The Influence of Training Focus and Trainer Characteristics on Diversity Training Effectiveness

Holladay, Courtney L.; Quiñones, Miguel Á.

doi:10.5465/amle.2008.34251672

Cited by 56 publications

(54 citation statements)

References 34 publications

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“…Unfortunately, advice to control for T-T similarity is not necessarily practical because similarity is not a proficiency-based criterion upon which trainees can be selected. Still, the results of this study, along with other evidence (Holladay & Quinones, 2008), indicate that trainers' attributes significantly influence how trainees socially react and ultimately learn. Because of its difficult manipulation prior to training, our call is for a conscious control of personality expressions in training.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 49%

Similarity attraction in learning contexts: An empirical study

Varela

Cater

Michel

2011

Human Resource Dev Quarterly

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This study tests a process model of learning in which trainer and trainee traits are simultaneously considered as endogenous variables of learning outcomes. The article builds on a social view of training (Kraiger, 2008) and similarityattraction paradigms (Byrne, 1971). In this context, we hypothesize that trainer-trainee similarity in personality (agreeableness) engenders social reactions that influence how much trainees learn. To test the study hypotheses, undergraduate students (N ϭ 194) participated in a training program during an academic semester. Results from structural-equation modeling indicate that similarity in personality acted on trainees' emotional states, which, in turn, accounted for trainees' posttraining declarative knowledge. With the use of hierarchical regression procedures, results indicated that personality similarity explained incremental variance of posttraining declarative knowledge beyond modal learning correlates (e.g., cognitive abilities, conscientiousness). Our results provide evidence of a social view of training in which combined attributes of dyads (trainer-trainee) account for learning results that the extant literature primarily relates to individual-level variables (e.g., cognitive abilities). The discussion section addresses theoretical implications of our findings, with special emphasis on compositional approaches of personality. From an applied perspective, we discuss why corporate trainers should consider the role of their personality in training, and we also make suggestions for weighting the effect of personality similarity when evaluating training results.Training may be characterized as a social event (Kraiger, 2008), a series of interpersonal exchanges that enhances a trainee' s ability to understand and further elaborate subject materials. Dialogical theories of learning (Flecha, 2000) argue in this line by placing dialogue and reflection at the core of knowledge acquisition and skill development (Wells, 1999). According to this view, knowledge is transacted; it is negotiated in the contentions occurring in learning events (Palinscar, 1998). Rather than unidirectionally transmitted (from instructors to learners), knowledge is seen as a bipartisan creation of meanings fueled by the exchanges in education. Indeed, educational research indicates that instructors and learners'

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 49%

Similarity attraction in learning contexts: An empirical study

Varela

Cater

Michel

2011

Human Resource Dev Quarterly

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“…In our analysis of the articles, we focused on trainee reactions, affective or attitudinal, cognitive, and behavioral learning outcomes in line with Kraiger et al, (1993) and Kirkpatrick and Kirkpatrick (2006) and consistent with recent research by Brown (2005), Dierdorff (2010), and Holladay and Quinones (2008). We examined both short-and long-term effects of training.…”

Section: Diversity Training Outcomesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Some studies also examined reactions in terms of expected backlash (trainees' beliefs that the training will make things worse for minority members by threatening the majority), organizational message (trainees' perceptions of how the training program will impact the organization), and likelihood of transfer (trainees' perceptions that the content presented in the course will increase their ability to interact with different others; Holladay et al, 2003;Holladay & Quinones, 2008). For example, in the Holladay and Quinones (2008) study, a 20-item scale was used to assess participants' backlash against the training and reactions toward the trainer in a sample of 191 undergraduate psychology students. Holladay and Quinones found that when the training focused on similarities among individuals, trainees expected fewer instances of backlash and were more effective at resolving conflicts than when the training focused on differences among individuals.…”

Section: Diversity Training Outcomesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Here research describes not only explicitly (via self-reports) or implicitly identified skills, but also objective behaviors and results. The most frequently used self-reports are based on assessments of trainees' abilities to resolve conflict (Holladay & Quinones, 2008) or measure self-perceptions of behaviors believed to contribute to effective diversity management in the workplace (e.g., "openly discourages comments or jokes that perpetuate stereotypes or prejudice," Hanover & Cellar, 1998). An example of an implicit measure includes a Q-sort activity to identify the type of people with whom participants felt least comfortable and then designate levels of intensity of participants' feelings.…”

Section: Diversity Training Outcomesmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Reviewing Diversity Training: Where We Have Been and Where We Should Go

Bezrukova

Jehn

Spell

2012

AMLE

242

214

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We review and critically examine 178 articles whose authors have investigated numerous aspects of diversity training programs on campuses and in the workplace. We first examine the characteristics of the research, including sample, study method, and theoretical framework. Consistent with the training framework of Baldwin and Ford (1988) and Blume and colleagues (2010), we then organize the articles by the context of training, training design, trainees' characteristics, and training outputs. Although we found a myriad of different forms, shapes, and combinations of diversity training in terms of its design elements, some programs (e.g., integrated training) were relatively rare, yet authors viewed them more positively than other programs (e.g., stand-alone training). We discuss gaps in the literature and provide suggestions for future research on diversity training.

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“…The second type refers to how much new knowledge is acquired. The third type refers to perceived changes in participants' skills (Holladay & Quinones, 2008;Kraiger, Ford, & Salas, 1993).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Appreciative Inquiry: An Effective Training Alternative to Traditional Adult Learning?

Day¹,

Holladay²

2012

PSYCH

Self Cite

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While the practice of positive psychology has flourished in the last decade, critics still point to the lack of intervention-based research and empirical evidence as a shortcoming of this field. Appreciative inquiry (AI), an intervention with similar theoretical underpinnings as positive psychology, has the capacity to expand what is known about the impact of positivity in the study of organizations. AI is an intervention that uses reflective questions of positive experiences to create new opportunities. However, there is scant research on its effectiveness in real-world settings. This study extends this line of research by evaluating the effectiveness of AI as an alternative to conventional adult learning methodologies, as well as an applied example of an intervention based on positive psychology to study organizational change. Results from changes in pre-and post-assessments following three AI-based interventions, when compared to those from a control group, suggest AI can lead to significant gains in participants' perceived attitudinal, behavioral, and cognitive learning similar to traditional adult learning methodologies. In addition, these results suggest AI interventions paired with real-world problem solving opportunities yield greater gains in participants' perceived confidence to demonstrate positive interpersonal skills. Implications for using AI in the course of adult learning are discussed.

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The Influence of Training Focus and Trainer Characteristics on Diversity Training Effectiveness

Cited by 56 publications

References 34 publications

Similarity attraction in learning contexts: An empirical study

Similarity attraction in learning contexts: An empirical study

Reviewing Diversity Training: Where We Have Been and Where We Should Go

Appreciative Inquiry: An Effective Training Alternative to Traditional Adult Learning?

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