ABSTRACT
Each year, researchers devote considerable resources to the scientific study of training, learning, and skill acquisition. At the same time, U.S. industry and government pour upward of $200 billion per year into training the workforce (Carnevale, Gainer, & Villet, 1990). Despite the magnitude of these efforts and expenditures, training is not always effective in imparting crucial knowledge and skills. Manufacturers struggle to help workers develop new skills, only later to see these newly acquired skills not retained. Managers grapple with abstract concepts such as “empowerment” or achieving “full potential” in workers, only later to see productivity remain constant. Why does such a situation exist? What is preventing the large body of knowledge on training, learning, and skill acquisition from translating into effective training practice? Why do training research findings seldom affect actual organizational practices?
