An empirical analysis to explore factors of Kirkpatrick Model of Training

Evaluation for the employees of Retail stores

Authors - Dr. Niraj Chimote & Anugya Jain

Abstract
The Effectiveness of a training program is an important function of Human Resource
Management. It is determined by comparing Post-training Performance with Pre-training
Performance and then measuring the Training gap. It also involves a significant investment in
terms of Time, Energy, and Money by the company for their Employees Developments.
Therefore, measuring the 'Return on Investment' of training becomes crucial. As in a retail
company training programs are conducted in the organization and it is very important to know
the factors which impact the effectiveness of the training program and it is also important to have
systemized and standardized procedures. The project undertaken explored the effectiveness of the
Training program and check which factors are significant in determining the success or failure of
the training program. A survey was done on existing employees of the retail stores to understand
their view and their thought process. Post performing the analysis, appropriate conclusions were
drawn. A conscious attempt has been made to reflect on the activities streamlined and
implemented to achieve predetermined goals within specific self-mandated time horizons
Research project entitled “An empirical analysis to explore factors of Kirkpatrick Model of
Training Evaluation for the employees of Retail stores.” to study and analyse the Training
programs provided by the retail stores.
The research design consists of Descriptive research as it analyzes the effectiveness of T&D using
statistical tools. The data was collected through well-structured questionnaires including both
open-ended and closed-ended (5 points Likert Scale) questions. The questionnaire has post
training questions. Hence, this report provides an overall insight into the topic related to Retail
stores training and development program. The results have helped to understand the concepts of
training and development. This may help the manager to understand the techniques which are
beneficial and which are not. The analysis have revealed the main reasons that affect the training
program procedure in retail store. This may help the manager to plan training and development
process more effectively.
The results obtained in this study are subject to some limitations as mentioned below: This is not
a comparative study. Since the responses were recorded on a Likert scale, there were no available
means to verify the accuracy of the data collected. Thus, it was assumed that the data was error
free. Being a large organization, the flow of information was not appropriate according to the
requirement. Secrecy and Confidentiality has been maintained for revealing for the exact names
of the Training methods. Data collected is cross sectional and can’t be generalized.
Introduction
As organizations strive to compete in the global economy, differentiation on the basis of
the skills, knowledge, and motivation of their workforce takes on increasing importance.
According to a industry report by the American Society for Training and Development
(ASTD), U.S. organizations alone spend more than $126 billion annually on employee
training and development (Paradise 2007).“Training” refers to a systematic approach to
learning and development to improve individual, team, and organizational effectiveness
(Goldstein & Ford 2002). Alternatively, development refers to activities leading to the
acquisition of new knowledge or skills for purposes of personal growth.

Training Effectiveness

Training Effectiveness is a measurement of learning. It is determined by comparing Post-training

Performance with Pre-training Performance and then measuring the Training gap. It also involves
the significant investment in terms of Time, Energy and Money by the company for their
Employees Developments. Therefore, measuring the 'Return on Investment' of training becomes
crucial. Evaluating the effectiveness of corporate training programs through scientifically validated
techniques is called Training effectiveness measurement

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 Objectives of Training Program

 Preparing both the old & new employees to meet the present as well as the changing
requirements of the job & the organization.
 Preventing obsolescence.
 Preparing employees for the higher-level tasks.
 Ensuring smooth & efficient working of the department.
 Ensuring economic output of the required quality.
 Imparting knowledge & skills for new entrants.
 Induction.
 Updating.

Classification of Training

A large variety of methods of training are used in business. Even within one organization
different methods are used for training different people. All the methods are divided into
two classifications for-

1. On the Job Training.

2. Off the Job Training.

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On-the-job Training Methods
1. Coaching: The trainee is placed under a particular supervisor who functions as a coach in
training the individuals. The supervisor provides feedback to the trainee on his performance
and offers him some suggestions for improvements. But the trainee may not have the
freedom or opportunity to express his own ideas.

2. Mentoring: The focus in this training is on the development of attitude. It is used for
managerial employees. Mentoring is always done by a senior inside person. It is also one-
to- one interaction, like coaching.

3. Job Rotation: This involves the movement of the trainee from one job to another. The
trainee receives job knowledge and gains experience from his supervisor or trainer in each
of the different job assignments. This method gives an opportunity to the trainee to
understand the problems of employees on other jobs.

4. Job Technology: This method is also known as training through step by step. The trainer
explains to the trainee the way of doing the jobs, job knowledge and skills and allows him
to do the job. The trainer appraises the performance of the trainee, provides feedback
information and corrects the trainee.

5. Apprenticeship: Apprenticeship training is normally given to artisans, electricians,

plumbers and a like. The duration is mainly 6 months to 2 years; this is carried out under
the guidance and intimate supervision of master craftsman, expert worker and supervisor.
During training period the trainee is paid less than that of a qualified worker.

Off-the-job Training Methods

1. Lectures and Conferences: The instructor organizes the material and gives it to a group
of trainees in the form of a talk. To be effective, the lecture must motivate and create interest
among the trainees. This method is direct and can be used for a large group of trainees.
Costs and time involved are reduced.

2. Vestibule Training: Actual work conditions are simulated in the classroom. Material, files
and equipment, which are used in actual job performance, are also used in training. This
type of training is commonly used for training personal for clerical and semi-skilled jobs.
Theory can be related to practice in this method.

3. Simulation Exercises: Simulation is any artificial environment exactly similar to the

actual situation. There are four basic simulation techniques used for imparting training:
management games, case study, role playing, and in-basket training.

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a. Management Games: Properly designed games help to ingrain thinking habits,
analytical, logical and reasoning capabilities, importance of team work, time
management, to make decisions lacking complete information, communication and
leadership capabilities. Use of management games can encourage novel, innovative
mechanisms for coping with stress. Management games orient a candidate with
practical applicability of the Subject. These games help to appreciate management
concepts in a practical way. Different games are used for training general managers
and the middle management and functional heads – executive Games and functional
heads.

b. Case Study: Case studies are complex examples which give an insight into the
context of a problem as well as illustrating the main point. Case Studies are trainee
centered activities based on topics that demonstrate theoretical concepts in an
applied setting. A case study allows the application of theoretical concepts to be
demonstrated, thus bridging the gap between theory and practice, encourage active
learning, provides an opportunity for the development of key skills such as
communication, group working and problem solving, and increases the trainees”
enjoyment of the topic and hence their desire to learn.

c. Role Playing: Each trainee takes the role of a person affected by an issue and
studies the impacts of the issues on human life and/or the effects of human activities
on the world around us from the perspective of that person. It emphasizes the “real-
world” side of science and challenges students to deal with complex problems with
no single “right” answer and to use a variety of skills beyond those employed in a
typical research project. In particular, role-playing presents the student a valuable
opportunity to learn not just the course content, but other perspectives on it. The
steps involved in role playing include defining objectives, choose context & roles,
introducing the exercise, trainee preparation/research, the role-play, concluding
discussion, and assessment. Types of role play may be multiple role play, single
role play, role rotation, and spontaneous role play.

d. In-basket training: In-basket exercise, also known as in-tray training, consists of a

set of business papers which may include e-mail SMSs, reports, memos, and other
items. Now the trainer is asked to priorities the decisions to be made immediately
and the ones that can be delayed.

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How to make Training Effective

Training Program can be done effectively with the help of Training Need Analysis (TNA) which
leads to identify the gaps exists between the training provided by the organization and knowledge
and skill set of trainee.

Training Need Analysis (TNA) - Training Needs Analysis (TNA) is the process in which the
company identifies training and development needs of its employees so that they can do their job
effectively. It involves a complete analysis of training needs required at various levels of the
organization.

Description - Technology is changing at a very fast pace and so are the training and development
needs of employees. It helps in grooming employees for the next level. It helps the manager to
identify key development areas of his/her employees. With proper training and development, the
productivity increases manifold.

Various companies have in-house experts who can train employees on various aspects of the
business. Normally, a calendar is worked out in advance in which various sessions are listed out
and which employees can pick their business requirement to enhance personal development needs.

At times companies also send employees for various training programs outside the organization to
train in technical know-how or a course which would be relevant to their job profile. TNA is
usually part of the appraisal process and at the end of the year an employee has to complete all the
training and development needs identified by the manager.

Training and development, which was at some point in time was not given much weightage, is
now a crucial part for any company to meet its broad goals and objectives. There are many aspects
when managers are identifying training need of their team member.

Firstly, the managers need to identify what skill set is required to complete the job or the process.
Second, is to assess existing skill levels of the team members, and lastly, determine the training
gap.

Training gap is defined as the difference between the skills required to complete the job and
existing skill set of any particular team member.

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Training Evaluation Model (Dessler, Gary, 2019)

The Kirkpatrick Evaluation Model was Donald Kirkpatrick, to define the four levels of training
evaluation. The four levels of evaluation are Reaction, Behaviour, Learning and Result. Each of the
four levels is explained below.

Level 1 – Reaction

Level 1 solicits opinions of the learning experience following a training event or course. Typical
questions concern the degree to which the experience was valuable (satisfaction), whether they felt
engaged, and whether they felt the training was relevant. Training organizations use that feedback
to evaluate the effectiveness of the training, students’ perceptions, potential future improvements,
and justification for the training expense.

Level 2 – Learning

Level 2 measures the degree to which participants acquired the intended knowledge, skills and
attitudes as a result of the training. This level is used by instructors and training executives to
determine if training objectives are being met. Only by determining what trainees are learning, and
what they are not, can organizations make necessary improvements.

Level 3 – Behaviour

Level 3 measures the degree to which participants’ behaviors change as a result of the training –
basically whether the knowledge and skills from the training are then applied on the job. This
measurement can be, but is not necessarily, a reflection of whether participants actually learned
the subject material. For example, the failure of behavioral change can be due to other
circumstances such as individual’s reluctance to change.

Level 4 – Results

Level 4 seeks to determine the tangible results of the training such as: reduced cost, improved
quality and efficiency, increased productivity, employee retention, increased sales and higher
morale. While such benchmarks are not always easy or inexpensive to quantify, doing so is the
only way training organizations can determine the critical return on investment (ROI) of their
training expenditures. One typical challenge is to identify whether specific outcomes are truly the
result of the training.

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The Four Levels

Level 4: Results To what degree targeted

outcomes occur, as a result of
the learning event(s) and
Subsequent reinforcement.

Level 3: Behavior To what degree participants

apply what they learned during
training when they are back on
the job.

Level 2: Learning To what degree participants

acquire the intended
knowledge, skills, and
attitudes based on their
participation in the learning
event.

Level 1: Reaction To what degree participants

react favorably to the learning
event.

Reasons for employee Training and Development

Training and development can be initiated for a variety of reasons for an employee or group of
employees, e.g.:

 When a performance appraisal indicates performance improvement is needed.

 To "benchmark" the status of improvement so far in a performance improvement effort.

 As part of an overall professional development program.

 As part of succession planning to help an employee be eligible for a planned change in role
in the organization.

 To "pilot", or test, the operation of a new performance management system to train about
a specific topic.
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General benefits from Training and Development
There are numerous sources of online information about training and development. Several of
these sites (they're listed later on in this library) suggest reasons for supervisors to conduct training
among employees. These reasons include:

 Increased job satisfaction and morale among employees

 Increased employee motivation

 Increased efficiencies in processes, resulting in financial gain

 Increased capacity to adopt new technologies and methods

 Increased innovation in strategies and products.

 Reduced employee turnover.

 Enhanced company image, e.g., conducting ethics training (not a good reason for ethics
training!).

 Risk management, e.g., training about sexual harassment, diversity.

Method of Training Delivery

A range of delivery methods are offered by the leading retail store to provide the relevant and most
effective training solution in the most cost effective manner. These are as follows-

1. Classroom Trainings & Seminars – The participants/ employees congregate at one place
where the training is imparted to them by the means of lectures and activities.

2. Outbound Experiential Trainings – Outbound Experiential Trainings are used to

enhance the performance of the organization to achieve business goals through experiential
learning. These programs usually revolve around leadership, change management,
planning and organizing and team work to name a few.

3. Use of Technology‐ The use of technology for imparting knowledge to the employees is
encouraged by the stores. Various technological tools, such as Web Ex, Learning Videos
and Movies are utilized to provide the information & knowledge from Home Office to
Zonal Offices and to various Stores and vice versa.

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 4. Store Guru ‐ Store Gurus are responsible to deliver training on Process Excellence and
Product Knowledge in the Store and help store Karta’s to turn the store into a Centre of
excellence for retail knowledge and skills, and building self-sufficiency at the store level.
Not only has this mode of learning extremely cost effective but also enhances employee
engagement and motivation to a great extent within the environment of the store.

5. On Job Training – Some aspects of a job are best understood while actually performing
it. Retail stores promotes the practice of Unnati – On the Job learning simultaneously while
working to facilitate employees to understand and gain the knowledge skills and attitude
required to perform the given task at hand in the most effective manner.

6. Coaching & Mentoring – The store realizes the importance of achieving business goals
through coaching and mentoring initiatives. The organization encourages a culture of
coaching and mentoring for personal growth and professional development. Coaching and
mentoring is a process that enables learning and development to impact performance
positively. Various methods and styles are used in the most appropriate manner to bring
out effective professional and personal development of the employees.

7. Time Bound Learning and Growth Plan –Employees in the stores form the backbone of
its business and the group realizes the importance of training and developing them
completely. Avatar ‐ A Time bound learning and growth plan for every role holder in the
store is run by the stores in Future Learning and Development Centre (FLDC). This 72
month learning program is to enable a team member become a Store Karta.

How the Training Process is being carried out at Leading Retail

Store
To provide training to the employees a systematic process is carried out by the Human Resource
Department.

[This space is intentionally left blank]

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 Store Manager identifies the Training need of the employees
in the store

Store Manager nominates such employees from their stores

Monthly Training Calendar is made in the zonal office

according to the nominations from various Stores.

Zonal Office and In-Store Training takes place.

At the time of Training Program, Attendance is recorded.

Pre Assessment Test is held before the inception of the

Training Program

After the Training Program, Post Assessment Test is held to

check the understanding level of the Trainees.

Feedback is taken from the trainees to evaluate the

effectiveness of the Training and efficiency of the Trainer.

Tracking of Training Program is done just after the Training

in Avatar and Unnati.

Tracker Sheet. Tracking Updation is done every month.

Need of this study

A leading Retail organization is going through heavy recruitments. Thus, it is important for an
organization to have standard operating procedures for training programs and it is necessary for
the Talent Acquisition and Talent Management team to know what factors actually influence the
success or failure of an effective training program, also leading to identify the components taken
into consideration by the candidates while choosing workplace.

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LITERATURE REVIEW
Reference Grid of papers reviewed for Training Program Effectiveness.

The aim of this literature review is to make connections between the different studies, to help
evaluate the state of knowledge in the field of Training Effectiveness as a whole. The introduction
section highlighted the various concepts of Effectiveness of Training program. The literature
review aims to examine the important variables which affect the effectiveness of Training program
at workplace.

1. The relationship between training effectiveness and employee

performance :( Ahmad, A. I. &Adamu, M., 2015)
Introduction

A concerned study (Ahmad, A. I. & Adamu, M., 2015) is aimed at determining the relationship
between training effectiveness and employee performance, as well as examining the mediating
role of work environment. The evaluation of a training program in an organization is an ongoing
process. Following the completion of a training program, and it's subsequent application on the
job, then it is worthy to be followed by an evaluation to ascertain the effect of the training received
by the employee on the job they performed. Present scenario of business world is characterized by
a growing competitiveness, market globalization, and technological advances in organizations.
The survival of an organization implies the prosecution of sustainable competitive advantage
(Barney and Wright, 2008).Many researchers have conducted a lot of researches in order to
evaluate the training program from the point of views of multiple factors and dimensions, (Wright,
(2006), Richard et al. (2000), Ibrahim et al. (2008), Baldwin, (2008), Mike, (2010), and Burke
(2006). This is done for the purpose of ensuring that the skills learned during trainings are equally
utilized on the jobs performed by the employees. This becomes imperative because the essence of
acquiring training is to transfer it, or to apply it to the tasks and jobs performed by an employee.
This, if properly conducted, would result in both the attainment of individual and organizational
goals, and hence, the success of the organization.

Focus of study
This study is aimed at determining the relationship between training effectiveness and employee
performance, as well as examining the mediating role of work environment.

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Methodology

The methodology used in this study is a quantitative research technique. Questionnaires were used
in this survey as instrument for data collection. In analyzing the results from the instrument,
Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) was used as a tool to analyze the data. Inferential
statistics was used using Pearson correlation coefficient and regression analysis. Sobel Test was
also conducted to confirm the degree of mediation effect of the mediating variables. The findings
revealed that there is a positive relationship between training effectiveness (Kirkpatrick Four
Levels) and employee performance.

Limitations

This research concentrated only on training effectiveness as an independent variable, and work
environment as a mediating variable, while employee performance as a dependent variable.

Its performance evaluation is only based on the sample organization’s employees.

2. Leadership Training Design, Delivery, and Implementation: A Meta-

Analysis (Burke, M. J., & Day, R. R., 2004)
Introduction

The current study addresses these two questions by Meta analytically summarizing leadership
training research. In the examination of the factors that contribute to leadership training program
effectiveness, it has offered several contributions to the science of leadership development and
training. First, the current study provides a meta-analytic estimate of the effectiveness of leadership
training across a wide span of years (1951–2014) and organizations. it is noted that this literature
has been previously meta-analyzed however, the Burke and Day (1986) meta-analysis, which is
arguably the most comprehensive meta-analytic investigation of leadership training to date, only
included studies published through 1982, which excludes the majority of available leadership
training studies.

Focus of study

To provide data-driven recommendations for effective leadership training programs that are based
on a Meta analytic investigation. To answer the questions a. how effective are leadership training
programs?

b. How should one design, deliver, and implement a leadership training program to maximize effectiveness?

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Methodology

The current study examines 15 moderators of leadership training program effectiveness that will
provide those who develop leadership training programs a comprehensive understanding of how
to design, deliver, and implement effective programs. Lastly, the current study makes use of
updated meta-analytic techniques when combining across study designs to accommodate different
types of primary study designs (Morris & DeShon, 2002). One exception to this is the meta-
analytic investigation by Taylor however, this study only evaluated training transfer and did not
include trainee reactions, learning, or results as outcomes. Using these updated techniques results
in a more accurate estimate of the effect of leadership training, and also allows for stronger causal
inferences than typical, cross sectional meta- analyses (because all the studies included in the
meta-analysis are either repeated measures or experimental designs).

Limitations

i. It is noted that evaluations of leadership training programs reported in available

unpublished and published literature were only able to include. It is probable that effective
leadership training programs are published more often than ineffective leadership training
programs.

ii. It is noted that ineffective leadership training programs might also be disproportionately
excluded from unpublished work (i.e., organizations with ineffective programs do not give
researchers access to data about the effectiveness of these programs). Thus, despite a lack
of publication bias evident in the current article, our results may still be upwardly biased
because our meta-analytic database can only reflect existing studies, which are more likely
to have been conducted on effective rather than ineffective training programs.

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 3. European Journal of Training and Development (Alvelos, R. & Ferreira,
A.I.)
Introduction

This study aims to demonstrate the extent to which social support influences the motivation to
improve work through learning. Social support appears as a variable that media test the relationship
between the independent variables of perceived content validity and transfer design with the
dependent variable of motivation to improve work through learning. In contemporary professional
milieus, where increasing economic and social uncertainty and unpredictability prevail,
organizations aim to increase their productivity and maintain their competitiveness on a consistent
basis (London and Moore,1999;MatosandLopes,2008).In view of these continuous emerging
Challenges, managers tend to cope and maintain high levels of quality control by focusing on the
acquisition of new knowledge and skills (Caetano, 2007; vanEerdeetal. 2008) through strategic
training which assumes a key role for any organization.

Focus of study

To understand the factors that affect training effectiveness. (i-e Social support, perceived content
validity, transfer design, the motivation to improve work through learning and positive transfer,
contribute to the effectiveness of training.)

Methodology

Instruments Data were collected through a self-report measure with a five- point Likert scale (1
“strongly disagree” to 5 “strongly agree”). Cronbach’s alphas were calculated as a measure of
internal consistency. Participants were invited to answer according to the last training they
participated in the company. The questionnaire included socio-demographic variables to measure
gender, age, educational background and seniority.

Limitations

Pertaining to the use of a single measuring instrument. Thus, the internal validity of the study can
be affected by variance from the common method. Size and representativeness. Sample was
collected by convenience, which represents socio-demographic and organizational specificities.
Thus, results obtained in the present study cannot be generalized to other organizational realities.

15
 Research Gaps
Based on the above Literature Review, following are the gaps which are identified:

1. Training Effectiveness – It is a measurement of learning determined by comparing Post-

training Performance with Pre-training. Performance and then measuring the Training gap.
It also involves the significant investment in terms of Time, Energy and Money by the
company for their Employees Developments.

2. Kirkpatrick Model - The Kirkpatrick Model is probably the best known model for
analyzing and evaluating the results of training programs. The model is composed of four
levels: reaction, learning, behavior and outcome.

Objective of the Study

Based on the research gaps explored above in the literature review following are the
objectives finalized for the report:

1. To explore the factors of training evaluation and check which factors are significant in
determining the training for the employees.

a. Broad objectives
The main objective of this report is to gain practical knowledge of training and development
program followed in an organization. The following are the other objectives of this report.

b. Specific Objectives
i. To analyse which are the most important factors that affect Training Program.
ii. To understand the attitude of employees towards Training and development program.

Research Methodology
The objectives of the study have been formulated on the basis of gaps found in the literature review.
Research methodology is designed in a way so that it helps to achieve the objectives of the study.
In the Encyclopedia of Social Sciences,( D. Slesinger and M. Stephenson 1930) defined research
as “the manipulation of things, concepts or symbols for the purpose of generalizing to extend,
correct or verify knowledge, whether that knowledge aids in the construction of theory or in the
practice of an art”.

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The actual information provided in this report will be collected from two different sources, namely
primary and secondary source. The major components of research methodology are:

Identifying and Defining the Problem

The foremost step in research is to identify and define the problem and objectives of the report
which have been explained.

Methodology for Objective I

Research Design (Malhotra & Dash, 2009)
Type of Research Design

It is very necessary to select an appropriate and specific research design before the actual
research work is started. This study is a descripted research where the objectives are clearly
defined and details about all aspects of problem are collected. Regardless of the problem’s
complexity, it is important to design this conclusive research efficiently so that it forms the
basis for an analytical study that would enable us to develop hypothesis.

Specification of the measurement and scaling procedures

The study consists of usage of Likert’s scale for measuring the variables. Some of the
variables like, reputation, location, emoluments, knowledge and skill set available consist of
a series of statements where the respondents have to provide answers in the form of
agreement or disagreement. So, the respondent needed to select a numerical score (like 1 or
2 or 3 or 4 or 5) for each statement to indicate the degree of agreement or otherwise. Each
score has to be finally added up to measure the respondent’s attitude.

Survey
It is a research technique which is used to gather information from a sample of respondents
by employing a questionnaire to obtain primary data. It is the data which is gathered first
hand to answer the research question being investigated. Surveys are done depending on the
objectives formulated. It is basically used for collecting data from a pre-defined group of
respondents to gain more insights into our topic of interest.

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Description of the Questionnaire
The questionnaire has been prepared on the basis of the variables identified in the Literature
review. It is provided in the Appendix 1.
 Behavior
 Reaction
 Learning
 Outcome

Part A contains the questionnaire regarding the expectations you had before attending the training
program.

Part B contains the questionnaire regarding the experience you have developed after attending the
training program.

Analysis

1) Reliability Analysis

When the outcome of a measuring process is reproducible and the scale provides stable
measures at different times under different conditions, it is termed as Reliability. An analysis
has been conducted for checking the reliability of the questionnaire. The Cronbach’s alpha (a
measure of reliability) has been calculated for the model separately. These coefficients are
expected to indicate reliability as they ought to meet the minimum acceptable level of 0.6
(Hair et al., 2007). The details are indicated in Chapter IV.

2) Factor Analysis

It is a set of methods in which the observable responses of individuals on a set of variables

are represented as functions of a small number of latent variables called factors. The current
study contains large number of variables that would make the analysis and interpretation of
the problem difficult. Factor analysis helps to reduce the number of variables to be analyzed
into a few factors that may summarize the available data. It is needed to identify the
underlying dimensions that would explain the correlations among a set of variables. Along

18
with that, it is also necessary to identify new factors to replace the original set of correlated
variables in regression analysis. Thus, factor analysis is needed for all models in this study.
Bartlett’s test of sphericity has been used to test the null hypothesis that the variables are
uncorrelated in the population through a Chi-square statistic. The factor analysis would be
called appropriate if the null hypothesis is rejected. Along with that, Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin
(KMO) measure of sampling adequacy has also been tested through an index. Generally, a
value greater than 0.5 is desirable for concluding that factor analysis is appropriate. The steps
involved in conducting factor analysis (Malhotra & Dash, 2009) are as follows:

 Step One: Formulation of problem: According to the questionnaire described in

Chapter III, the variables used in the analysis are mentioned in this step.

 Step Two: Correlation Matrix: A correlation matrix shows simple correlations between
all possible pairs of variables included in the analysis. The diagonal elements which are
all 1 are usually omitted. An identity matrix should have all diagonal terms as 1 and all
off diagonal terms as 0. The following is the formulation of Hypothesis.

 Null Hypothesis: Variables are uncorrelated in the population (The population

correlation matrix is an identity matrix). In other words, it means that each variable
correlate perfectly with itself but has no correlation with other variables. The hypothesis
is tested by Bartlett’s test of sphericity. The test statistic for sphericity is based on a chi-
square transformation of the determinant of the correlation matrix. The chi-square statistic
is used only for Bartlett’s test of sphericity and its value will help in concluding whether
the variables are correlated or not. A large value of the test statistic will favor the rejection
of the null hypothesis. Another useful statistic is the Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) measure
of sampling adequacy which is an index used to examine the appropriateness of factor
analysis. High values between 0.5 and 1 indicate factor analysis is appropriate. Values
below 0.5 imply that factor analysis may not be appropriate.

 Step Three: Method of Factor Analysis: The factor analysis has been conducted
through a method called as Principal-components method as it explains more variance
than would the loadings (values that explained how closely the variables were related to
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 each one of the factors discovered) obtained from any other method of factoring. Only in
case of principal component analysis is it possible to compute exact factor scores and
these scores are uncorrelated with each other. The factor scores can be used instead of the
original variables in subsequent multivariate analysis.
 Step Four: Determine the number of factors: While determining the number of factors,
it is essential to summarize the information contained in the original variables so that a
smaller number of factors should be extracted. An eigen value represents the total
variance explained by each factor. In eigen value approach, only factors with eigen value
greater than 1 are retained and other factors are not included in the model. Thus, the number of
factors has been determined on the basis of eigen values. It is recommended that the factors
extracted should account for at least 60 percent of the variance. The total variance explained is
the percentage of total variance which can help in understanding how well the factors are able to
summarize the data.
 Step Five: Rotation of factors: The un-rotated component matrix describes the
relationship between variables and factors. However, it cannot help in interpreting the
factors effectively because many variables are related with many factors thereby creating
a need to simplify the matrix to interpret the factors. The rotation of the component matrix
was done to attain a technically simple structure. Varimax rotation was used to maximize
the variance of the loadings within each factor to simplify the columns in the factor
analysis. It helps in developing clearer factor loading patterns with some variables having
high loadings on a particular factor and other variables having a loading nearer to zero.
Thus, it facilitates to interpret the factors in a different way.
 Step Six: Interpretation of factors: The results of Varimax rotation are summarized in
this step.

3) Multiple Regression

A statistical technique that simultaneously develops a mathematical relationship between

two or more independent variables and an interval scaled dependent variable is called as
Multiple Regression. The present study, as mentioned earlier, is based on descriptive
research and the objective of this study is to find associative relationship between the
variables mentioned in each model. Thus, multiple-regression has been used for all models

20
which are described in Chapter IV. After conducting this regression, it was found that some
independent variables considered in the study turned out not to be significant. When there
are large numbers of independent variables and the researcher suspects that not all of them
are significant, stepwise regression may be used. The purpose of stepwise regression is to
select, from a large number of predictor variables, a small subset of variables that account
for most of the variation in the dependent or criterion variable. It can be useful when the
sample size is large in relation to the number of predictors (Malhotra & Dash, 2009). Thus,

stepwise regression has also been used for all the models to clear the doubt regarding the
significance of independent variables.
The multiple regression model involves more than one independent variable to estimate the
dependent variable. The major benefit of this analysis is that it allows the use of the
information available from the factors derived in factor analysis, to estimate the dependent
variable with greater accuracy. The three components that summarize the multiple regression
analysis are Coefficient of Determination (R Square), ANOVA (Regression as a whole) and
Regression Coefficients (Beta Coefficients) (Levin & Rubin, 2002). The usual procedure in
a stepwise regression analysis is to enter or remove variables at each step on the basis of
testing whether certain partial correlation coefficients are zero. The following are the
components of a multiple regression:

Regression Equation: Y= α+β1F1+β2F2+β3F3+ -------------- + βkFk

Where Y= Dependent Variable
α= Intercept.
F1, F2 F3, -----------------------Fk = Independent Variables (In this study, for better understanding
after factor analysis, independent variables have been abbreviated as F and not X)
β1, β2, β3, ----------------------- βk = Slopes associated with F1, F2, F3, ------------------- Fk

 Inference about an individual slope (β)

Hypotheses H0: βi=0; Null Hypothesis: Fi is not a significant explanatory variable.
H1: βi ≠0; Alternate Hypothesis: Fi is a significant explanatory variable.

 Inference about the Regression as a whole using an F-test (ANOVA)

21
 Hypotheses H0: β1=β2=β3= ------------- βk=0; Null Hypothesis: Y does not depend upon the
Fi ‘s.
H1: at least one βi ≠0; Alternate Hypothesis: Y depends on at least one of the Fi‘s.

 Coefficient of Multiple Determination (R Square)

It is a fraction of the proportion of variation in Y, the dependent variable that is explained

by the regression line, that is, by Y’s relationship with independent variables. It measures
how well the multiple regression fits the data.
 t value- A statistic used for testing the significance of explanatory variables
 Standard error of a Regression Coefficient: It is a measure of our uncertainty about the
exact value of a regression coefficient.
Notes:
a. Data Collection: The data collection has been done through a survey research. The
method of collecting information by asking a set of pre-formulated questions in a pre-
determined sequence in a structured questionnaire to a sample of individuals drawn so as
to be representative of a defined population is known as survey research.
b. Evaluating and analysing the data: The next step is to examine the data collected and
convert it into a format which will help in concluding the results and facilitate effective
decision making. The data collected has been directly fed into computer for eliminating
the possibility of human error. The interpretation of the data has been done on the basis
of a statistical package known SPSS.
c. Conclusions and inferences: The next stage is summarizing the results obtained in the
analysis of data.

ANALYSIS OF DATA

The research methodology described in chapter III highlighted the various research methods used
in the study. The various parameters, terminologies and variables defined in the research
methodology had to be inspected, cleaned (making it error-free) and transformed to a suitable
format. Thus, the sector-wise analysis of data has been carried out with reference to the objectives
of the study as defined in chapter II and research methodology described in chapter III to highlight
useful information, suggest conclusion and support decision making. All the statistical tables have
22
been given in sequential order in this chapter. However, final models of stepwise regression tables
have been incorporated in this chapter and the complete stepwise regression tables have been given
below. The minimum number of responses required should be five times the number of variables
(Malhotra & Dash, 2009). Hence, the break-up of the minimum number of responses has been
given in Table 1 as follows:

Table 1
Minimum responses required for Factor Analysis
Analysis Number of metric Minimum number of responses
variables required (Number of Variables*5)
(Malhotra & Dash,2009)
Effectiveness of Training & 10 50
Development

Total 10 50

Reliability Analysis
The survey questionnaire had to be tested for its reliability. An analysis was conducted for
checking the reliability of the questionnaire and the results were obtained. The Cronbach’s
alpha (a measure of reliability) score has been calculated for all the analyses. The results
have been summarized in Table 2 as mentioned below. The values of Cronbach’s alpha
above 0.6 indicate that there is internal consistency in the data.

23
 Table 2
Cronbach’s alpha score

Reliability Statistics

Cronbach's Alpha N of Items

0.682 7

Factor Analysis

 Step One: According to the questionnaire the following are the variables used in this
analysis: Facilities, Confident, Content, Boost, Subject & Useful.
 Step Two: Null Hypothesis: Variables are uncorrelated in the population (The
population correlation matrix is an identity matrix). From Table 3, the Approx. Chi-
Square value is 135.199 and it has found to be significant which indicates that the null
hypothesis can be rejected and it may be concluded that variables are correlated in the
population. The chi-square statistic is used only for Bartlett’s test of sphericity and its
value will help in concluding whether the variables are correlated or not. The Kaiser-
Meyer-Olkin (KMO) measure of Sampling Adequacy is found out to be 0.504 which
indicates that factor analysis is appropriate.

Table 3: KMO and Bartlett’s Test

KMO and Bartlett's Test

Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin Measure of Sampling Adequacy. .634
Bartlett's Test of Sphericity Approx. Chi-Square 135.199
df 21
Sig. .000

 Step Three: The factor analysis has been conducted through a method called as Principal-
components method.
 Step Four: Determine the number of factors: It is observed from Table 4, that the total
24
 variance explained is 63.627%.
Table 4

Total Variance Explained

Extraction Sums of Rotation Sums of Squared
Initial Eigenvalues Squared Loadings Loadings
% of % of % of
Compone Tota Varian Cumul Varian Cumul Varian Cumulative
nt l ce ative % Total ce ative % Total ce %
1 1.60 1.55
22.943 22.943 1.606 22.943 22.943 22.249 22.249
6 7
2 1.41 1.45
20.137 43.080 1.410 20.137 43.080 20.832 43.080
0 8
3 1.16
16.602 59.682
2
4 .941 13.438 73.120
5 .891 12.734 85.854
6 .650 9.289 95.143
7 100.00
.340 4.857
0

 Step Five: The Table 5 displays the Varimax rotation matrix.

Table 5: (Varimax) Rotated Component Matrix

Rotated Component Matrixa

Component
1 2
FACILITIES .570 -.390
SUBJECT .480 .616
OTOF .579 .081
CONTENTY .795 -.006
CONFIDENR -.070 -.674
BOOST .128 .020
USEFUL -.117 .682

25
  Step Six: Interpretation of factors: The results of Varimax rotation are summarized in
Table 6:

Table 6: Summary Table of Factors

Factor 1 Factor 2
Facilities Subject
Confident Useful
Content
OTOF (online &offline)
Boost

Factor 1: The following are the variables (Item numbers 1, 2, 5, 6 and 7 from the Questionnaire)
that have the highest loading on factor 1 after rotation. This factor has been named as Official
Factors as all the variables are related to the workplace.

Factor 2: The following are the variables (Item Numbers 3, and 4 from the Questionnaire) that
have the highest loading on factor 2 after rotation. This factor has been named as Other Factors.

Multiple Regression

A multiple regression analysis was used to obtain the results. The results of the factor
analysis (F1, and F2) were carried forward by which all the independent variables (F1 and F2)
were used to predict the dependent variable by multiple regression. The regression equation
(Levin & Rubin, 2002) is as follows: Y=α+β1F1+β2F2
Where Y= Mean (Mean of the three variables namely No. of applicants, No. of hiring and
No. of successful placements
α= Intercept.
F1 = Official Factors
F2 = Other Factors

26
 β1, β2 = Slopes associated with F1, F2

Inference about the Regression as a whole using an F-test

Null Hypothesis: Y does not depend upon the Fi‘s i.e. H0:β1=β2=β3= ------------- βk=0
Alternate Hypothesis: Y depends on at least one of the Fi‘s i.e. H1: at least one βi ≠0 Tables
7, 8 and 9 are based on model 1 which has emerged out as an acceptable model in the Stepwise
Regression Analysis. The tables also show the relationship between each of these variables.

Factor 1 (Facility, Confident, Content. OTOF, and Boost,) is statistically significant.

Table 7: Model Summary

Model Summary

Std. Error of the

Model R R Square Adjusted R Square Estimate
1 .402a .561 .607 .49649

Table 8

F-test - ANOVA
Sum of
Model Squares df Mean Square F Sig.
1 Regression 2.181 3 .727 2.949 .042b
Residual
11.339 46 .247

Total
13.520 49

It can be concluded from the above tables indicate that null hypothesis can be rejected and thus
Y depends on at least one of the Fi‘s.

27
Inference about an individual slope (β)
Null Hypothesis: Fi is not a significant explanatory variable i.e. H0: βi=0
Alternate Hypothesis: Fi is a significant explanatory variable i.e. H1: βi ≠0

Table 9: Regression Coefficients

Coefficientsa
Standardized
Unstandardized Coefficients Coefficients
Model B Std. Error Beta t Sig.
1 (Constant) 2.323 .956 42.429 .019
REGR factor
score 1 for .259 .096 .368 2.694 .010
analysis 1

REGR factor
score 2 for .190 .132 .197 1.441 .156
analysis 1

The regression equation is found out to be:

Y= 2.323 + 0.259 F1

It can be concluded from the above tables that null hypothesis can be rejected and F1, is significant
explanatory variable.

Thus, recruitment and selection decision depends on the variables (F1 and F2) as mentioned above.
The coefficient of (multiple) determination (R2) is 0.162 and the F-ratio is found to be 4.246, which
is significant. Thus, one can conclude that regression model is significant to explain the recruitment
and selection.

28
Conclusions and Discussions

The objective conclusion obtained on the basis of the research objectives derived in chapter II,
research methodology stated in chapter III and analyses of data described in chapter IV are as
follows:

Objective

A) To explore the factors of training evaluation and check which factors are significant in
determining the training for the employees.

Conclusion

The factors extracted in this analysis is Official Factors. The training and development
decision depends on these Official Factors. It indicates that the Kirkpatrick Model levels that
is Reaction, Learning, Behavior & Outcome affects Training and development procedure in
the firm.

Managerial Implications

1. The results have helped to understand the concepts of training and development. This may
help the manager to understand the techniques which are beneficial and which are not.

2. The analysis have revealed the main reasons that affect the training program procedure in
retail store. This may help the manager to plan training and development process more
effectively.

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Limitations

The results obtained in this study are subject to some limitations as mentioned below:

 This is not a comparative study.

 Since the responses were recorded on a Likert scale, there were no available means to
verify the accuracy of the data collected. Thus, it was assumed that the data was error free.

 Being a large organization, the flow of information was not appropriate according to the
requirement.

 Secrecy and Confidentiality has been maintained for revealing for the exact names of the
Training methods.

 Data collected is cross sectional and can’t be generalized.

30
 Appendix
QUESTIONNAIRE

Full Name: Role:

Email - Date

On a scale of (1) Strongly disagree (2) Disagree (3) Neither agree nor disagree (4) Agree (5)
Strongly agree, please circle (O) the appropriate rating.

1. Training goals and objectives clearly stated before you started the course.
1 234 5

2. The instructors were well prepared and effective communicators.

1 234 5

3. Time allocated was sufficient to cover all topics. 1 234 5

4. The subject covered in the program were relevant to my Job.

1 234 5

5. The facilities in the training program were appropriate. 1 234 5

6. Online training is more effective than Offline training.

1 234 5

7. You become more confident in similar task after training.

1 234 5

8. The course’s content was too challenging for you to understand.

1 234 5

9. Learning in training is useful for you and your organization.

1 234 5

10. Training has boost your morale and increased retention period in the company.
1 234 5

Signature

31
 References

Concepts of Training & Development retrieved from

o Garry Dessler (2019). Human Resource Management- 15th ed. Pearson Education India.

o Kirkpatrick, Donald. And James. 2008. Evaluating training programs, Tata McGraw-Hill
Publishing Company limited. 3rd edition.

o Armstrong, Michael. 2008. A handbook of human resource management practice.

Philadelphia, Kogan Page. 10th edition. Pp 575.

o Cole, N. 2007. How long should a training program be? A field study of “rules-of- thumb”.
Journal of Workplace Learning, 20 (1), 54-70.

o Bhattacharyya, Dipak Kumar.2007. Human Resource Research Methods. Oxford

University Press. 1 st edition. Pp: 258

Literature Review retrieved from

o Ahmad, A.I.H. & Adamu, M., 2015. The relationship between training effectiveness and
employee performance: mediating role of work environment. Faculty of Cognitive Science
and Human development University Malaysia Sarawak.

o Burke, M. J., & Day, R. R., 2004. Burke, M. J., & Day, R. R., 2004.Human resource
development quarterly.

o Rita Alvelos Aristides I Ferreira Reid Bates , (2015),"The mediating role of social support
in the evaluation of training effectiveness", European Journal of Training and
Development, Vol. 39 Iss 6 pp. 484 - 503

Concepts of Research Methodology retrieved from

o Slesinger, D. and Stephenson, M. (1930) The Encyclopaedia of Social Sciences. Vol. IX,
MacMillan Publications.

o Malhotra, N. & Dash, S. (2009). Marketing Research- An Applied Orientation. 5th

ed. Pearson Education India.

o Levin, R. & Rubin, D. (2002). Statistics for Management. Prentice Hall of India
32
Private Limited. India.

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