Training and Development
Executive Summary
Employees in many organizations are often faced with difficult situations that conflict their loyalty to the organization and their ethical convictions and their desire to engage only in what is legally acceptable. Thus, it is important to provide training to enhance the knowledge of employees in such ethical and legal dilemmas. Considering the subject matter of such trainings, a 10 to 14-day training with input from external experts would suffice. Such training can save the firm and its employees from avoidable litigations, legal liabilities, and the costs of a bad reputation. The cost of not training employees in these matters is, thus, too high hence making the training appropriate. Using tutorials as the major training modality can help to reduce the cost of offering the training further. Tutorials confer additional advantages of allowing experts in distant geographical sites to take part in the training and allowing for interactivity.
Trainings
Training One: Dealing with Unethical Assignments
In many industries, employees are faced with difficult situations each day where their firm or their direct employers expect them to complete assignments that the employees find unethical. Many times employees do not have the conviction of completing assignments and complete them just to remain in harmony with the management. For instance, the employee is the case example is a new employee on probation; he is trying everything to employ his employers. Delaying in completing an urgent assignment owing to their personal convictions would not help the course. However, like this employee, employees should not have to help innocent persons get addicted to methamphetamine for the sake of their organization when they know that this is ethically and legally wrong.
Thus, the objective of this training module will be to help employees with dealing with unethical situations. The module will exploit the legal and ethical implications of such situations and how employees can deal with them without having to risk their employment. This module will take approximately 10 days. Tutorials will be the best training module for this sessions.
Considering the quality of the content in the training module and the modes of delivering the content – for a 10 to 14-day training duration, the entire module is worth $150 per seat. Alternatively, the organizers can elect to deliver the content of the module. However, lectures would require more experts hence a higher cost; the cost could rise up to $170 per seat. Regardless of the training modality that the organizers chose, the company is deficient of expertise on the subject hence the organizers will have to hire experts from outside. These experts will take the highest proportion of budgetary costs for the training. However, considering the importance of this expertise in conferring the effectiveness of the module, it is worth it.
Training Two: Ethical and Legal Issues in International Business
Laws of various countries differ. The difference in this laws can pose a key challenge for companies looking to work across different countries. Lacking familiarity with the local laws can put companies is difficult situations of avoidable litigation. However, regardless of the differences in laws, ethical standards remain. It is important for companies and their employees to familiarize with this standards and avoid getting themselves into legal battles. For instance, while some countries may not have statutory provisions prohibiting payoffs, corruption is still unethical in those societies.
Thus, this training module will look to equip employees with an understanding on the laws of many countries and regions that their company could invest in with a special focus on the laws that regard licensing, integrity, and payoffs. Also, the training looks to introduce ethical standards regarding payoffs and operation in foreign societies to the employees. The training will take approximately 10 days. The most suitable training method would be to use lectures since this is an area which would require a lot of input from experts in the international and trade law. Alternatively, the organizers can elect to use tutorials which could be more entertaining for the trainees and would cost less. Tutorials would cost approximately $135 per seat for the duration of training.
Considering the volume of the content of the training module and the fact that lectures, as a training method, would require a lot of expert input, $150 per seat for the entire duration of the training is a perfect deal. Also, the importance of the knowledge that the module attempts to impart on the daily activities of the employees of the organization make the cost of the training a perfect deal. The subject matter of the module is complex. Although the organization is likely to have enough experts in the subject within its ranks in an America, it is necessary to have additional experts when considering an international stage. The firm might have in-house experts in American trade law but not enough of those in international trade law.
Tutorials as a Training Modality
Considering the dire need of information on ethics in both local and international scenes, the subject matter of the two training videos is of utmost relevance to the companies. The subject matter is also largely useful for the companies. The understanding of the subject could save the firms of complex international litigations and liability. For instance, creating a website that teaches people to access an illegal or regulated drug that is highly addictive and has numerous adverse health effects could have undesirable implications on both the individual who indulges in such activity and the entire firm. In the case of a legal process, the individual could face criminal charges and the firm even closed down for promoting illegal activities. The firm could also have to pay for damages caused on individuals, families, and other firms. Additionally, such an activity will cost the firm their reputation as potential customers will see the firm as a promotor of illegal activities. On the other side, lacking the depth of legal and ethical requirements regarding payoffs in another country can lead a company in a difficult situation. While the representatives of the country will continue with the approved process, it may emerge later that this process has numerous irregularities, hence exposing the firm to liabilities. Even worse, the firm and its representatives could end up facing criminal charges of corruption. Further, such deals, even when they are legal in a certain country, are likely to give the firm a reputation of lacking in integrity hence largely limiting their chances of expanding to other countries. Other countries where the firm is already established could even look to revoke their licenses on the basis of this history.
Thus, the cost of the training is not a loss for the firms. In fact, considering the amount of trouble that the training can save the firms, it is possible for the firms to recoup the cost of training within a short time. Additionally, the training module can be self-sustainable. The employees who receive the training can act as trainers in future sessions. Also, the organizers can further cut on the cost of offering the trainings by using tutorials are the main mode of delivery.
Tutorials offer the advantage of being slightly cheaper than other training modalities. Additionally, while experts are necessary for the two trainings, using tutorials ensures that geography is not a limitation to the training. Some experts can conduct their sessions while in a place far from the training room. Also, tutorials ensure high levels of residual content in the trainees since they are interactive. Individuals are likely to learn more if they interact with their teachers more. Also, tutorials enable trainees at different levels of training to interact effectively.
