Given the logistical simplicity and relatively low cost of intensive/on-site programs it is little wonder that this mode is so commonly used by those organizations that offer many education and training events. There are additional reasons for the popularity of this mode. The intensive/on-site program is the easiest of the four modes to manage. It takes place inside the organization and at one point in time—nothing too complicated or unpredictable. Furthermore, like the intensive/off-site mode this second mode is conducive to the dissemination of rather large amounts of information in a relatively short period of time. The training staff has the participant’s undivided attention for a specific period of time. This mode also shares with the first, intensive/off-site, mode the disadvantage of condensed learning. The retention and transfer of learning in both modes is often limited because this learning is isolated from the employee’s real-life experience. The third and fourth modes address these disadvantages—though have their own drawbacks.
Mode Three: Distributed/On-Site Programs
This third mode of employee development is becoming much more popular, especially with the increasing emphasis being placed on retention and transfer of learning—rather than just amount of initial learning. Typically, the program offering is distributed over several sessions. Time is provided between sessions for the participants to try out the new skills or knowledge they have just acquired. This mode of development maximizes retention and transfer of learning. It also motivates employees to learn even more in follow up sessions, given their experience in successfully or not so successfully applying the new skills or knowledge in their workplace. In addition to identifying learners who are theory rich, but experience poor, Elinor Greenberg identified learners who are experience rich, but theory poor. These are mature, accomplished learners who need a conceptual framework to make sense of a wealth of life experiences. The distributed mode of employee development provides optimal conditions for the experience rich, but theory poor, learners who wish to acquire meaningful conceptual frameworks that are intimately related to the challenges they face in their daily work.
The distributed/on-site program holds a distinct advantage over the first two modes not only regarding the long-term lifelong learning employee, but also the new employee. Rather than giving the new employee a rich, and perhaps indigestible, portion of the information at the start of her orientation program, it may be better to give the new employee a brief orientation and then place them out in the workplace. The new employee comes back several days later for a second orientation session. He may be much more motivated to learn about the history of the organization or may pay closer attention to the policies and procedures of the organization, having experienced its operations first-hand and having been confronted with several challenges for which he wasn’t yet fully prepared. A third session might be scheduled one week later and perhaps a fourth session at a one month or two monthlong interval. In this way, there is less to learn at each session and more of an experiential context in which to place the new learning.
