Management commitment and company policies on education and training

Abstract

This article presents evidence from a 1991 survey of 406 large companies indicating that corporate education and training practices are shaped by four company characteristics: (1) human resource innovativeness, (2) management resistance to change, (3) work redesigns to enhance quality and involvement, and (4) firm downsizing. When managements create an innovative climate, their companies invest more in worker retraining and contribute more to public schooling; when they resist change, they find it more difficult to recruit entry-level employees. When managements redesign work, their companies place greater emphasis on training, development, and school relations. When managements downsize, their companies take more interest in entry-level training and apprenticeship programs. © 1993 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.