Improving Individual and Group Effectiveness

Abstract

Workforce diversity, experiential as well as cultural, has presented human resource development (HRD) professionals with opportunities as well as unique challenges. Describes such an opportunity, the design of a management training programme, to address specific goals identified by an organization′s senior management group. The challenge lay in designing a course which recognized the diversity in the backgrounds or experience levels of the company′s management personnel while simultaneously meeting company‐defined objectives. Additionally, because of time and certain other constraints, the training group would consist of mixed peer levels. This raised the possibility of injecting an intimidation factor which could take the form of reduced interactive participation. The challenge of mixed‐level groups and background diversity was addressed through course design, techniques of presentation, and evaluation – both post‐programme as well as long term. A comparison of the results of both evaluation phases highlights an overall successful approach in addressing the organization′s goals, as well as the issue of experiential diversity present in the management structure. The problem of mixed‐group participation in a programme designed to emphasize inter‐departmental co‐operation and teamwork produced mixed results. Includes recommendations regarding implications for other HRD professionals who may become involved in similar projects.

Citation

McClelland, S.B., Harbaugh, N.R. and Hammett, S. (1993), "Improving Individual and Group Effectiveness", Journal of Management Development, Vol. 12 No. 3, pp. 48-58. https://doi.org/10.1108/02621719310025065