are likely to suffer. With that in mind, training in organizations should be of the utmost importance.
E. Salas, K. A. Wilson, H. A. Priest, & J. W. Guthrie (2006, p. 503)
Throughout this book we have described techniques for training different types and components of skill. We have discussed factors influencing skill acquisition and have discussed the major models of how skill is acquired. In this chapter we argue that there is more to training than the application of techniques for acquiring skill. Effective training programs are built on an understanding of the task being trained for, the people being trained, and the environment in which the trained task will be performed. Not only will the quality of the design and delivery of the program influence training success, but so will the attitudes and the motivation of the trainees and the organizational context (Noe, 1986). The success of any training program will thus depend on gaining the support of trainees and the organization and on removing any barriers to implementing trained knowledge or skills. Given that motivation, ability, and organizational factors all play a role in the success of training programs, it is not surprising that training is an interdisciplinary research area, with contributions from the fields of cognitive and
industrial/organizational psychology, human factors and ergonomics, instructional design, and human resource management.
