To achieve its objectives a company needs a business strategy. It can choose between innovative prospector, quality enhancer or cost-defender strategy. According to that the firm has to apply an appropriate employment strategy. This can be the economic or the relational approach. The economic approach relies on hard skills whereas the relational approach focuses on behavioural skills. Depending on the employment strategy different ways of training and development come to mind for workers and managers. This report will explain the mentioned business strategies as well as the resulting employment strategies. Furthermore, means for training and development for non-managerial employees and for managers are explained. This report aims at giving recommendations for the automobile industry. Therefore, the successful automotive companies BMW, Daimler, Volkswagen, Chrysler and Toyota are examined according to their training and development opportunities. Further, it will be proven that the automobile industry applies the innovative prospector strategy and has the possibilities to invest heavily in human resources. This report shows that beside traditional training and development measures, corporate universities and e-learning support the innovative prospector strategy. The size of automobile companies enables them to invest in these costly measures. In the end, they will be critically evaluated and finally recommended.
Table of Contents
2. Reasons Training and Development
2.1 Business Strategy
2.2 Employment Strategy
2.3 Employment Strategy and Business Strategy
3. Overview of Methods
3.1 Categorization
3.2 Non-Management Training and Development
3.3 Management Training and Development
4. Examples of Automobile Companies
4.1 BMW
4.2 Daimler
4.3 Volkswagen
4.4 Chrysler
4.5 Toyota
4.6 Others
4.7 Conclusion
5. Critical Evaluation of Alternatives
5.1 Business Strategy of Automobile Manufacturers
5.2 Possibilities for Automobile Manufacturers
5.3 Evaluation of Common Measures in the Automobile Industry
6. Recommendations
Objectives and Core Themes
This report aims to examine the critical role of training and development within the highly competitive automotive industry. By analyzing current business and employment strategies, the study evaluates how major global manufacturers invest in human resources to maintain a competitive advantage, ultimately providing recommendations for effective training frameworks.
- The intersection of business strategies (innovative prospector, quality enhancer, cost-defender) and employment approaches.
- Methods and techniques for training non-managerial staff and management-level personnel.
- Comparative analysis of human resource development practices in leading automotive firms like BMW, Daimler, and Toyota.
- The strategic implementation and benefits of corporate universities and e-learning infrastructures.
Excerpt from the book
3.2 Non-Management Training and Development
The following training methods are appropriate for non-managerial employees. On-the-job training provides the employee with hands-on experience under normal working conditions and builds the relationship between new colleagues. Though this is the most commonly used training method, on-the-job training has disadvantages if implemented poorly. First, the workplace is not a well-structured training environment and misses learning efficiency. Second, the supervisor is not a trained coach, so he lacks supervisory training skills. Third, it might occur that job performance criteria are not well-defined. Finally, in case of contact with customers there might be customer dissatisfaction due to mistakes by the trained employee (Nankervis, Compton and McCarthy 1999, p.324). On-the-job learning is usually in-hours training provided by in-house senior employees.
Off-the-job training can vary respectively the before mentioned differentiation. It covers conference or discussion methods, classroom training, computer-based training (CBT), the internet or simulation methods (Nankervis, Compton and McCarthy 1999, p.325-327). The conference or discussion method involves communication and encourages employee participation. It supports discussing ideas or procedures. The classroom method is supposed to train a maximum number of trainees by a minimum of instructors. It mainly provides information from the lecturer to the employee. CBT or e-learning is interesting for large companies. CBT provides the employee with material and finally checks the learning or tests the employee, determines a skill and performance level and directs the trainee to the appropriate study material. The internet – as a modern form of distance-based learning – complements CBT as it uses computer networks to connect employees and coaches over large distances. Both, CBT and the internet provide cost efficient training as travel expenses and accommodation costs are reduced. Finally, apprenticeship training is a mixture of on- and off-the-job training. It includes practical and theoretical aspects, and is usually a cooperation of companies and TAFE institutions (Nankervis, Compton and McCarthy 1999).
Summary of Chapters
2. Reasons Training and Development: Explores the alignment between organizational business strategies and the corresponding employment approaches necessary to drive competitive success.
3. Overview of Methods: Details the various training and development techniques available, differentiating between strategies for non-managerial staff and management levels.
4. Examples of Automobile Companies: Provides case studies of industry leaders such as BMW, Daimler, and Toyota, highlighting their specific approaches to staff training and development.
5. Critical Evaluation of Alternatives: Analyzes the industry's reliance on the "innovative prospector" strategy and assesses the strategic value of corporate universities and e-learning.
6. Recommendations: Proposes the integration of corporate universities and e-learning as a combined strategy to optimize human resource development in the automotive sector.
Keywords
Training and Development, Automotive Industry, Business Strategy, Employment Strategy, Human Resource Management, Innovative Prospector, Corporate University, E-Learning, On-the-job Training, Management Training, Skills Development, Competitive Advantage, Performance Management.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this report?
This report investigates the importance of training and development for organizations in the highly competitive automotive industry, offering recommendations for effective, modern training structures.
What are the core thematic areas covered?
The report centers on the link between business strategies and employment approaches, various training methodologies, and case studies of major global automotive corporations.
What is the main objective or research question?
The primary goal is to determine why training is essential for organizations in the automotive sector and what specific programs are most effective for maintaining competitive performance.
Which scientific methods are utilized in the work?
The work employs a literature review and a comparative analysis of company profiles, examining industry data, patent statistics, and existing human resource management theories.
What is discussed in the main body of the work?
The main body details different business and employment strategies, explains specific training methods (such as CBT and coaching), and analyzes the training infrastructures of companies like BMW, Daimler, and Volkswagen.
Which keywords characterize the work?
Key terms include Human Resource Management, Automotive Industry, Innovative Prospector, Corporate University, E-Learning, and Competitive Advantage.
How do automotive companies utilize e-learning?
Automotive firms use e-learning as a cost-effective, "just-in-time" training tool that overcomes geographical barriers, allowing standardized material to reach employees globally.
What is the significance of the "innovative prospector" strategy?
It suggests that automotive companies must foster creativity and loyalty to succeed in new markets, which necessitates intensive, ongoing investments in human resource development.
What is the benefit of a corporate university?
Corporate universities act as strategic umbrellas that align training with the firm's long-term goals, providing specialized knowledge to employees, customers, and suppliers.
Why is on-the-job training favored despite its drawbacks?
It is favored because it provides immediate, hands-on experience under normal working conditions and strengthens relationships between team members, despite potential issues with structured learning efficiency.
- Quote paper
- Daniel Markus Jueterbock (Author), 2009, An explanation on why training is important to an organization, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/192961
