Establishing the financial returns arising from an evaluation of a retail training programme
Industrial and Commercial Training
ISSN: 0019-7858
Article publication date: 27 October 2017
Issue publication date: 2 January 2018
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to propose an evaluation of training for shop assistants, specifically in retail chains.
Design/methodology/approach
The proposed evaluation is based on Kirkpatrick’s model and Phillips’ modification. The representative case study includes the application of the training evaluation at the fourth and fifth levels of evaluation in a particular chain of retail stores. The data were collected from the retail chain’s financial reports, internal documents related to training of employees and interviews with managers in the retail chain.
Findings
The results contribute to the training evaluation literature by presenting a training evaluation for shop assistant using evidence from a retail chain. The training focussed on selling skills and product knowledge; the details of evaluating the training are presented, encompassing mainly the benefits and costs of the training and return on investment calculation.
Research limitations/implications
The training evaluation was tested only in selected types of training courses for shop assistants. To generalise the results, its adoption in different types of training and retail companies is required in future research.
Practical implications
The application of this training evaluation should help to achieve training objectives and enhance the quality of training in the retail chain. The results of the paper can be used as practical inspiration for managers of retail stores.
Originality/value
This paper proposes and applies a specific evaluation of training courses in retail.
Keywords
Citation
Olexová, C. (2018), "Establishing the financial returns arising from an evaluation of a retail training programme", Industrial and Commercial Training, Vol. 50 No. 1, pp. 20-31. https://doi.org/10.1108/ICT-02-2017-0016
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2018, Emerald Publishing Limited