Evaluering van 'n opleidingskursus in bestuursbeginsels en -tegnieke vir eerstelyntoesighouers by 'n Suid-Afrikaanse landboukooperasie

Abstract

Evaluation of a training course in management principles and techniques for first-line supervisors at a South African agricultural corporation. In this article the effect of a management course for first-line supervisors is evaluated in respect of their knowledge, attitudes and behavioural skills, as well as the effect of the course on their subordinates, by means of a three-group design, consisting of randomly selected persons in an experimental group and two control groups. Questionnaires were completed prior to commencement of the course, directly upon completion and again three months later, by the Experimental Group and Control Group One. Control Group Two was exposed to the measuring devices only after the post and post-post phases, to determine the effect of repeated testing. The original random selection included 50 supervisors and 100 subordinates. At the post-post evaluation, however, those numbers had decreased to 25 and 43 respectively. Owing to the fact that the experimental and control groups were randomly selected from the population of first-line supervisors, hypotheses were tested with the help of inferential statistics as well as t- and p-values. In terms of knowledge and attitude the tests indicated that the supervisors in the Experimental Group performed significantly better than those in Control Group One, not only after completion of the course, but also three months later. The behavioural patterns of supervisors in the Experimental Group, and therefore the effect thereof on the attitude of their subordinates, do not, however, differ significantly from those of supervisors and their subordinates in Control Group One. The external factors which may have detrimentally influenced the applicatory value should be further investigated in order to retain the concomitant and supportive behavioural skills. It is especially advised that further investigations be launched regarding the level of difficulty of the course, its applicatory value for higher levels of supervision, as well as the training officer's role in respect of facilitation thereof as an alternative training and developing intervention, especially with regard to improvement of behavioural patterns.