Planning a structured on-the-job training program in the Malaysian workplace: a case study

Abstract

Traditional on-the-job training is the most common training method used by organizations however it suffers from the lack of a system and structure, which renders it inefficient and counter-productive. The purpose of the study was to seek answers to the research questions pertaining to structured on-the-job training in the Malaysian workplace. To achieve this, the research design involved a micro-level qualitative single- case study in a purposefully selected manufacturing company in Johor whose training program was unplanned. The research procedures included a review of specific archival records and documentations using a prescribed checklist to understand the barriers in planning the proposed training program. Further, the proposed structured onthe- job training program based on a revised ADDIE Model comprising of the synthesis of the various training and management concepts was conceptualized with the aid of customized worksheets to address five selected performance problems. The performance problems involved three types of training i.e. technical, managerial, and awareness, which encompass the various job functions and job levels. The respective worksheets/checklists were instrumental in both data collection and analysis and the sources of data for the case study were from literature, archival records and documentations. The results of the case study reaffirmed that structured on the job training could meet the business objectives of an organization by focusing on key performance indicators, which could be established using the Balanced Scorecard system. The benefits of this training mode could be quantified and compared with its associated costs using Swanson and Gradous’s model in order to justify its use. Further, structured on-the-job training could be planned not only for technical training but also for managerial and awareness training across all job functions and levels. Certain barriers common to most organizations in planning structured on-the-job training i.e. lack of expertise and training time need to be addressed.