The Scenario
This scenario is adapted from:
Noe, R. A. (2013). Employee training and development (6th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Irwin.
You are the human resource generalist for College Inn, a chain of modestly-priced hotels located in the Southeastern United States. Each hotel has 100 to 150 rooms, a pool, and a full-service restaurant. The hotels are located near the exit ramps of major highways in three Southeastern college towns: Raleigh, NC; Columbia, SC; and Athens, GA. You just received the attached memo from the vice president of operations asking for your opinion about some training he is contracting for with outside consultants. There is no training manager for College Inn, so the vice president often contacts you for help with training in the Operations division.
Your Task
Prepare a 4-5 page memo to the vice president of operations that critiques the proposed training.
Identify all problems related to the proposed training and discuss why these items are problems. Hint: You might want to review the competencies and areas of expertise TD professionals are expected to demonstrate. The Association for Talent Development (ATD) Competency Model is a good resource.
Give your recommendations for improving the training design and explain how your revised design will address the VP’s expectations regarding the training.
Describe at least two ways managers can support the training. Hint: You might want to review the Transfer of Learning Matrix
The vice president values your opinion but also likes to know what other experts have to say, so support your statements and opinions with citations from appropriate sources. The vice president is not familiar with training and development terminology, so provide definitions for key concepts and theories that you believe apply to this situation. Don’t forget to cite the source(s) of your definitions.
Your memo should be four to five double-spaced pages, excluding the cover and reference pages. Include a minimum of five references in your memo. Cite reputable sources such as the readings and resources posted in our classroom, and articles published in academic or practitioner journals within the last ten years. The websites of consulting firms and blogs are not appropriate sources for this assignment. Put your references on a separate page and use proper formatting for all citations, quotations, and references.
You might be tempted to propose conducting a detailed needs assessment but remember that the VP has already conducted a needs assessment and is eager to get started with the training. The VP mentions an article by Ross Tartell; the article can be found in the UMGC library:
Tartell, R. (2014). Use focus groups for rapid needs analysis. Training, 51(2), 14.
You might also want to read a bit about service recovery.
Kim, T., Yoo, J. J-E., & Lee, G. (2012). Post-recovery customer relationships and customer partnerships in a restaurant setting. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 24(3), 381-401. doi: 10.1108/09596111211217879
Komunda, M., & Osarenkhoe, A. (2012). Remedy or cure for service failure? Effects of service recovery on customer satisfaction and loyalty. Business Process Management Journal, 18(1), 82-103. doi: 10.1108/14637151211215028
Please see the rubric for the grading criteria for this assignment.