Assignment

Case Study on Training and Development at Motorola

Q.1 Motorola has been adjudged as one of the top training companies in the world.
Comment on the employee training and development practice in Motorola. Why do you
think the company received an international recognition for its training and
development practices?
ns! By learning the Training and Development method in Motorola we can comment that:
The in situ learning of Motorola from its beginning earned a great appreciation where
employees learn by observing the seniors.
When set tasks performed by employees were enough Motorola did that but when
situation changed it quickly adopted the new forms of working method by training its
employees accordingly. That is without a doubt a great quality of Motorola.
The training for the top management was also effective to consider and compromise
between the deadlines and the efficiency.
owering the gap between the top management and the employees by integrating
works was really a better step to improve the !ob environment.
The need assessment technique for training in Motorola was very good. The
corporate"study in #$%& for testing skills was very effective since incapability of most
of the employees were found out.
"he readiness of the employees were also !ustified by incorporating the #'
th
standard basics( newer problem solving techniques( leaderships etc. which created a
suitable environment for designing a sustainable training program by solving
smaller machinery problems without the help of e)perts.
The five year training program having proper standard can be considered fruitful as a
part of the training design method.
To analy*e and evaluate the effectiveness of the training program was also
satisfactory because it could found out some inconsistency and ineffectiveness and
the reasons behind.
The main ability of Motorola think"tank was the ability to identify the underlying
problems of ineffectiveness. +or e)ample( they were able to find out that the
reassuming the mind set after MT,- training deters employees to development.
The establishment of Motorola .niversity was a good decision because of its full"
fledge education which was proved effective enough.
Motorola has received an international recognition for its training and development practices
because:
/t has shown an instance of proper Training and Development program since #$0'.
/t has established a university which is considered as one of the best institution for
employee training and development.
/t e)hibits the steps of designing a proper training and development program.
/t has created many effective training and development method which were later been
adopted by many organi*ations as e)amples.
/t has set e)amples for others how to adapt in newer situations by learning effective
and sustainable skills through proper training and development programs. The
adaptation with the new technologies after the 1econd World War was e)emplary.
/t has a capable 23 department which has the ability to properly evaluate the
outcomes of the training and development program.
/t has a continuous employee learning process.
/t is one of the pioneers creating proper 2uman 3esource Management within the
organi*ation.
Q.# Motorola $niversity was established in 1%&% to fulfill training and development
needs of employees at Motorola. 'tudy the training programs offered by Motorola
$niversity and how it benefited the target audience.
ns! 4arious training programs offered by Motorola .niversity can be summari*ed as
follows:
Motorola $niversity(s classroom training and e)learning courses! These focus on
!ob functions as well as leadership( management and compliance
*ducational assistance programs! They reimburse the tuition and fees for many
employees working on degree and non"degree certificates or similar programs related
to their work
*+ternal institutions, seminars and conferences! ,mployees use e)ternal programs
to supplement internal training
"echnology)based learning resources! -ontent for resources such as podcasts and
knowledge"sharing communities is generated internally by sub!ect matter e)perts or
by the user and reviewed by sub!ect matter e)perts.
Target audiences benefited from the training programs in several ways. 1ome of these are
mentioned below:
Motorola .niversity offers various training and development programs according to
the need of employees. These programs have various time duration . ,mployees can
take required programs according to their convenience.
Training and development programs are developed and maintained by professional
personnels instead of conventional teachers. This ensures the efficiency of the
programs. 5rograms are designed in such a way that every program is !ob oriented(
not monotonous and effective. Training design helps to identify the problems
properly and corresponding remedy effectively.
Training programs are so interactive that these programs are not confined ain any
specific pattern. 5articipants are always welcome to interact and share their view.
,ach training program helped employees achieve a certain level of e)pertise. /ts
efficiency reflects in the reduction of costs and waste.Motorola .niversity invented
new methods and implement these to ensure proper learning.
Q.- Critically comment on the e)learning initiatives of Motorola. What are the benefits
and drawbacks of e)learning in employee training and development? *+plain.
ns! *)learning initiatives of Motorola focused on the following factors:
Motorola .niversity created a new internal institute named -ollege of earning
Technologies 6-T7 to develop educational delivery systems through satellite(
/nternet and virtual classrooms.
This department was responsible for providing innovative learning via virtual
classrooms( online e)periences( use of -D"38M1 and through multimedia such as
video and satellite conferences.
The university placed a large selection of courses and training materials on its
intranet ( available around the world at any time to its .employees
.enefits and drawbacks of e)learning in employee training and development!
The use of e-learning has boomed over the years to become a popular
and accepted form of learning. However it has its pros and cons much like
other forms of learning process.
The Advantages/ Benefts:
Flexibility E-Learning can be done in a staggered fashion so it can t
around your schedule. !nlike traditional training" one not needed to
dedicate ones entire day to training her#his company organi$ed. %f she#he
only have an hour of free time a day" she#he can easily dedicate that to e-
learning.
Mobility &ince e-learning can be done on mobile devices such as
laptops" tablets and smart-phones" one can learn almost everywhere and
not be conned in her#his o'ce with traditional methods. Learning can be
done whenever one has free time on the road. Everywhere is now her#his
classroom.
No Travel As mentioned above" e-learning is very mobile. &ince it is not
uncommon for traditional training to be sourced at great distances" using
e-learning means that one does not need to travel.
Low Cost (o need to rent e)uipment" rooms or trainers when one use
e-learning. The savings can be considerable if one already has the device
on hand for learners.
Error: Reeren!e so"r!e not o"ndMade or #o" !nlike traditional
training that is made to t the ma*ority" e-learning courses can be made
to t an individual. %f one think that she#he already know a specic
course" she#he can skip it and focus on other areas she#he feel need to
work more at. This gives learners the ability to learn on their own pace" a
feat traditional learning can+t do.
$lobal Rea!h ,ompanies can ensure that their employees receive the
same learning content regardless of their location and also their
nationality. %f one want to be sure that methodologies are translated well
despite the geographical barrier" e-learning is the way to go.
The %isadvantages/%rawba!&s :
Li'ited Control Learners with low motivation might fall behind when
using e-learning as there are no set deadlines and times. They might get
too complacent and rush things up when re)uired.
Learning A((roa!h &ome prefer traditional learning since they want
real life human interaction compared to *ust viewing or watching it in the
screen. &ome may prefer images" some words while others want hands
on e-perience.
Error: Reeren!e so"r!e not o"nd)solation .uestions are easily
answered when participants are face to face with the trainer. &ince e-
learning is usually done outside working hours" most of the time they
can+t get a hold of trainers that are mostly available during working
hours. This can invoke a feeling of isolation can demotivate learners since
they don+t have assurance and support.
Co'(atibility )ss"es There is always the risk of incompatibility when
it comes to e-learning. ,ompanies must ensure that the device used by
learners is supported by the platform. /or e-ample" /lash is not supported
by i0ads. 0oor internet connection can also be a problem.
Error: Reeren!e so"r!e not o"ndCo'("ter Litera!y Employees
that are not re)uired to use computers on their daily routine might have a
hard time using the platform. %f their *ob doesn+t re)uire them to handle
computers" this can be very daunting for them. These employees are
likely to learn a lot less compared to traditional methods.