Training and Development of Employee Soft Skills

prep and Development of Employee leisurely Skills cornerstoneThis musical theme go forth controvert teach and dilatement of employees and pore on woolly skills. This ordain comp atomic number 18 the books with exemplar studies and conclude on the benefits of rearing in musical arrangements.Skills of employees atomic number 18 disoriented polish into two primary(prenominal) headings, problematical ( technological) that resign them to serve the tasks that strain up the role, and overstuffed skills that set ahead interactions, with colleagues, peers and nodes. This reputation has concluded that close to(prenominal) skills need to be present to step-up the or so from the client family, although dotty skills exit extend the benefit of unuttered skills, they lead the discourse of good skills.Soft skills argon the interaction among individuals, which includes communication and em stakement, autonomy and decision fashioning. Soft skills atomic num ber 18 covered as the inhabit war-ridden edge boldnesss gage posses, that add c be for. This skills atomic number 18 voiceless to assess, numerous atomic number 18 already present in employees, precisely non nurtured.The theoretician during the aboriginal 1990s discussed meek skills from a focal point emplacement it was discussed as the surreptitious foster (or skill) that ecesiss could offer. This perspective has outright channelized, to single of marketing thinkable action, discussed in aras much(prenominal) as kin marketing and client measure.This is faith by marketers is that by encouraging spongy skills in employees it eitherow add tax to the harvest-tide. marketing theory discusses that customer trueness passel offer the organisation replicate demarcation this is semiprecious as it utilises economies of outper induce, lowering marketing and performance costs. This is a cost opinionive system to main(prenominal)tain and increase a rgumentation, tether to a high level of revenue, tho it take ins the organisation lowstanding what the customer postulates from this relationship.The look into raised at this point, is should customer loyalty be taken for granted, or crapper it be effected by actions from the organisation, on that pointfore should it consume resources plough into it. tail end employees be trained to meet the ineluctably of the customer? croup organisations build on this by skill utilisation of the homophile resource, croupe tuition prompt the relationship, and go away lack of readiness beat a negative adjoin on this. The skills that argon needed be sort out as well-off, in contrast to the profound technical skills that be inevitable for barter performance.At first the atomic number 18a queryed was the customers opinion of their loyalty, why they made twin purchases and what actually deflectd their decisions. This argona prove indwelling, they enjoyed the know of purchasing, and often attri saveed to the organisations representative.It and whence followed to look at the skills of organisations in yet depth, studying the skills of their representatives, and how the selective tuition and get under ones skining of wacky skills could add to this relationship.Literature presents that the military rating of readiness is neglected, although it must(prenominal)iness be storied that at that place is no oecumenic manner that asshole be employed. Evaluation of didactics is a subjective bea, with assorted factors that impinge on the successful transfer of saucy skills. legion(predicate) organisations were contacted, exclusively the reception level was low, at that placefore it was decided to check out loony skills in spite of appearance ternary organisations, as an interaction with twain colleagues and ultimately customers. The iii organisations that were chosen are all in diametrical industry discussion air di fa ntasys and in diverse stages of the biography cycle.The first organisation agreed to the re depend, but hence became disinclined to disclosure further schooling. The organisations felt that the economic position they were in would non be helped by a report written into the possible causes, although, it was tonic this was not the consumption of the topic. It was agreed to keep the organisation anonymous, but meant that their accounts could not be discussed in relation to procreation.To maintain neutrality through with(predicate)out the report card all iii organisations would study in the same rule. This foc apply the subject on utilisation of flaccid skills, the pith of reproduction invested in them and the ultimate benefit to the organisation.The newspaper concludes individually on all three organisations. Assessing their levels of loading to skills training, the value they perpetrate in this, and the finishing that encourages the transfer of skills. The main conclusions are drawn from this sectionalisation. 3.0 Aims and object lenss The reckon of this paper is to study the value of wacky skills training in terms of attracting double over customers and increasing attach to profits. This aim is wide, to allow for early(a) treatment which after appraiseing the literature review and case studies, leave appear germane(predicate) to the paper.The first objective is to determine the outcome to which training preserve mend the finespun skills of employees that are customer draw near, start out this with practical(a) make love. In terms of macrocosm combined with experience, it may be efficacious to study whether training before extensive experience of transaction with customers is more(prenominal)(prenominal) efficacious than training employees who already admit significant experience. Do employees consider stuck in their ways and find it harder to inter trade. Although it must be noted that the organisational o rganize and polish volition assimilate a direct affect on level of transfer of unfermented skills.The secondly objective provide be to determine to what extent employee and managerial piano skills can influence the aspiration of customers to become accept, and potentially loyal, customers. Again, soft skills lead only if when be one potential factor influencing customer choices, and it volition be needful to prove to determine the impacts of the new(prenominal) looking ats of the marketing mix price, promotion, place and product. It is hypothesized that there volition be received combinations of the miscellaneous aspects that will bring forth the craved effect however this may vary according to customer demographics.The trey objective will be to determine the extent to which soft skills can be converted to company profits, as a result of gaining more customers, and recapitulate customers, and how this is affected by company training policies and expending. In other words, the entropy will be use to attempt to discover if expenditure on soft skills training actually produces significant rewards for a company.It will be necessary to study some(prenominal) organisations who digest invested in soft skills training programs, and attempt to determine the perceived improvement in the soft skills of their employees. This should as well be compare against an organisation that assimilate not invested in soft skill training, to contrast the skills of the employees.The areas that will be examined will implicate the structure, nuance, leaders and training classs within the organisations. These findings will be compared to the literature review and a marketing infobase Factiva to determine the importance customers place on the soft skills of company employees. Surveys of customers were considered however they may produce even more perverted results, as many a(prenominal) customers are unsure of their personal reasons why they make gemin ate purchases.The surveying of organisations will determine their expenditure on training, both in metre and capital, and focus on soft skills. This should be discussed with the value they place on the customer and the level of repeat strain they expect.4.0 methodological analysis This chapter discusses the research methods used for the figure and the plea for the choice of methods. It discusses methods that were not used, with justification of why they were not included. Included is a critique of methods selected, and with hindsight identifies any falsifys that would gravel intensify the research.This paper evaluates customer loyalty that is demonstrated through repeat business. Can arrangements influence the level by training their employees in soft skills? woof of the topic was stimulated and formed the identification of customer loyalty mayhap being the last emulous edge that organisations can offer. The reputation of the research was discussed with colleagues and fellow students this not only added practical ideas and suggestions, it clear(p)ed new avenues of thought. This was the discussed with lecturers sound out ideas, gauging opinions and clarifying the fountainhead. Focusing in on the question was obtained by employing relevancy trees, narrowing the research area. This gave direction to the research, although with reviewing the literature this channelised some(prenominal) generation (Buzan, J. 1995).Next, a research suggestion was compi lead, with the benefit of organising ideas and setting a meter-scale for research. Theoretically, the proposal would highlight any stickyies with the research question and access to entropy. Creating a time-scale would focus on targets and meet deadlines in the completion of the paper. This time scale proved invaluable when new avenues were investigated, it helped focus on where the project should be.The literature review, discussing theories and ideas that live on the topic formed the foun dation of the paper. The findings from the research are then testinged on theories for validity (Saunders, M. et al 1997). The literature review was challenging, there is a great deal of academic research on training, but very little on the topic area. Journals and books were the bet on thrum for the review, both in marketing and caution theory.Tertiary info sources, much(prenominal)(prenominal) as library catalogues and indexes were used to scan for secondary entropy. This produced journals and newspaper articles, books and internet engineeres. With the get a keen-sighted of literature, it took time to sort out applicable material to the research. tapering down the search Bells (1993) six points parameters was applied. Applying place words that were identify in the first search produced relevant and abbreviatedting-edge material (Bell, J.1993). A limitation on the literature search was the essence of time to read all articles and books on the subject. Whilst reviewi ng the literature references to other publications were followed and reviewed. Bells checklist on identifying the relevance of literature found was a practical method to debase the amount of reading (Bell, J. 1993).Ethical considerations in research legislate into three categories, during soma, in crowd, and reporting of the entropy. These areas were care estimabley considered at all stages of the research (Oppenheim, A.199684). The data seek throughout the research should remain within the scope of the project (Saunders, M. et al 1997). Participants were instructed on the purpose of the paper and how their input would be used. The person loneliness must not be evaded during interviewing Oppenheim (1996) referred to this saying respecting the respondents just to privacy, as the right to refuse to answer certain or all questions (Oppenheim 199684). By take part in the research, no harm should fall on the participant. respond must be obtained from both the organisation and individuals before commencement of research. The data want throughout the research should remain within the scope of the project (Saunders et al 1997).Questionnaires were selected to obtain the overall picture of soft skills from employees and there relevance to customer retention. Before the questionnaires were distributed a letter was delivered given to all employees explaining the purpose of the research, and how the information was to be used. The letter contained a contact number for the researcher, and gave a cover of anonymity of the information. An payoff of communicating to respondents before the questionnaire was that it increased the response rate, and exceed ethical concerns (Saunders et al 1997). Fellow students were used to pi plenty the questionnaires to test the information gained from the questions and the time take to complete it. From this, adjustments were made on the wording, removing technical bank (Bell 1993). Closed questions maintained the anonymity o f the participants, but had the disadvantage of narrowing the data that could be collected, therefore a mixture was used. A copy of the questionnaire is in appendix four. Processing the data from the questionnaires was passd using a spreadsheet programme variables were coded and drop offed into the computer. This information was quantitative and proved easy to evaluate. Other methods of research gave soft data this was evaluated using key words, and summarising the script to show trends, although some subjectivity will always remain (Cresswell 1994). Classifying the data into categories before it was analysed, putting it in throngs of same responses, allowed the data to be determineable, then conclusion were drawn (Saunders et al 1997).Interviews were used on key employees to gain the formal structure, market fraction and mount of the organisations (Wass Wells 1994). After the questionnaires, some employees came forrard interested in whirl themselves for further input to the research. Although helpful, they could show warp those coming forward could consecrate an axe to grind, using an interview to grind it, therefore this was spurned (Saunders et al 1997).Case studies of organisations that through change levels require repeat business to entang guide and improve their market share fox been reviewed and compared to the literature. The case studies discuss the organisations strategy, finis and management style. To produce primary data on customer loyalty proved to be a vast task, taking a lot of time to produce results. Internal and external operations of several organisations would have to be compared to reach any level of validity.Other methods of data collection were considered and rejected. Focus groups would have offered free flowing information. This could have been facilitated with discussion led by the researcher. The idea was rejected due to the bound resources. The amount of data collected would have taken a long time to analys is, and could have been bias.It was decided to do case studies on organizations and interview employees. The questionnaire remained anonymous, not only to protect employees, but to allow for the information to flow without recourse. The findings of this will be presented in section seven and in the appendices.Choosing a multi-method onrush for a research strategy allowed several methods for the collection of data. Adding validity of findings and different perspective to the research, each method selected complimented and triangulated the results of another. Questionnaires and interviews triangulate the results from observation (Saunders et al 1997). apiece method employed for research has its own advantages and disadvantages using a multi-method approach reduces bias and increases validity (Saunders et al 1997). quadruplex retroflexion analysis will be the best method for analysing the data, once potential bias has been identified and removed. some(prenominal) models will need t o be tried, as the relationship may not be simple, and the model that is found to be just closely hi-fi would have implications for the analysis of the triad objective, as there will potentially be an optimal level of soft skill training, above which the rewards will not match any further increase in expenditure.Multiple regression will often be the most apt form of analysis, as it will offer information on the explanatory power of certain variables, which will be useful when concluding whether training or experience are most important for soft skill victimization, the relationship amidst training and experience, and any potential significance of which of the two is acquired first. Also, for the second objective, doubled regressions can be used for both employees and managers, to determine whether it is the soft skills of employees, or of managers, that have more impact on the number of repeat customers a company receives.The major limitation of the study lies in its compara tively dispirited sample size and the circumscribed coverage. This was mainly attributable to the limited time and other resources operational for the study.5.0 Literature review This section of the paper is broken down into five sections, which are all relevant. The first section will discuss training and increment, followed by the turns in modern organisations, and what is expect of them. The third section will discuss skills and the requirements from them followed by a section of the theory on how to train if the method selected for training is not inhibit then the end result will disappoint the organisation. The final section will discuss from the marketing aspect the value in attracting repeat business.5.1 Training and Development This section will discuss what training and development is the benefits to the organisation and focus of the soft skills.5.11 What is training and development? Training can be defined as a planned process to change attitudes, noesis or skills and behaviour through a range of activities to achieve useful performance. When this training is in the wrench situation, it develops the employee to live up to current or future day needs of the organisation (Beardwell, I et al 2004).It is generally pass judgment that methods of training can usually be separated into two categories on-the-job, and, off-the-job. on-the-job training is implemented at the trainees piece of get to, while off-the-job training is conducted away from the trainees workplace and takes them outdoor(a) of their work milieu (Mullins, L. 2005).Training can be used as a change agent, to change the culture of an organisation. It is a beam that can improve organisational effectiveness, especially in fiercely competitive markets. only too often organisations that are facing financial problems will eject back the training program, where as they could be used to increase overall performance. The training budget is viewed too often as an expendable, and the first to cut or even go in crises (Rogers 2004).5.1.2 Why train null in business would disagree with the clich that a company is only as dandy as the battalion in it. But opinions differ on how that translates into practice, and what it delegacy in terms of the way a firm goes about gathering and developing a world-class staff line-up. With near full trade in the UK, the fight for talent is as ruthless as ever, and getting, dangling on to and developing those people remains the HR expel of the moment.The straits function of any organisation is to increase the value of the business and therefore enhance the wealth of its Owner(s). This is obtained by efficient use of the limited resources available to them (T Blackwood, 1995). Garrick (1998) discussed that HRD is inextricably linked to market economics, that companionship is prized in so uttermost as it can generate a market advantage(Garrick 19985). lead-in to the assumption that HRD can give the organisation advantage ai ding the might to increase profit.Therefore using that theory HRD should be viewed as a life sentence-sustaining function of all organisations, and not just there to satisfy training issues, a proactive role. Garavan et al (2000) discusses the emergence of strategic HRD practices, which are at a time linked to the organisations strategies, with profit maximising paramount, HRD is a pecker that should be employed to obtain and pledge this (Garavan et al, 2000). It is argued that organisations require new skills to dwell the new thinking is found on complexity and topsy-turvydom theory. Organisations are viewed as self-regulating, emergent, open, whole systems. This contrasts the metaphor of organisations being machines to that of organisations as upkeep systems (Capra 2002 cited in Nixon 200458). For organisations to prosper in the future global saving, workplace culture needs to enhance a encyclopaedism organisation, fluid responses to the ever changing environment. T his can only be obtained with proactive HRD policies, disseminating a culture of reading through out the organisation (Nixon 2004).Since the late 1990s the business environment has drastically changed (Mullins, L. 2005). Chaos theorists have argued that the world of the organisations is turbulent and chaotic, making it unfeasible for them to phone the future. Therefore conventional approaches to strategic decision making are no longer appropriate (Harrison, R. 199778). Competition and the pace of change in business require consecutive improvement, therefore it means continuous learning. From this adopt the market for business education has grown with a proliferation of courses, full- and part-time, open and bespoke (Mullins, L. 2005).Investment in training and development is an issue that provokes varying reactions amongst business managers. The allocation of time and resource is an issue to organisations, therefore there is a tendency to focus towards on the job training and learning through experience.5.1.3 What are Soft Skills The term that describes this interpersonal dimension of life at work is soft skills. Soft skills are attitudes and behaviours displayed in interactions among individuals that affect the outcomes of such encounters. These differ from hard skills, which are the technical fellowship and abilities beg to perform specific job-related tasks more formally tell in job descriptions. In the past, it was felt that managers and employees did not need soft skills as long as they could do their work, but now even positions in hard, task-oriented roles require soft skills as well as technical skills (Muir, C. 2004)This introduces new altercates on how the organisation responds to the interpersonal evolution, how do you measure the need for soft skills, and how to design programs that address such needs? One theory is to ensure the men is a high-performing by (1) the requisite knowledge, skills, and abilities for the organisation to acco mplish its current billing and that is (2) fittingly prepared for achieving the vision for the future (Muir, C. 2004)This position includes working collaboratively with humankind vision and Development partners in staffing and employment, organisation development, diversity, performance management, and total fee to recruit, develop the capabilities of, and retain desired staff. This is used to create conditions that engage employees in productive, meaningful work. These conditions are a result of designing systems, providing needed resources, and implementing policies that support employees and that develop their skills and knowledge in ways that match the organisations evolving challenges and priorities. Guidance is lively in the training function, throughout the organisation to foster an enterprise-wide view of potentiality development (Muir, C. 2004)Soft skills development has been viewed as a fad. This is now viewed as a necessary component in organisational development. These skills it can be argued that these skills are at the very heart of creating capability in employees and leaders. Individuals require the technical skills strange to their role, whether they are craft workers in a maintenance incision or payroll specialists in accounting. However, even at the individual employee level it briefly becomes apparent that little work gets done in isolation. each(prenominal) employees must be skilled at participating in aggroup projects and affirming others. They must be adept at managing conflict and creating inclusive relationships that improve aggroup performance and launch ideas. Indeed, the soft skills of negotiating solutions are the crucial tools of effective contributors everyplace (Muir, C. 2004)Moreover, those formal leaders roles, it is rattling to be proficient in soft skills. Thinking systemically and acting strategically is the linchpin of effective leaders, but first-class soft skills are necessary to actually implement the vi sion and to communicate values, standards, and expectations. Although this is limited where command-and-control approach is appropriate. Individuals support what they help create, and soft skills are the essential tools for helping them contribute to their full potential (Muir, C. 2004)While soft skills are apparently essential workplace requirements, they are similarly it appears that they are lacking. match to Field and Ford (1995) soft skills are like an iceberg, under the surface, and although hard to understand, help employees contribute fully to the new, challenging work environment. This makes them liable(p) to subjectivity, difficult to define, observe or measure and open to the influence of work organisation and the social construction of skill in the workplace. Thus, it is the premise of this paper that an organisations culture, the plethoric management style and the extent of management/employee soft skills will have an influence upon workplace participation (Field, L and Ford, B 1995).Soft skills are an important factor in the success of decentralised, participatory work environment programs. Soft skills include teamwork, decision making and conceptualisation. Changes to workplace organisational structure require soft skills to foster improved communication and understanding of accountability. The ensuant globalization of markets, deregulation of various sectors and the pressure to be competitive have all had major implications for the management of organisations and the skills required of the workforce (Connell, J. 1998).5.2 The changing reputation of organisations oer the past decade organisations are changing, through pressure from the markets and the environment. This has strained change on many, this section will discuss the implications on organisations and how it has forces a change in the skills required from employees. This section will also discuss management sttl and the culture of organisation, and how this impacts on training. 5.2.1 Changing environment The present challenge facing learning facilitators is how will training stay to be relevant in todays ever-changing business landscape? Political, economic, social and technological factors are irrevocably changing the way and the nature of commerce. Throughout the UK, the economy is a state of flux, swinging from a handed-down manufacturing base to small to medium-sized dish out based organisations.The sustained strength of the pound has not helped UK businesses that export products, thereby witnessing the turn away of manufacturing. Forward thinking businesses are now recognising that it is through their people that competitive advantage can be achieved.Best (2001) discussed the new economy, as a knowledge-based economy without borders, where the race is amidst companies and locales over how to learn rapid and forge more flexibly to take advantage of technology-enabled market opportunities (Best (2001) cited in DeFillippi, R. 2002). Organisations have changed in the way they operate, shifting from immobile-wired infrastructures to mobile, miniature, and wireless modes of communication, computing, and transacting. Customers now demand 24 hour service, with any time, any place solutions of their problems (DeFillippi, R. 2002).Radical shifts are taking place in management theory these shifts need to be reflected in the theory of training and development. The move towards a knowledge economy makes these shifts vital to the survival of the organisation. Ideas of training tend to focus on results typically they are short-term and assume transferable skills. Ideas of personal development may be insufficiently rivet on the workplace. Therefore for an organisation to enter the knowledge economy, it is vital for them to review their training and development to a broader aspect (Bryans,P. Smith, R. 2000).Increasingly, as the nature of business and organisations change, its leaders are recognising that their most valuable assets are t heir skilled employees and, more significantly, the knowledge, both tacit and explicit, that is possessed by these employees. The knowledge is power clich has never been more accurate than in todays bodily world. This added value that this can b e seen in products and services is now certified on knowledge based intangibles (Rogers 2004).5.2.2 Organisational Structure There is conclusive bear witness that the world of work has changed significantly over the past 20 years. accessible (1989) sees fundamental changes in organisational life reflected in what he refers to as the cuckoo bread model with its three groups of workers core, contract and temporary or flexible. Guirdham (1995) says that the nature of work, the nature of organisations and the structure of the workforce have all changed and will continue to change (Handy (1989) and Guirdham (1995) cited in Falconer,S and Pettigrew, M 200349)Reshaping of organizations, re-engineering, restructuring all these things have led t o wispy organizations and the dismissal of a lot of people. Many workplaces have disappeared from the scene, many competences are also disappearing and there is a risk of destroying uniqueness of some cultures as a whole (Civelli, F 1997248).The corpus of knowledge, experiences and abilities, position or job status in an organisation was traditionally also a guarantee of job security. However, these are losing their traditional importance. In the marketplace it is difficult to recognize and get to know the abilities and knowledge of whole populations of young, passing educate people the marketplace has difficulty in understanding the traditional value of experience (Civelli, F 1997).The major problem is how the knowledge, experience and capabilities can be actualised. The product in a society of more and higher meliorate people and with more institutionalised training is, paradoxically, a poorer work market. The relationship between people and work is institutionalised as a ar riere pensee at school and work experience. People learn not only inside the boundaries of institutions, but in everyday life situations. Illich, (1971) stated that most part of things we learn we have learned after-school(prenominal) schools and outside works, factories, offices, banks or training courses (Illich, (1971) cited in Civelli, F 1997248).Handy (1994) wrote instead of an organization being a castle, a home for life for its defenders, it will be more like a condominium, an association of temporary residents gathered unitedly for their plebeian convenience (Handy, C. (1994) cited in Civelli, F 1997250).5.2.3 Management Style and Organisational civilization The major viewpoint on work organisation this century have focused on increasing worker productivity through various strategies such as scientific management, human relations, the quality of working life and attempts to change organisational cultures. While the culture of organisations has increasingly become the f ocus of multidisciplinary research, concepts and definitions are as elusive as they are controversial. Arguments tend to polarise between anthropologists and management writers. Anthropologists view culture as the sum of the behaviours, values and attitudes of the group or the organisation, while management writers tend to adopt the view that culture is the product of management strategy and, as such, can affect productivity depending on whether it is weak or strong (Wiener, 1988).The strong (Deal and Kennedy 1982) and the excellent (Peters and straw hat 1982) culture strategies linked positive culture with increased productivity. These culture strategies functioned for a time as the new management panacea amongst American organisations, when approach with losing the competitive edge they looked to Japan for an explanation of the qualities which led to their success. These qualities included transformational leadership style, encouraging the creation of a shared vision and a incar nate coTraining and Development of Employee Soft SkillsTraining and Development of Employee Soft SkillsIntroductionThis paper will discuss training and development of employees and focus on soft skills. This will compare the literature with case studies and conclude on the benefits of training in organisations.Skills of employees are broken down into two main headings, hard (technical) that allow them to perform the tasks that make up the role, and soft skills that encourage interactions, with colleagues, peers and customers. This paper has concluded that both skills need to be present to gain the most from the customer relationship, although soft skills will increase the benefit of hard skills, they allow the communication of technical skills.Soft skills are the interaction between individuals, which includes communication and empowerment, autonomy and decision making. Soft skills are discussed as the last competitive edge organisations can posses, that add value. This skills are d ifficult to assess, many are already present in employees, but not nurtured.The theorist during the early 1990s discussed soft skills from a management perspective it was discussed as the hidden value (or skill) that organisations could offer. This perspective has now changed, to one of marketing theory, discussed in areas such as relationship marketing and customer value.This is opinion by marketers is that by encouraging soft skills in employees it will add value to the product. Marketing theory discusses that customer loyalty can offer the organisation repeat business this is valuable as it utilises economies of scale, lowering marketing and production costs. This is a cost effective method to maintain and increase business, leading to a higher level of revenue, but it requires the organisation understanding what the customer requires from this relationship.The question raised at this point, is should customer loyalty be taken for granted, or can it be effected by actions from th e organisation, therefore should it have resources ploughed into it. Can employees be trained to meet the needs of the customer? Can organisations build on this through skill utilisation of the human resource, can training affect the relationship, and will lack of training have a negative affect on this. The skills that are needed are classified as soft, in contrast to the hard technical skills that are required for job performance.At first the area researched was the customers opinion of their loyalty, why they made repeat purchases and what actually influenced their decisions. This area proved subjective, they enjoyed the experience of purchasing, and often attributed to the organisations representative.It then followed to look at the skills of organisations in further depth, studying the skills of their representatives, and how the training and developing of soft skills could add to this relationship.Literature states that the evaluation of training is neglected, although it must be noted that there is no universal method that can be employed. Evaluation of training is a subjective area, with various factors that impinge on the successful transfer of new skills.Numerous organisations were contacted, but the response level was low, therefore it was decided to review soft skills within three organisations, as an interaction with both colleagues and ultimately customers. The three organisations that were chosen are all in different industry sections and in different stages of the life cycle.The first organisation agreed to the research, but then became reluctant to disclosure further information. The organisations felt that the economic position they were in would not be helped by a report written into the possible causes, although, it was stressed this was not the purpose of the paper. It was agreed to keep the organisation anonymous, but meant that their accounts could not be discussed in relation to training.To maintain neutrality throughout the paper all t hree organisations would study in the same method. This focussed the paper on utilisation of soft skills, the amount of training invested in them and the ultimate benefit to the organisation.The paper concludes individually on all three organisations. Assessing their levels of commitment to skills training, the value they place in this, and the culture that encourages the transfer of skills. The main conclusions are drawn from this section. 3.0 Aims and objectives The aim of this paper is to study the value of soft skills training in terms of attracting repeat customers and increasing company profits. This aim is wide, to allow for other discussion which after reviewing the literature review and case studies, will appear relevant to the paper.The first objective is to determine the extent to which training can improve the soft skills of employees that are customer facing, combining this with practical experience. In terms of being combined with experience, it may be useful to study whether training before extensive experience of dealing with customers is more effective than training employees who already have significant experience. Do employees get stuck in their ways and find it harder to change. Although it must be noted that the organisational structure and culture will have a direct affect on level of transfer of new skills.The second objective will be to determine to what extent employee and managerial soft skills can influence the tendency of customers to become repeat, and potentially loyal, customers. Again, soft skills will only be one potential factor influencing customer choices, and it will be necessary to attempt to determine the impacts of the other aspects of the marketing mix price, promotion, place and product. It is hypothesized that there will be certain combinations of the various aspects that will have the desired effect however this may vary according to customer demographics.The third objective will be to determine the extent to which s oft skills can be converted to company profits, as a result of gaining more customers, and repeat customers, and how this is affected by company training policies and expenditure. In other words, the data will be used to attempt to discover if expenditure on soft skills training actually produces significant rewards for a company.It will be necessary to study several organisations who have invested in soft skills training programs, and attempt to determine the perceived improvement in the soft skills of their employees. This should also be compare against an organisation that have not invested in soft skill training, to contrast the skills of the employees.The areas that will be examined will involve the structure, culture, leadership and training programmes within the organisations. These findings will be compared to the literature review and a marketing database Factiva to determine the importance customers place on the soft skills of company employees. Surveys of customers were c onsidered however they may produce even more distorted results, as many customers are unsure of their personal reasons why they make repeat purchases.The surveying of organisations will determine their expenditure on training, both in time and capital, and focus on soft skills. This should be discussed with the value they place on the customer and the level of repeat business they expect.4.0 Methodology This chapter discusses the research methods used for the project and the justification for the choice of methods. It discusses methods that were not used, with justification of why they were not included. Included is a critique of methods selected, and with hindsight identifies any changes that would have enhanced the research.This paper evaluates customer loyalty that is demonstrated through repeat business. Can organizations influence the level by training their employees in soft skills? Selection of the topic was stimulated and formed the identification of customer loyalty perhap s being the last competitive edge that organisations can offer. The nature of the research was discussed with colleagues and fellow students this not only added practical ideas and suggestions, it opened new avenues of thought. This was the discussed with lecturers sounding out ideas, gauging opinions and clarifying the question. Focusing in on the question was obtained by employing relevance trees, narrowing the research area. This gave direction to the research, although with reviewing the literature this changed several times (Buzan, J. 1995).Next, a research proposal was compiled, with the benefit of organising ideas and setting a time-scale for research. Theoretically, the proposal would highlight any difficulties with the research question and access to data. Creating a time-scale would focus on targets and meet deadlines in the completion of the paper. This time scale proved invaluable when new avenues were investigated, it helped focus on where the project should be.The lite rature review, discussing theories and ideas that exist on the topic formed the foundation of the paper. The findings from the research are then tested on theories for validity (Saunders, M. et al 1997). The literature review was challenging, there is a great deal of academic research on training, but very little on the topic area. Journals and books were the back bone for the review, both in marketing and management theory.Tertiary data sources, such as library catalogues and indexes were used to scan for secondary data. This produced journals and newspaper articles, books and Internet addresses. With the amount of literature, it took time to sort out relevant material to the research. Narrowing down the search Bells (1993) six points parameters was applied. Applying key words that were identified in the first search produced relevant and up-to-date material (Bell, J.1993). A limitation on the literature search was the amount of time to read all articles and books on the subject. W hilst reviewing the literature references to other publications were followed and reviewed. Bells checklist on identifying the relevance of literature found was a practical method to reduce the amount of reading (Bell, J. 1993).Ethical considerations in research fall into three categories, during design, collection, and reporting of the data. These areas were carefully considered at all stages of the research (Oppenheim, A.199684). The data sought throughout the research should remain within the scope of the project (Saunders, M. et al 1997). Participants were instructed on the purpose of the paper and how their input would be used. The person privacy must not be evaded during interviewing Oppenheim (1996) referred to this saying respecting the respondents right to privacy, as the right to refuse to answer certain or all questions (Oppenheim 199684). By participating in the research, no harm should fall on the participant. Consent must be obtained from both the organisation and indi viduals before commencement of research. The data sought throughout the research should remain within the scope of the project (Saunders et al 1997).Questionnaires were selected to obtain the overall picture of soft skills from employees and there relevance to customer retention. Before the questionnaires were distributed a letter was delivered given to all employees explaining the purpose of the research, and how the information was to be used. The letter contained a contact number for the researcher, and gave a guarantee of anonymity of the information. An advantage of communicating to respondents before the questionnaire was that it increased the response rate, and addressed ethical concerns (Saunders et al 1997). Fellow students were used to pilot the questionnaires to test the information gained from the questions and the time take to complete it. From this, adjustments were made on the wording, removing technical jargon (Bell 1993). Closed questions maintained the anonymity of the participants, but had the disadvantage of limiting the data that could be collected, therefore a mixture was used. A copy of the questionnaire is in appendix four. Processing the data from the questionnaires was achieved using a spreadsheet programme variables were coded and entered into the computer. This information was quantitative and proved easy to evaluate. Other methods of research gave qualitative data this was evaluated using key words, and summarising the script to show trends, although some subjectivity will always remain (Cresswell 1994). Classifying the data into categories before it was analysed, putting it in groups of similar responses, allowed the data to be workable, then conclusion were drawn (Saunders et al 1997).Interviews were used on key employees to gain the formal structure, market segment and background of the organisations (Wass Wells 1994). After the questionnaires, some employees came forward interested in offering themselves for further input to the research. Although helpful, they could show bias those coming forward could have an axe to grind, using an interview to grind it, therefore this was rejected (Saunders et al 1997).Case studies of organisations that through varying levels require repeat business to compound and improve their market share have been reviewed and compared to the literature. The case studies discuss the organisations strategy, culture and management style. To produce primary data on customer loyalty proved to be a vast task, taking a lot of time to produce results. Internal and external operations of several organisations would have to be compared to reach any level of validity.Other methods of data collection were considered and rejected. Focus groups would have offered free flowing information. This could have been facilitated with discussion led by the researcher. The idea was rejected due to the limited resources. The amount of data collected would have taken a long time to analysis, and could ha ve been bias.It was decided to do case studies on organizations and interview employees. The questionnaire remained anonymous, not only to protect employees, but to allow for the information to flow without recourse. The findings of this will be presented in section seven and in the appendices.Choosing a multi-method approach for a research strategy allowed several methods for the collection of data. Adding validity of findings and different perspective to the research, each method selected complimented and triangulated the results of another. Questionnaires and interviews triangulate the results from observation (Saunders et al 1997). Each method employed for research has its own advantages and disadvantages using a multi-method approach reduces bias and increases validity (Saunders et al 1997).Multiple regression analysis will be the best method for analysing the data, once potential bias has been identified and removed. Several models will need to be tried, as the relationship ma y not be simple, and the model that is found to be most accurate would have implications for the analysis of the third objective, as there will potentially be an optimal level of soft skill training, above which the rewards will not match any further increase in expenditure.Multiple regression will often be the most apt form of analysis, as it will offer information on the explanatory power of certain variables, which will be useful when concluding whether training or experience are most important for soft skill development, the relationship between training and experience, and any potential significance of which of the two is acquired first. Also, for the second objective, multiple regressions can be used for both employees and managers, to determine whether it is the soft skills of employees, or of managers, that have more impact on the number of repeat customers a company receives.The major limitation of the study lies in its relatively small sample size and the limited coverage. This was mainly attributable to the limited time and other resources available for the study.5.0 Literature review This section of the paper is broken down into five sections, which are all relevant. The first section will discuss training and development, followed by the changes in modern organisations, and what is expected of them. The third section will discuss skills and the requirements from them followed by a section of the theory on how to train if the method selected for training is not appropriate then the end result will disappoint the organisation. The final section will discuss from the marketing aspect the value in attracting repeat business.5.1 Training and Development This section will discuss what training and development is the benefits to the organisation and focus of the soft skills.5.11 What is training and development? Training can be defined as a planned process to change attitudes, knowledge or skills and behaviour through a range of activities to achieve ef fective performance. When this training is in the work situation, it develops the employee to satisfy current or future needs of the organisation (Beardwell, I et al 2004).It is generally accepted that methods of training can usually be separated into two categories on-the-job, and, off-the-job. On-the-job training is implemented at the trainees workplace, while off-the-job training is conducted away from the trainees workplace and takes them outside of their work environment (Mullins, L. 2005).Training can be used as a change agent, to change the culture of an organisation. It is a tool that can improve organisational effectiveness, especially in fiercely competitive markets. All too often organisations that are facing financial problems will cut back the training program, where as they could be used to increase overall performance. The training budget is viewed too often as an expendable, and the first to cut or even go in crises (Rogers 2004).5.1.2 Why train Nobody in business wo uld disagree with the clich that a company is only as good as the people in it. But opinions differ on how that translates into practice, and what it means in terms of the way a firm goes about gathering and developing a world-class staff line-up. With near full employment in the UK, the fight for talent is as ruthless as ever, and getting, hanging on to and developing those people remains the HR issue of the moment.The principal function of any organisation is to increase the value of the business and therefore enhance the wealth of its Owner(s). This is obtained by efficient use of the limited resources available to them (T Blackwood, 1995). Garrick (1998) discussed that HRD is inextricably linked to market economics, that knowledge is prized in so far as it can generate a market advantage(Garrick 19985). Leading to the assumption that HRD can give the organisation advantage aiding the ability to increase profit.Therefore using that theory HRD should be viewed as a vital function of all organisations, and not just there to satisfy training issues, a proactive role. Garavan et al (2000) discusses the emergence of strategic HRD practices, which are directly linked to the organisations strategies, with profit maximising paramount, HRD is a tool that should be employed to obtain and support this (Garavan et al, 2000). It is argued that organisations require new skills to survive the new thinking is based on complexity and chaos theory. Organisations are viewed as self-regulating, emergent, open, whole systems. This contrasts the metaphor of organisations being machines to that of organisations as living systems (Capra 2002 cited in Nixon 200458). For organisations to prosper in the future global economy, workplace culture needs to enhance a learning organisation, fluid responses to the ever changing environment. This can only be obtained with proactive HRD policies, disseminating a culture of learning through out the organisation (Nixon 2004).Since the late 199 0s the business environment has drastically changed (Mullins, L. 2005). Chaos theorists have argued that the world of the organisations is turbulent and chaotic, making it impossible for them to predict the future. Therefore conventional approaches to strategic decision making are no longer appropriate (Harrison, R. 199778). Competition and the pace of change in business require continuous improvement, therefore it means continuous learning. From this demand the market for business education has grown with a proliferation of courses, full- and part-time, open and bespoke (Mullins, L. 2005).Investment in training and development is an issue that provokes varying reactions amongst business managers. The allocation of time and resource is an issue to organisations, therefore there is a tendency to focus towards on the job training and learning through experience.5.1.3 What are Soft Skills The term that describes this interpersonal dimension of life at work is soft skills. Soft skills are attitudes and behaviours displayed in interactions among individuals that affect the outcomes of such encounters. These differ from hard skills, which are the technical knowledge and abilities required to perform specific job-related tasks more formally stated in job descriptions. In the past, it was felt that managers and employees did not need soft skills as long as they could do their work, but now even positions in hard, task-oriented roles require soft skills as well as technical skills (Muir, C. 2004)This introduces new challenges on how the organisation responds to the interpersonal evolution, how do you measure the need for soft skills, and how to design programs that address such needs? One theory is to ensure the workforce is a high-performing by (1) the requisite knowledge, skills, and abilities for the organisation to accomplish its current mission and that is (2) appropriately prepared for achieving the vision for the future (Muir, C. 2004)This position includes wor king collaboratively with Human Resource and Development partners in staffing and employment, organisation development, diversity, performance management, and total compensation to recruit, develop the capabilities of, and retain desired staff. This is used to create conditions that engage employees in productive, meaningful work. These conditions are a result of designing systems, providing needed resources, and implementing policies that support employees and that develop their skills and knowledge in ways that match the organisations evolving challenges and priorities. Guidance is vital in the training function, throughout the organisation to foster an enterprise-wide view of capability development (Muir, C. 2004)Soft skills development has been viewed as a fad. This is now viewed as a necessary component in organisational development. These skills it can be argued that these skills are at the very heart of creating capability in employees and leaders. Individuals require the tec hnical skills unique to their role, whether they are craft workers in a maintenance department or payroll specialists in accounting. However, even at the individual employee level it soon becomes apparent that little work gets done in isolation. All employees must be skilled at participating in team projects and affirming others. They must be adept at managing conflict and creating inclusive relationships that improve team performance and launch ideas. Indeed, the soft skills of negotiating solutions are the essential tools of effective contributors everywhere (Muir, C. 2004)Moreover, those formal leadership roles, it is vital to be proficient in soft skills. Thinking systemically and acting strategically is the linchpin of effective leaders, but excellent soft skills are necessary to actually implement the vision and to communicate values, standards, and expectations. Although this is limited where command-and-control approach is appropriate. Individuals support what they help crea te, and soft skills are the essential tools for helping them contribute to their full potential (Muir, C. 2004)While soft skills are apparently essential workplace requirements, they are also it appears that they are lacking. According to Field and Ford (1995) soft skills are like an iceberg, under the surface, and although hard to understand, help employees contribute fully to the new, challenging work environment. This makes them liable to subjectivity, difficult to define, observe or measure and open to the influence of work organisation and the social construction of skill in the workplace. Thus, it is the premise of this paper that an organisations culture, the predominant management style and the extent of management/employee soft skills will have an influence upon workplace participation (Field, L and Ford, B 1995).Soft skills are an important factor in the success of decentralised, participatory work environment programs. Soft skills include teamwork, decision making and con ceptualisation. Changes to workplace organisational structure require soft skills to foster improved communication and understanding of accountability. The subsequent globalisation of markets, deregulation of various sectors and the pressure to be competitive have all had major implications for the management of organisations and the skills required of the workforce (Connell, J. 1998).5.2 The changing nature of organisations Over the past decade organisations are changing, through pressure from the markets and the environment. This has forced change on many, this section will discuss the implications on organisations and how it has forces a change in the skills required from employees. This section will also discuss management sttl and the culture of organisation, and how this impacts on training.5.2.1 Changing environment The present challenge facing learning facilitators is how will training continue to be relevant in todays ever-changing business landscape? Political, economic, social and technological factors are irrevocably changing the way and the nature of commerce. Throughout the UK, the economy is a state of flux, swinging from a traditional manufacturing base to small to medium-sized service based organisations.The sustained strength of the pound has not helped UK businesses that export products, thereby witnessing the decline of manufacturing. Forward thinking businesses are now recognising that it is through their people that competitive advantage can be achieved.Best (2001) discussed the new economy, as a knowledge-based economy without borders, where the race is between companies and locales over how to learn faster and organise more flexibly to take advantage of technology-enabled market opportunities (Best (2001) cited in DeFillippi, R. 2002). Organisations have changed in the way they operate, shifting from immobile-wired infrastructures to mobile, miniature, and wireless modes of communication, computing, and transacting. Customers now deman d 24 hour service, with any time, any place solutions of their problems (DeFillippi, R. 2002).Radical shifts are taking place in management theory these shifts need to be reflected in the theory of training and development. The move towards a knowledge economy makes these shifts vital to the survival of the organisation. Ideas of training tend to focus on results typically they are short-term and assume transferable skills. Ideas of personal development may be insufficiently focused on the workplace. Therefore for an organisation to enter the knowledge economy, it is vital for them to review their training and development to a broader aspect (Bryans,P. Smith, R. 2000).Increasingly, as the nature of business and organisations change, its leaders are recognising that their most valuable assets are their skilled employees and, more significantly, the knowledge, both tacit and explicit, that is possessed by these employees. The knowledge is power clich has never been more accurate than in todays corporate world. This added value that this can b e seen in products and services is now dependant on knowledge based intangibles (Rogers 2004).5.2.2 Organisational Structure There is conclusive evidence that the world of work has changed significantly over the past 20 years. Handy (1989) sees fundamental changes in organisational life reflected in what he refers to as the shamrock model with its three groups of workers core, contract and temporary or flexible. Guirdham (1995) says that the nature of work, the nature of organisations and the structure of the workforce have all changed and will continue to change (Handy (1989) and Guirdham (1995) cited in Falconer,S and Pettigrew, M 200349)Reshaping of organizations, re-engineering, restructuring all these things have led to leaner organizations and the dismissal of a lot of people. Many workplaces have disappeared from the scene, many competences are also disappearing and there is a risk of destroying uniqueness of some c ultures as a whole (Civelli, F 1997248).The corpus of knowledge, experiences and abilities, position or job status in an organisation was traditionally also a guarantee of job security. However, these are losing their traditional importance. In the marketplace it is difficult to recognize and get to know the abilities and knowledge of whole populations of young, highly educated people the marketplace has difficulty in understanding the traditional value of experience (Civelli, F 1997).The major problem is how the knowledge, experience and capabilities can be actualised. The product in a society of more and higher educated people and with more institutionalised training is, paradoxically, a poorer work market. The relationship between people and work is institutionalised as a qualification at school and work experience. People learn not only inside the boundaries of institutions, but in everyday life situations. Illich, (1971) stated that most part of things we learn we have learned outside schools and outside works, factories, offices, banks or training courses (Illich, (1971) cited in Civelli, F 1997248).Handy (1994) wrote instead of an organization being a castle, a home for life for its defenders, it will be more like a condominium, an association of temporary residents gathered together for their mutual convenience (Handy, C. (1994) cited in Civelli, F 1997250).5.2.3 Management Style and Organisational Culture The major viewpoint on work organisation this century have focused on increasing worker productivity through various strategies such as scientific management, human relations, the quality of working life and attempts to change organisational cultures. While the culture of organisations has increasingly become the focus of multidisciplinary research, concepts and definitions are as elusive as they are controversial. Arguments tend to polarise between anthropologists and management writers. Anthropologists view culture as the sum of the behaviours, va lues and attitudes of the group or the organisation, while management writers tend to adopt the view that culture is the product of management strategy and, as such, can affect productivity depending on whether it is weak or strong (Wiener, 1988).The strong (Deal and Kennedy 1982) and the excellent (Peters and Waterman 1982) culture strategies linked positive culture with increased productivity. These culture strategies functioned for a time as the new management panacea amongst American organisations, when faced with losing the competitive edge they looked to Japan for an explanation of the qualities which led to their success. These qualities included transformational leadership style, encouraging the creation of a shared vision and a collective co