Blackwell Reference Online

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Training evaluation is a formal attempt to determine the individual and organizational impact of attempts to make people or organizations more effective ( see training ). In measuring the outcomes of training and development efforts, two important concerns must be addressed. First, the intended outcomes of the training must be specified in ways that allow for their measurement. Traditionally, trainee reactions, learning, behavior, and performance outcomes have all been considered in rigorous evaluation attempts ( Kirkpatrick, 1967 ). In addition, system functioning, or the interrelationship between these outcomes and other organizational variables, should be considered ( Schmitt and Klimoski, 1991: ch. 11 ). Kraiger, Ford, and Salas (1993) have asserted that the potential affective, behavioral, and cognitive outcomes of training should also be specified and measured. The second major concern is the degree to which a research design with good internal and external validity ( Cook and Campbell, 1979 ) can be implemented. Internal validity refers to the extent to which we can draw the inference that training has caused the desired outcome within the context of our evaluation study. Various types of research designs provide differing degrees of confidence in this regard (see Cook and Campbell, 1979 , for a discussion of the strengths and liabilities of various research designs) ... log in or subscribe to read full text