Question

Camb un 2. Explain the success of the training program using conditioning theory and social cognitive theory. How do these theories explain why the training program was not more effective? How could the program be improved by using some of the consents, principles, and components of each theory?

Answer 1

These theories will make training program successful because these theories help a person to know their behaviour with surroundings and learn new behaviour and skill like training.

Conditioning Theory

Conditioning theory is based upon the idea that learning is a function of change in overt behaviour. Conditioning refers to a systematic programme of rewards and punishments to influence behaviour or bring about desired behaviour.

Operant conditioning deals with learned not reflexive behavior and it works by enforcing (rewarding) and pushing behaviour based on the consequences it produces. Reinforcement is used to increase the probability that behaviour will occur in the future, whereas punishment aims to decrease that probability. Factors like attention, praise, approval, success and money are major reinforcers for the humans. Reinforcement operates either positively or negatively, positive reinforcement is an event that strengthens an operant response if it is experienced after that response occurs, while negative reinforcement and punishment led to avoid an unpleasant situation.

Social Cognitive Theory

Behaviorism cannot easily explain the natural curiosity that individuals have the great desire to learn, to make sense of the environment and to feel competent in activities. Thus cognitive factors have to be taken into account to understand how people learn not only by association rewards but by having knowledge of their results and by receiving feedback. So cognitive learning is about the change in what the learner knows rather than what he/she does. Identified some principles of learning associated with cognitive psychology like instruction should be well organized and clearly structured, perceptual features of the task and prior knowledge is important, difference between individuals and cognitive feedback about success or failure of task.

Social learning theory of Bandura which emphasizes the importance of observing and modeling the behaviours, attitudes, and emotional reactions of others, it means that people learn from observing other people.

Conclusion

Organization performance depends upon the employees’ skills, knowledge and experiences. It means that individual makes the organizational performance better by utilizing their knowledge and skills consequently organization offers training for development of its employee performance to achieve required goals . An effective training in organization is a challenge and need attention of professional trainers, learning theories provides a better deal International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences November 2012, Vol. 2, No. 11 ISSN: 2222-6990 188 www.hrmars.com/journals of instruction and principles to trainers, by utilizing them trainers can easily make an analysis of individuals and can select effective method of training, in short the understanding of learning theories is inevitable in training. As a recommendation there is a need for empirical research to see the role of these learning theories in guiding and development of effective training program. And also to see whether trainees engaged in these training are best learning. There is more relevant learning theories can identify different aspects of individual learning processes that may help in training.