ISU The Implementation of Training Methods to the Kitchen Crew Report

  

Description

Purpose

The Major Report serves three main purposes: it will give you experience working with the standard parts of
most formal business reports, it will give you the opportunity to research a business issue that you find
compelling, and it will simulate the professional conditions you may encounter at work. While reports you
may be asked to write on the job will probably vary in format and requirements, the experience you gain here
will give you a solid base for doing an effective job on any report you might be assigned.
Assignment
The major report should be analytical, persuasive and should include recommendations. You should set up
a clearly focused, manageable problem—the kind that might actually create the need for a report on the job—
and then gather and analyze well-researched information to solve that problem. The first step is to determine a
business problem that needs to be addressed. Consider issues that have arisen at a current or past job, a
volunteer experience, or even a student organization. For example, you might notice a decrease in employee
morale, or concerns about employee workload, or complaints about the poor training for new employees.
Once you have a problem in mind, you can develop a central question that can guide your research. The
question should allow for analysis, persuasion, and recommendation. For example, you might ask these types
of questions: What low-cost actions can our company make to improve employee morale? What are the effects
of the current workload on the business and what steps could the company make to create a more efficient
workplace? How can employee training be improved to better prepare employees for their positions? It will be
important that the research question you pursue be manageable in scope and focused specifically on a
particular organization. For example, employee turnover might be a problem for your company. Since you
cannot write on such a broad topic, you need to focus on one problem within that topic: What is causing high
employee turnover in your company and how can your company address these issues? What changes could be
made to your hiring recruiting processes to help prevent employee turnover?
Ultimately, your report should address a problem that interests you, and your central research and analytical
question should be of manageable scope. The options are open-ended, but the more you know about your
organization, the easier it will be to decide on a topic and develop your report.
Audience
You should write the final report with a specific audience (either a person or a position in the organization) in
mind and design the report to meet the needs of that audience. In most cases, you should assume that you are
an expert in your field and writing for someone further up the corporate ladder or some type of client.
Visual Components
Visuals are an essential part of business communication. As a writer, you need to be able to design visuals and
integrate them effectively into your work. Most frequently, these visuals are likely to be graphs or tables.

For
this report, you should include at least one visual in the body of your report. You may use more, if appropriate,
but do not substitute visual for written text. Visuals should enhance your report, not take it over.
Required Components
Exercises 11 and 13 are focused on getting you started on the Major Report. For Exercise 11, you will
provide a preliminary list of sources relevant to your research, state a research questions, and explain your
research problem. These will help you as your prepare for Exercise 13, which is a research proposal related to
your topic. These exercises will give you the opportunity to start working on the Major Report early and to
ensure that your project is headed in the right direction. The specific details of these assignments will be
provided separately.
You should have a nearly complete draft of the report ready for discussion in a Zoom conference with me the
week of March 22. We will discuss areas for revision. Please come to the conference with as many specific
questions as possible. The final written report is due on Sunday, April 18.
Research Requirements and Documentation
To sharpen your research skills and to give you practice working with sophisticated, up-to-date information in
your field, I will ask you to use at least five sources in your report. To locate five useful sources, you should,
of course, begin with a much larger working bibliography.
The majority of these sources should be professional—from professional journals, trade publications,
company brochures or reports, interviews, or other primary or secondary sources. The material should be
current (within the last five years), unless the needs of your particular subject require a broader historical
background. If you have questions about the status of a journal or if you have strong reasons for including an
older work among the sources, check with me.
You will need to provide adequate documentation for all material that needs to be acknowledged. There are
many different styles of documentation that you could use, and you should become familiar with the style
preferred in your field. If you have no preferred style, you should use MLA or APA. If you plan to use another
style, please let me know in advance.

Length and Format

The main text of your report (not counting the preliminary parts or end material) should be approximately 7-
10 single-spaced pages.
The report must include the following items:
Transmittal Letter/Memo
Title Page
Executive Summary/Abstract
Table of Contents
Main Report: Introduction, Body, Conclusions, & Recommendations, 7-10 pages
Appendices (if necessary)
Works Cited, References, or Bibliography
Glossary (if necessary)

TO: Mr. Ronald Enchaubaum, Managing Director
FROM: DeMonte Horton
DATE: February 28th, 2021
SUBJECT: Request for Training Methods
Request for approval of research on the implementation of training methods to the kitchen
crew to handle rushes better
Dear Mr. Enchaubaum,
The purpose of this letter is to inform you about my quest to undertake my research on
what methods can be put in place to help kitchen crews handle rushes better.
After I analyzed how rushes have a negative effects on customer satisfaction and retention,
I have decided to reach further into this shortcoming. The research that I intend to take will
dig deeper into methods that your restaurant can implement to enhance more efficient
operation.
The study will provide the clear background information needed for the research, the
problem statement, the approaches I intend to take, the scope of the research work, the
outlined procedures that I will follow, and a conclusion.
Background of the research
Kitchen crews in restaurants should be given the training to handle operations efficiently
and with ease within the restaurant. Staff in a busy kitchen could be rushed off from not
observing the required cleanliness and orderliness. Various studies have shown that highly
maintained and clean restaurants tend to attract more guests. The most specific areas that
are considered when it comes to cleanliness are the kitchen set, the washrooms, the interior,
and the meal preparation areas. Hygiene should never be compromised when it comes to
restaurants. Many guests will choose their restraint solely off cleanliness.
The rush made by kitchen crews contributes largely to the hygiene of the place, including
the food’s safety, which is so very important. Routine hygiene procedures need to clear on
the cleaning methods to help the staff handle rushes in a sophisticated manner.
Statement of the problem
Rushes among the kitchen crew are bringing up various issues relevant to the well-being
of the restaurant. The staff feels so pressured to carry out their obligations while dealing
with unending orders by the customers and other kitchen duties that likewise need to be
carried out.
These rushes are causing a decline in hygienic levels, especially in food safety which
should be the number one priority. Unsafe food intentionally can cause risk to customers.
In a bid to prevent such risks, my recommendation would be to implement training. This
training will outline ways that could help the staff handle complicated situations to promote
high-quality service.
Research approaches
Due to the experimental design of the research, I will apply a case study approach. The
rationale of this approach is to help me come up with an extensive and thought-out analysis
of the issues surrounding busy rushes among the kitchen staff.
This analysis will provide a wider understanding of how we can handle rushes better and
empower the staff. However, to provide data that would clearly explain all aspects of this
study, I will use the quantitative approach. The following questions will guide the research:
What methods are relevant to enable better handling of rushes among the kitchen crew?
Is your staff aware of food safety and its implications on customer retention?
Are there hygienic pieces of training provided to your staff to help them maintain a clean
working place?
Scope of the research
The research will specifically focus on the methods applied to help the kitchen crew in
your restaurant handle rushes better. The target population for this research will be all the
workers in the restaurant. The restaurant management will be left out since, for the study
to attain the desired results, only the kitchen staff will be appropriate.
I plan on using a simple random sampling technique to attain the perfect sample size I will
need. In conjunction with that, I will select a maximum number of 100 employees to be
involved in the research process. I intend to use the research work to provide meaningful
solutions to this issue.
Lastly, feel free to contact me in case of any queries. I look forward to engaging with your
team for better results.
Kind regards,
DeMonte Horton
EVALUATION OF ONLINE TRAINING
AT BLOCKBUSTER VIDEO
Prepared for
Sandra Meyers
Director of Human Resources
Blockbuster Video
Prepared by
Anna Richmond
Store Manager
Blockbuster Video
April 16, 2013
2
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Blockbuster Video is facing a dilemma with the way their training is conducted. The employees
need a training system that allows them to learn how to be effective sales personnel as well as how
to perform their daily duties. Online training is an option that has been given great consideration. It
allows for convenience, cost savings, and it is effective.
Since Blockbuster Video is so dispersed, they want to ensure that all of their employees are
receiving consistent, up-to-date training in order to strengthen their business. Online training
provides this consistency and makes it very easy for managers to continuously be updating it.
If Blockbuster Video decides to employ online training, they will then need to address the issue as
to which type of system they want. There are five levels of online training and they all vary in cost
and effectiveness. The most effective level is the fifth level, delivery of multimedia, and it is also
the most costly. However, in order for Blockbuster Video to obtain the benefits it is looking for,
this is the best option for them. They should definitely employ online training, but they should not
forget about face-to-face training. By using both training methods, Blockbuster Video’s employees
will be well prepared to perform their jobs.
3
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION ……………………………………………………………………………….. 1
Purpose and Scope of the Study …………………………………….…………………….1
Procedures …………………………………………………………………………………2
FINDINGS ………………………………………………………………………………………..3
Benefits and Concerns…………………………………………………………………….3
The Pros and Cons Associated with Cost…………………………………………………3
Online Training Can Drive Sales………………………………………………………….4
How Convenient and Interactive Online Training Can Be………………………………..5
End Results………………………………………………………………………………..6
Evaluating Online Training…………………………………………………………….….6
How to Decide What System to Use………………………………………………………7
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS………………………………………………..10
Summary…………………………………………………………………………………10
Recommendations……………………………………………………………………..…10
BIBLIOGRAPHY………………………………………………………………………………..11
4
EVALUATION OF ONLINE TRAINING
AT BLOCKBUSTER VIDEO
INTRODUCTION
Technology has played an important role in the way training and development is delivered in
businesses. Every business needs an efficient training approach in order to be successful and online
training is a good approach to take in order to accomplish this. Businesses see online learning as a
way to gear training towards the needs and interests of individual employees. Although online
training has many benefits, there are some drawbacks. These drawbacks need to be carefully
addressed, however; most of the time they can be justified. Online training has the potential of
benefiting Blockbuster Video and therefore, it should be researched further.
The International Data Corporation is an analysis and market research company that provides
expertise in information technology, telecommunication, and consumer technology.1 In their
findings, they have concluded that “nearly 80% of all companies and nearly 90% of organizations
with 10,000 or more employees are either currently creating e-learning objects internally or are
planning to do so.”2 Blockbuster Video has thousands of stores located in the United States as well
as outside of the United States, which indicates that they would be put into this category of having
10,000 or more employees. If other companies, especially their competitors, are investing in better
training programs, then they need to also be considering it. The International Data Corporation also
indicated that e-learning, or online training, will increase at a rate of 11% per year between 2004
and 2007 in corporate environments.2 This statement raises a concern for Blockbuster Video
because by now many of its competitors may have already incorporated online training. In order for
Blockbuster Video to be able to compete with its competitors, they must at least consider the
benefits of online training. These include cost saving benefits, ease of accessibility and
modification, progress reports, and it is an effective way to train employees.
PURPOSE AND SCOPE OF THE STUDY
To help ensure that Blockbuster Video’s employees are being trained as efficiently as possible, the
Human Resource Department has requested that research be done on online training. Since
Blockbuster Video relies heavily on its employees to be able to sell their promotions to their
customers, they want a training method that not only helps employees learn their job, but also helps
them become effective sales personnel. The more specific concern addressed in this report is would
1
“Wikipedia,” Wikipedia Foundation, Inc., April 1, 2007,
< accessed on April 9,2007. 2 Phil Britt, “ELEARNING on the Rise.” EContent vol. 27.11 p. 36-40(2004), April, 2 2007 Academic Search Premier. http://search.ebscohost.com. 5 online training be beneficial to Blockbuster Video? In order to answer this question, the following sub-problems were addressed: 1. What does Blockbuster Video want their employees to gain from online training? 2. What benefits will online training offer Blockbuster Video? 3. How will the benefits of using online training be measured? PROCEDURES In order to know whether or not online training would be beneficial to Blockbuster Video, extensive research was completed. The research was taken from numerous articles that dealt with implementing online training, the pros and cons of online training, and various real-life outcomes of online training. All of the information that was necessary for Blockbuster Video to make its final decision was compiled and brought forth in this report. 6 FINDINGS In order for online training to be effective, Blockbuster Video must know all the specifics about it as well as how to evaluate the results. Like stated before, online training can provide various benefits to a company. It can also provide an efficient way to measure these benefits and detect whether or not it is doing what it was intended for. The first section of this report will deal with the various aspects of online training that need to be looked at. The following section will address the evaluation of online training as well as a brief discussion on what Blockbuster Video should do if they decide to implement it. BENEFITS AND CONCERNS The issues of online training that need to be addressed include the cost, how it will affect sales, convenience and interaction. All of these will play a major role in deciding whether or not online training is right for Blockbuster Video. The Pros and Cons Associated with Cost. One of the first things that comes to mind when online training is mentioned is the cost. Business are interested in finding a costefficient way to train their employees, and employees are interested in finding something that can make them better at their job and can help them when they are in need.3 Many companies may be weary of online training due to the high start-up costs. However, “to create an e-learning module is three times less expensive than it is to create an instructor-led class,” says Paul Walliker, an online training manager.4 GeoLearning, a fast growing e-learning products and services company, stated that out of every dollar that is spent on face-to-face learning, approximately 40 cents is spent on travel and lodging alone.5 This statement means that if Blockbuster Video were to accept online training, they could save 40 cents out of every dollar that they spend on face-to-face training. However, not all of their training involves traveling. Most of the employees are trained right at the store that they are going to work at. On the other hand, many of Blockbuster Video’s managers are required to travel for training, so they would end up saving money if they implemented online training. No matter what kind of industry you are, online training will save your company money because the time it takes to train employees is much lower than face-to-face training. A lot of Blockbuster Video’s upper management may push aside the fact that their team of employees deals a lot with sales. The employees do a lot more than simply check out movies, they must sell the products. Online training can provide their employees with the sales training that they need in order to be effective at a reasonable cost. This is true with any industry that is in sales. One company, Dow 3 Michael Laff, “The Need For Speed,” T & D vol. 61.2 p.44-47 (2007), April 2, 2007 Academic Search Premier. 4 Doug Bartholomew, “TAKING THE E-TRAIN,” Industry Week/IW vol. 252.6 p. 34-37 (2005), April 2, 2007 Academic Search Premier. . 5 Chelan David, “REVVING UP LEARNING To Drive Sales,” EContent vol. 29.2 p. 28-32 (2006),April 2, 2007 Academic Search Premier. . 7 Chemical, which depends on its sales, experienced a savings between four to five million dollars within the first year of utilizing online training and they expect their savings to continuously increase every year.6 These savings not only reflect the decrease in the hours spent training employees; they also include the savings from postage, travel and record keeping. Kinko’s is another company that experienced cost savings after they took advantage of online training in 2003.7 They spent an estimated $5.5 million on training, which is only one-third of what they spent in 2001.8 Therefore, Blockbuster Video would need to think of online training as an investment rather than a cost. Online Training Can Drive Sales. Online training can do more than just cut costs, it can also increase productivity. It can provide a very successful way to keep employees up to date on company policies, their day to day duties, and most importantly, their new products. Employees can learn a lot about products from traditional classroom training, but there just is not enough time for all of the employees to participate in that type of learning. Blockbuster Video faces a huge dilemma when it comes to providing their employees with adequate sales training because they are dispersed around the world. This can make maintaining a reliable training technique very difficult. However, “now that companies have the option to provide online training, salespeople receive consistent, immediate training.”9 In order for Blockbuster Video to continue being successful, they must be able to keep up with their competitors and continuously be offering new products and the employees are the ones who must be able to sell these products. In fact, if their employees’ sales skills are effective, then their profits should increase because they will be more capable of selling the products and services. Kinko’s is a great example of how online training can boost sales. After they started online training in some of their stores, they saw revenues rise by 27% and only by 11% in stores that had not yet received online training.10 Online training would give Blockbuster Video the capability to efficiently supply their employees with the same training and also keep the training current. Blockbuster Video is continuously presenting new products to their customers and it is vital that their employees are knowledgeable not only about the product, but also on ways to sell the product. Taking advantage of online training can be a good way to keep employees up to date and educated on this type of material. 6 Tom Barrob, “Harnessing online learning,” Training & Development Vol. 53.9 p. 28 (1999), April 2, 2007Academic Search Premier. . 7 Stephanie Anderson Forest, “Kinko’s,” Business Week p. 101-101 (2003), April 2, 2007 Academic Search Premier. . 8 Stephanie Anderson Forest, “Kinko’s,” Business Week p. 101-101 (2003), April 2, 2007 Academic Search Premier. . 9 Lisa A Garret, and Connie L. Vogt, “Meeting The Needs Of Consumers: Lessons From Business And Industry,” New Directions For Adults & Continuing Education p. 89-101 (2003), April 2, 2007 Academic Search Premier. . 10 Stephanie Anderson Forest, “Kinko’s,” Business Week p. 101-101 (2003), April 2, 2007 Academic Search Premier. . 8 Another very important part of Blockbuster Video’s business is customer service skills. These skills are also linked to sales. If they can maintain exceptional customer service skills, then their profitability will increase due to an increase in sales. Mike Brennan, a researcher for the International Data Corporation, “has seen that e-learning for soft skills, such as customer service training are starting to gain acceptance.”11 Since this is a fairly new component of online training, it would be beneficial for Blockbuster Video to take part in it in order to get ahead of its competitors. How Convenient and Interactive Online Training Can Be. Many companies want training techniques that allow convenience for them and their employees. Online training has the potential to provide this type of convenience for both the employees and the employer. However, convenience is not provided to every user of online training. While examining online training, it has been noticed that older employees may be more resistant to this type of training due to their lack of computer skills.12 It may take some employees a little longer to grasp the concept of online training because they might have to learn new skills. They may have to become more knowledgeable with computers and also learn how to be more self-directed learners.13 If Blockbuster Video is successful in teaching their employees how to become more self-directed employees, then this can be very time saving for those who are responsible for training the employees. Online training does not rely on having additional people present while training is taking place. This can free up other employees and allow them to focus on their primary duties, therefore, allowing fewer employees to be at each shift, which also helps cut costs. Online training also allows employees to learn at their own pace, and to skip sections that they may already be familiar with. However, every employee is still going to require some face-to-face learning in order to fully understand their duties. No matter how much employees learn from using online training, it cannot replace the human interaction that is essential in order to be a successful salesperson.14 Online training is also convenient in that it allows training to take place when time permits and it also limits the training that is necessary so that employees can fully participate in their job quicker than they would be able to with face-to face-training. In fact, “while still achieving the same levels of competency, the hours saved increase bottom-line productivity.”15 11 Phil Britt, “ELEARNING on the Rise.” EContent vol. 27.11 p. 36-40(2004), April, 2 2007 Academic Search Premier. http://search.ebscohost.com. 12 Doug Bartholomew, “TAKING THE E-TRAIN,” Industry Week/IW vol. 252.6 p. 34-37 (2005), April 2, 2007 Academic Search Premier.. 13 Lisa A Garret, and Connie L. Vogt, “Meeting The Needs Of Consumers: Lessons From Business And Industry,” New Directions For Adults & Continuing Education p. 89-101 (2003), April 2, 2007 Academic Search Premier. . 14 Phil Britt, “ELEARNING on the Rise.” EContent vol. 27.11 p. 36-40(2004), April, 2 2007 Academic Search Premier. http://search.ebscohost.com. 15 Chelan David, “REVVING UP LEARNING To Drive Sales,” EContent vol. 29.2 p. 28-32 (2006),April 2, 2007 Academic Search Premier. . 9 In order for online training to be successful, it must provide some sort of interaction. By incorporating interaction into the training, it provides better retention than just simply having employees read something. However, providing interaction can sometimes be difficult. According to Mike Brennan’s research, “only 15% to 20% of e-learning today is conducted using interactive content.”16 If Blockbuster Video decides to participate in online learning, it is vital that they find a way to offer interaction. This can be completed by involving the designers, trainers and the end users in the process of coming up with the online training model that will be used.17 Including things like videos and animation can help keep employees engaged in their training which allows for interaction. Also, the training session should be no longer than 12 to 15 minutes.18 Once the model is complete, and it allows the employees to have some interaction, it should be able to produce desirable outcomes. END RESULTS It is easy to point out all of the benefits that online training can provide, however; it is very important to be able to prove that these benefits are there. The evaluation of online training is a very important component and should be taken very seriously. Also, if Blockbuster Video decides to use online training, they will need some direction as to where to start. Evaluating Online Training. Measuring the benefits of online training can be a difficult task if Blockbuster Video’s expectations change or become unreasonable. For this reason, it is vital for Blockbuster Video to plan out exactly what benefits they want to see come out of online training. An important benefit that should be considered is that the sales increase. This is something that can realistically be measured if online training is implemented. Nevertheless, online training is capable of measuring many other results such as the sales representatives’ knowledge of products and services, customer satisfaction levels, the users’ satisfaction levels, and also the costeffectiveness.19 However, even though the cost-effectiveness is important, it should not be Blockbuster Video’s main focus. They should focus more of their attention on improving their training strategies. Once Blockbuster Video has determined what their expectations of online training are, then it will be very simple for them to measure the effects. Traditional training can take up to months to see the 16 Phil Britt, “ELEARNING on the Rise.” EContent vol. 27.11 p. 36-40(2004), April, 2 2007 Academic Search Premier. http://search.ebscohost.com. 17 Michael Laff, “The Need For Speed,” T & D vol. 61.2 p.44-47 (2007), April 2, 2007 Academic Search Premier. 18 Phil Britt, “ELEARNING on the Rise.” EContent vol. 27.11 p. 36-40(2004), April, 2 2007 Academic Search Premier. http://search.ebscohost.com. 19 Phil Britt, “ELEARNING on the Rise.” EContent vol. 27.11 p. 36-40(2004), April, 2 2007 Academic Search Premier. http://search.ebscohost.com. 10 effects, but the effects of online training can be evaluated within a couple of days.20 With online training, managers would be able to obtain employees’ scores right away. They could see which employees have completed certain sections and also see if the employees need additional help. With regular training, unless the employees tell someone that they are having problems, it may take a long time for someone to notice, but this is not the case with online training. This can be extremely beneficial to Blockbuster Video when it comes time for employee evaluations. Since they have so many employees, it can be difficult to track every employee’s performance. However, if online training was employed, the system would track employee’s performances for them. This way, the managers would have concrete evidence of the employees’ performance. Online training can also be beneficial for legal purposes. Blockbuster Video would have proof that their employees read and understood their policies.21 Being able to measure the outcomes that online training would provide is a very enticing aspect of it. Blockbuster Video would be able to improve their staffs’ performance because they could see where they needed more work. If their staff is working at their full potential, then Blockbuster Video should see an increase in their profits. How to Decide What System to Use. If Blockbuster Video decides to implement online training, then they need to be aware of their different options. In order for them to reap the benefits that they want, they must pick an online training system that will work for them. There are five different levels of online training that should be considered. These include general communication, online reference, testing, assessment, and surveying, distribution of computer based training, and delivery of multimedia.22 It is important for Blockbuster Video to evaluate all of these levels before making their final decision. This next section will briefly discuss what Blockbuster Video could expect from the five different online training levels. The first level is called general communication. This level provides communication between the employees and the managers who are training them.23 This can simply be in a question answer type format. This level does not provide interactivity, and therefore would probably not be worth implementing. Online reference is what the second level is referred to. This level allows for more information to be present, but still does not include interaction, which is vital to make online training effective. The data that might be included in this level is information on the products and services and technical information on the computers that they are required to use.24 20 Michael Laff, “The Need For Speed,” T & D vol. 61.2 p.44-47 (2007), April 2, 2007 Academic Search Premier. 21 Phil Britt, “ELEARNING on the Rise.” EContent vol. 27.11 p. 36-40(2004), April, 2 2007 Academic Search Premier. http://search.ebscohost.com. 22 Kevin Kruse, “Five Levels of Internet-based Training.” Training & Development vol. 51.2 p. 60 (1997), April, 2 2007 Academic Search Premier. http://search.ebscohost.com. 23 Kevin Kruse, “Five Levels of Internet-based Training.” Training & Development vol. 51.2 p. 60 (1997), April, 2 2007 Academic Search Premier. http://search.ebscohost.com. 24 Kevin Kruse, “Five Levels of Internet-based Training.” Training & Development vol. 51.2 p. 60 (1997), 11 The third level of online training is testing, assessment, and surveying. This level is where online training starts becoming more of what Blockbuster Video may be interested in. It allows employees to take tests on products and services and then submit them to their manager.25 The tests can be scored automatically, and therefore the results are quickly available. Distribution of computer based training is the fourth level. This level is where interactivity becomes available. It allows for tests to be taken, different training modules that can be accessed at employees’ convenience, and it has video and audio features available.26 The fifth level, and probably the most beneficial, is called delivery of multimedia. This level would provide Blockbuster Video with all of the most up-to-date components that online training has to offer. This includes “interactive lessons, sound, animation, and video.”27 Although all of the latest features are included in this type of system, it would also cost the most. However, “the more engaging and interactive the training, the more effective the learning.”28 This style of online training would be expensive, but it would definitely be the most effective. April, 2 2007 Academic Search Premier. http://search.ebscohost.com. 25 Kevin Kruse, “Five Levels of Internet-based Training.” Training & Development vol. 51.2 p. 60 (1997), April, 2 2007 Academic Search Premier. http://search.ebscohost.com. 26 Kevin Kruse, “Five Levels of Internet-based Training.” Training & Development vol. 51.2 p. 60 (1997), April, 2 2007 Academic Search Premier. http://search.ebscohost.com. 27 Kevin Kruse, “Five Levels of Internet-based Training.” Training & Development vol. 51.2 p. 60 (1997), April, 2 2007 Academic Search Premier. http://search.ebscohost.com. 28 Kevin Kruse, “Five Levels of Internet-based Training.” Training & Development vol. 51.2 p. 60 (1997), April, 2 2007 Academic Search Premier. http://search.ebscohost.com. 12 CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS Now that all of the benefits, concerns, measurable features, and choices of what type of online training systems are available have been discussed, a decision needs to be made. The next section of this report will readdress the issues involved in online training and also make a recommendation. SUMMARY Blockbuster Video should look at online training as a beneficial investment rather than a cost. It is apparent that initial costs of implementing it will be high, but it will clearly pay off because it will end up costing Blockbuster Video less on training in the future. Online training is an effective way to provide consistent, effective training to all employees. However, employees still need face-toface training. With better training, Blockbuster Video can expect to see an increase in sales, which in turn will also increase their profitability. Online training is very convenient and it allows for interaction, which makes the employees learn better. Online training will make it possible for Blockbuster Video to measure the effectiveness it brings. The results can be calculated within days instead of months. Also, there are many choices as to which type of online training system Blockbuster Video wants to utilize. These range in price and effectiveness. RECOMMENDATIONS Some managers may argue that online training will not provide the advantages that they want due to the complexity of the system. This may be true due to the fact that not all people have computer skills or else they just simply learn differently. However, this is not a reason to forgo this great opportunity of implementing a cost-efficient, effective training method. The benefits that Blockbuster Video could gain from online training are too great to not take advantage of it. It will allow for more consistent, effective, and measurable training. Blockbuster Video should decide on which level of online training would be the most beneficial to them, and employ it. From the above graph and the information provided on each of the levels, the fourth level would be advantageous to Blockbuster Video. However, the fifth level would be the most effective. Even though it is the most expensive, there are too many benefits to forgo it. Online training systems are being critiqued everyday and constantly modified in order to make them better. If Blockbuster Video does not implement the best system, they may be soon forced to update it anyway. Therefore, in order for Blockbuster Video to gain the most benefits from online training, they should implement a level five system. Also, in order to make online training as effective as possible, face-to-face training should not be fully replaced by it. Employees still need that type of training in order for them to work at their full potential. 13 BIBLIOGRAPHY Barrob, Tom. “Harnessing Online Learning.” Training & Development vol. 53.9 (1999): p. 28. Academic Search Premier. Purchase answer to see full attachment