Training and the Organisational Context Available to Purchase

The beginning of a training programme is marked by the attitudes participants bring from their organisational environment about the usefulness of the training. There is the enthusiastic, keen, individual who jumps straight in; the neutral, cautious observer type; and the sceptical, even hostile, “prove‐it‐to‐me” type. Even when people are keen to learn, they may be unsure whether what they learn will be relevant and acceptable in their work setting. Although these attitudes often change during the programme, they exert a powerful effect on the course learning climate and on participants' readiness to involve themselves in the training. These attitudes are substantially influenced by the organisational environment from which the participants have come. An understanding of the nature and source of these attitudes can guide the planning of an overall management development strategy and the design of training programmes.