AN ANALYSIS OF AVAILABLE SELECTION FACTORS FOR JUDGING THE EDUCATIONAL MERIT OF SHORT DURATION, OUT-OF-HOUSE, MANAGEMENT TRAINING PROGRAMS FOR AMERICAN CORPORATIONS

摘要

The purpose of this research project was twofold. First, to determine which, if any, information items, normally known about short duration out-of-house management training programs (seminars, workshops, etc.) prior to attendance, are indicative of educational merit. Second, to utilize this knowledge of educational merit indicators to test for a difference between the educational merit of out-of-house management training programs provided by (a) academic and (b) nonacademic instructional sources.;A total of 20 program characteristics were identified as indicators of educational merit by a review of literature and/or survey of corporate training officers. Six of these 20 indicators produced a difference between the judged educational merit of sampled management training programs offered by academic and nonacademic instructional sources. Five of these six indicators identified programs with nonacademic instructional sources as possessing more educational merit than programs with academic instructional sources.;In line with the two objectives of this study and predicated on the findings, there were two basic conclusions. First, it was concluded that advance information, normally known about a short duration out-of-house management training program prior to attendance, can provide an indication of the educational merit associated with the training program. Secondly, it was concluded that short duration out-of-house management training programs offered by non-academic sources possess more educational merit than similar programs presented by academic sources.;The results of this study have implications for those individuals involved in the training program selection process. These individuals, armed with information normally available prior to attendance, can make determinations about the educational merit of short duration out-of-house management training programs. Additionally, study findings have significance for planners of management training programs. The training program characteristics identified by corporate training officers as being indicative of educational merit provide a good indication also of what type of management training program corporations are willing to pay for. Training program planners, by applying the findings of this study where feasible, should be able to design more marketable training programs.