Introduction of an Employee-Led Training System at Stage Entertainment Germany: A Qualitative Study

Bachelorarbeit von Kim Maya Sutton

Introduction:

The topic of this thesis is the introduction of an employee-led training (ELT) system at Stage Entertainment Germany. Included are the process description, pros and cons, and the implementation of the resulting improvements in the new business year. The basis is a qualitative study supported by a survey in the form of interviews performed at Stage Entertainment Germany in the summer of 2009, as well as analyses of observation and material, such as the seminar program of the business years 2008/2009 and 2009/2010. The aim of the research conducted was to work out in where this newly started system could use improvements to make it a successful education tool for Stage Entertainment Germany. Since very little literature exists on the topic, this thesis intends to close that gap by describing an ELT system using Stage Entertainment Germany as a practical example.

There is only one essay about ELT programs, which illuminates some of the introductory process as well as some possible outcomes, benefits and drawbacks.

Training is one of the strongest drives of employees as it helps them express their desire to develop themselves. It strengthens their craving for growth and career advancement. Moreover, continuous learning is the key to remaining useful in a changing market, economy, and organizational structures. Employment security is closely tied to retraining and continuous learning; all employees have to have the skills needed to uphold the organization’s competitiveness. An organization that offers training programs signals the intent to maintain the strength of its talent and it is likely that staff will be loyal to such an organization.

While advanced trainings are the most common HR measure used in Germany, particularly when changes or introductions are necessary, organizations use other measures such as layoffs or new hiring much less.

Several training methods exist for the training of employees. For the purpose of this research, the focus will remain on ELT. Most commonly found are ELT seminars from the areas of ‘information technology, finance, leadership development and performance management’; though, nearly all seminars, which could be taught in-house, are qualified for ELT. Seminars that may not be suitable are regulatory seminars and those with a delicate content such as discrimination or sexual harassment at the workplace. Other seminars might also not be suitable for ELT, depending on the industry or organization. Holding leadership development seminars as ELT bears certain risks, such as possible prejudice and bias towards the trainer.

Stage Entertainment Germany introduced the ELT system Stage Insight in the beginning of the business year 2008/2009 as an in-house training system for internal topics only, and desired comprehensive feedback.

The researcher gave academic as well as practical recommendations for the future development of the program to Stage Entertainment Germany in the form of an uncommented list, extrapolated from the interviews, before the beginning of the business year 2009/2010, in order to show and elaborate on advantages, and find and eliminate possible disadvantages in a timely fashion. Stage Entertainment Germany implemented the recommendations, at least in part, for the second round of the program.

This thesis summarizes and analyzes the process of Stage Insight’s introduction as well as the actual empirical research at Stage Entertainment Germany. With this thesis, Stage Entertainment Germany has a comprehensive paper on their ELT system. They can implement an ELT system in offices in other countries faster and more efficient, as the only other necessary research prior to implementation will be the necessary adaptations for the respective country.

Composition:

The second chapter introduces Stage Entertainment Germany and focuses on the process description of the implementation of Stage Insight. The third chapter starts with the explanation as to the indication and necessity for the research at Stage Entertainment Germany, following which is a description of the methodology and data collection method. The fourth chapter contains the grouped and quantified results and findings of the interviews, documented to answer the research questions. The fifth chapter contains the analysis and discussion of the findings from chapter four against literature opinion. Moreover, practical implications for further research and for the company, including recommended changes grouped into marketing, general, train-the-trainer seminar and feedback, seminar development, administration and trainer compensation are outlined. This chapter concludes with a summary about the implemented changes in the new business year. An overall conclusion is drawn in chapter six.

Table of Contents:

Text Sample:

Chapter 3, Empirical Analysis of Stage Insight:

This chapter introduces the need for research and the research questions. A short introduction to the methodology used, a qualitative study with an interview compendium, precedes the description of the actual data collection in the interviews. The background of research ethics is touched, as is the utilized context analysis. The obstacles, which arose during the research and proved to be actually rather beneficial conclude this chapter.

Insights and Establishment of the Need for Research:

Stage Entertainment Germany noticed they were having some problems with the Stage Insight program, such as less participation than aspired, mixed feedback, and inconsistencies in the program. As there is so little literature on ELT systems, it became obvious that research was necessary in order to identify which problems the new system had and how to eliminate them. Stage Entertainment Germany wanted input on what to change to make Stage Insight successful. They also desired accompanying hands-on feedback and agreed to make small changes immediately wherever appropriate, as the example with the seminar program location has shown. Resulting from the research, Stage Entertainment Germany requested a comprehensive thesis, including literature review, the description of the process of an ELT system, pros and cons at Stage Entertainment Germany, and which changes to implement in the new business year, sorted, grouped and classified.

Research Questions:

The research questions were:

How was the ELT system introduced at Stage Entertainment Germany?

What effects does the ELT system have on Stage Entertainment Germany, the employees and the trainers?

Are there any improvements necessary?

Methodology:

Qualitative Research:

Since the literature review does not give adequate input for the research questions, primary data is needed. A qualitative method allows judging considerable information of only a few interviewees with a method under a holistic perspective, while answering the research question under subjective conditions and considering the personal view of the social actors. Qualitative research is based upon openness, which results in a hypothesis not being generated before the research even begins, but rather during the process or at the end of the research. The interviewees are supposed to be able to speak freely and go into depth.

Quantitative research generalizes the results while being very inflexible in the research design.

Qualitative research, on the other hand, generates an initial and deep understanding of underlying reasons while allowing a high flexibility of the research design. The information gathered per respondent is higher in qualitative research than in quantitative studies and the analysis allows for interpretation rather than statistical summaries.

The researcher chose this method as it gives the most insight and depth into this somewhat new area while allowing for more flexibility in regards to the analysis, and no general truths were sought, but rather the situation at Stage Entertainment Germany was to be assessed.

Data Collection and Interviews:

The business year at Stage Entertainment Germany goes from August to July. The actual interviews for the qualitative research took place in the summer of 2009 so that a representative study could be performed at the end of the first run of the Stage Insight seminars.

Background information was gathered and continuously completed by questioning the supervisor as well as other members of the HR department.

Interview Compendium:

The researcher chose the interview method guided by an interview compendium for these expert interviews, as different topics were to be discussed in the interviews and some exact information had to be surveyed.

An interview compendium bears the danger for the interviewer to be stuck with it; the interviewer hence uses it as a framework and guide for questions for the interview only; the order of the questions contained therein is flexible and even the style of the question can be modified. The interview compendium is thus a written backup for the interviewer. Questions in the interview compendium are written out so that the interviewees hear similarly phrased questions, and so that the interviewer initially considers the wording of the questions, ensuring it not to be too lax.

Pretests of the Interviews:

In the first two interviews, the researcher tested the interview compendium; the interviewees knew about this. The compendium did not need adjusting in question sequence and wording of the questions at the end of this test-run, it was well understood by the interviewees and proofed to be sound and in the proper order. No additional questions were necessary, as they were open enough for supplemental information. It can be found in the Appendix.

Arrangement of the Interviews:

The interview compendium was taken into the next four interviews. It additionally controlled the time the interview was to take, as well as the development of the content of the interview. When an interviewee was willing and able to speak freely about Stage Insight, notes were taken in the respective question’s space.

It was vital that all questions were easy to understand. The questions also had to be open to any answer, and not judgmental, aggressive or leading. They did not contain expectations or technical terms.