Motorola

Assignment-1 Case Study on Employee Training and Development at Motorola

Submitted to Prof. Khair Jahan Sogra Professor Institute of Business Administration University of Dhaka

Submitted by Muhammad Hasan Ferdous

MBA-47D

ZR-07

Kazi Jewel Rana

MBA-47D

ZR-39

Tanvir Hasan Chowdhury

MBA-47D

ZR-49

Institute of Business Administration University of Dhaka Date of submission: 10.03.14

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?

Ans: 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. Lowering the gap between the top management and the employees by integrating works was really a better step to improve the job environment. The need assessment technique for training in Motorola was very good. The corporate-study in 1978 for testing skills was very effective since incapability of most of the employees were found out. The readiness of the employees were also justified by incorporating the 10 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 experts. The five year training program having proper standard can be considered fruitful as a part of the training design method. To analyze 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. For example, they were able to find out that the reassuming the mind set after MTEC training deters employees to development. The establishment of Motorola University was a good decision because of its fullfledge education which was proved effective enough.

• • • •

• • • •

Motorola has received an international recognition for its training and development practices because: •

It has shown an instance of proper Training and Development program since 1920.

•

It has established a university which is considered as one of the best institution for employee training and development. It exhibits the steps of designing a proper training and development program. It has created many effective training and development method which were later been adopted by many organizations as examples. It has set examples 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 Second World War was exemplary. It has a capable HR department which has the ability to properly evaluate the outcomes of the training and development program. It has a continuous employee learning process. It is one of the pioneers creating proper Human Resource Management within the organization.

Q.2 Motorola University was established in 1989 to fulfill training and development needs of employees at Motorola. Study the training programs offered by Motorola University and how it benefited the target audience. Ans: Various training programs offered by Motorola University can be summarized as follows: • • • •

Motorola University's classroom training and e-learning courses: These focus on job functions as well as leadership, management and compliance Educational 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 External institutions, seminars and conferences: Employees use external programs to supplement internal training Technology-based learning resources: Content for resources such as podcasts and knowledge-sharing communities is generated internally by subject matter experts or by the user and reviewed by subject matter experts.

Target audiences benefited from the training programs in several ways. Some of these are mentioned below: • •

• •

Motorola University offers various training and development programs according to the need of employees. These programs have various time duration . Employees 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. Programs are designed in such a way that every program is job 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. Participants are always welcome to interact and share their view. Each training program helped employees achieve a certain level of expertise. Its efficiency reflects in the reduction of costs and waste.Motorola University invented new methods and implement these to ensure proper learning.

Q.3 Critically comment on the e-learning initiatives of Motorola. What are the benefits and drawbacks of e-learning in employee training and development? Explain. Ans: E-learning initiatives of Motorola focused on the following factors: • • •

Motorola University created a new internal institute named College of Learning Technologies (CLT) to develop educational delivery systems through satellite, Internet and virtual classrooms. This department was responsible for providing innovative learning via virtual classrooms, online experiences, use of CD-ROMS 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 Benefits 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/ Benefits: Flexibility – E-Learning can be done in a staggered fashion so it can fit around your schedule. Unlike traditional training, one not needed to dedicate ones entire day to training her/his company organized. If she/he only have an hour of free time a day, she/he can easily dedicate that to e-learning. Mobility – Since e-learning can be done on mobile devices such as laptops, tablets and smart-phones, one can learn almost everywhere and not be confined in her/his office 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. Since 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 – No need to rent equipment, rooms or trainers when one use e-learning. The savings can be considerable if one already has the device on hand for learners. Error: Reference source not foundMade for You – Unlike traditional training that is made to fit the majority, e-learning courses can be made to fit an individual. If one think that she/he already know a specific 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.

Global Reach – Companies can ensure that their employees receive the same learning content regardless of their location and also their nationality. If one want to be sure that methodologies are translated well despite the geographical barrier, elearning is the way to go.

The Disadvantages/Drawbacks : Limited Control – Learners with low motivation might fall behind when using elearning as there are no set deadlines and times. They might get too complacent and rush things up when required. Learning Approach – Some prefer traditional learning since they want real life human interaction compared to just viewing or watching it in the screen. Some may prefer images, some words while others want hands on experience. Error: Reference source not foundIsolation – Questions are easily answered when participants are face to face with the trainer. Since 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. Compatibility Issues – There is always the risk of incompatibility when it comes to e-learning. Companies must ensure that the device used by learners is supported by the platform. For example, Flash is not supported by iPads. Poor internet connection can also be a problem. Error: Reference source not foundComputer Literacy – Employees that are not required to use computers on their daily routine might have a hard time using the platform. If their job doesn’t require them to handle computers, this can be very daunting for them. These employees are likely to learn a lot less compared to traditional methods.