Measuring Training Effectiveness in the Western Regional Power Company (WLPC)

One of the most important and challenging task of human resources management (HRM) is measuring the effectiveness of training programs. Training effectiveness is a multidimensional and complex concept that consists of many organizational variables and processes.This article reports main results of a descriptive research study on effectiveness of short term courses offered for technicians and engineers of the Western Regional Power Company (WLPC), affiliated to Power Ministry of IRAN (1383/2004-2005). A questionnaire was administered to a randomly selected sample of 172 (124 trainee and 48 managers) from four western provinces of the region.The questionnaire was based on the Kirkpatrick model for measuring training effectiveness. The Cronbach alpha for the trainees' and managers' questionnaire were .93 and .89, respectively.
Results showed that the effectiveness of courses ranges from 70.2% to 88.4% at different levels of the model.Finally, given the strengths and weaknesses, some solutions and recommendations were suggested to improve the planning and management processes in WLPC training programs.