Evaluating the State of Leadership Training in Today's Business Organizations

Essay by kfehrUniversity, Master'sA-, March 2005

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Evaluating the State of Leadership Training in Today's Business Organizations

Adult education has taken on many forms in recent years. The factors that affect participation, whether formal or informal, are being considered by organizations around the country when creating opportunities for continued learning. An area of adult education that has sparked interesting discussions is Leadership Training.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the current state of leadership training in organizations across the United States, concentrating on target audience participation, resources used to implement training, return on investment and benefits associated to program development, and methodology when conducting leadership training.

Who is participating in Leadership Training Programs?

Due to a dramatic future slow down in worker growth compared to employment growth, trailing approximately 5 % by 2008, it will become necessary for organizations to pursue talent differently. According to the August addition of Training Magazine, "The looming employment shortfall calls for a safer, more predictable route to fostering and growing leaders, and a leadership development process that can successfully target the right people and develop their capability to steer the organization to prosperity.

Companies are moving faster, decision making has been pushed down in organizations and younger employees and those with technical backgrounds are assuming management roles." Training magazine and the American Management Association created a comprehensive survey to find out and what companies are doing to invest in the development of our future leaders? (Delahoussaye, August 2001 p. 50)

Survey Results

An academic professional team from Arizona State University, the University of Richmond and the University of Texas-El Paso designed the survey. They selected a broad range of respondents to complete the survey; consisting of AMA member and client companies and Training subscribers. There was a rate of return of 639 usable surveys with a margin of error...