2 research outputs found
Computer supported IT training for managers
It is widely acknowledged that communications and information technologies
(C&IT) have revolutionised organisational life. However, although C&I technologies
have extensively entered the workplace, in many organisations they seem to be
making very little contribution to the achievement of the goals of the organisation.
The research that has been focused in this area has suggested that potential users in
the organisations are perceived (and often perceive themselves) to have inadequate
knowledge and skill to utilise the technologies effectively. It also indicates that the
users frequently lack motivation to use the technologies because they feel that the
technologies are insufficiently supportive of tasks, which they need to perform. This
latter observation appears to be particularly important where the users have the
choice as to whether and when they will use the technologies (i. e. they are
'discretionary' users) as is often the case with managers in a non-C&IT focused
organisation.
Service and an interest in the role of training in this process. As a starting
point, a study of previous research work was undertaken which indicated that
conventional training was likely to be of limited usefulness in this environment. It also
indicated that C&IT based support systems in the workplace were being suggested
as a possible The research presented in this thesis started from a perceived need to
improve the effective utilisation of the new technologies by managers in the
Malaysian Civil supplement to existing conventional training methods. These results
were field tested by undertaking a survey of a sample of managers in the Malaysian
Civil Service to determine their perception of existing training and to assess the
potential acceptability of C&IT based support for their work.
The results of the survey confirmed the other research studies by indicating
that the existing training, while satisfactory in itself, did not seem particularly relevant
to the workplace tasks that the managers needed to carry out. The results also
indicated that the knowledge and skill gained through training had frequently been
forgotten or lost by the time it was needed in the workplace. Finally, a significant
number of the managers who were surveyed indicated that they were interested in
`point of need' support and that, although they would prefer that support to come from
people, they would be interested in trying a C&IT based system, if one were
provided.
An examination of the requirements for point of need support indicated that
any system must include both information about the usage of the C&I technologies
and equipment themselves and about the application of the technologies to the tasks
which needed to be performed in the workplace. Given the spatial distribution of the
managers and the relatively rapid evolution of the applications that the managers
would be expected to use, it was postulated that a fully distributed system with
`learning' capabilities would require. To test the principles involved a prototype Web
based system was developed and released. Initial feedback has been collected and
analysed and suggestions are made for the application of the findings to improving
the effectiveness with which managers use communications and information
technologies in the workplace
Empowering end users through online training
Online end-user training offers the flexibility and cost efficiency of computer-based training and the individual attention and support of instructor-guided training. At the same time, it continuously empowers end users by providing them with more up-to-date knowledge and decision-making authority over their own training. © 1998, Taylor & Francis Group, LLC