Measures related to training and development generally allow companies as well as individual employees to benefit from increases in productivity, safety at the work place and well-being as a result of improved skills and enhanced knowledge.
According to Armstrong (2001), training is defined as “planned and systematic modification of behaviour through learning events, programmes and instruction” that allows the individual achievement of skills, competencies and knowledge required for effective working. Within this definition, there are two aspects which might be seen as the most significant elements of training. At first, the fact that training is supposed to be planned and systematic needs to be highlighted. Moreover, the second aspect to be highlighted is related the objective of training, which is described as enhancement of specific work-related abilities.
A simple but systematic model which captures the characteristics of training and development described above is the so called training cycle. It is characterised by displaying training not as a single and occasional event with a fixed starting and end point, but as a continuous process and an infinite circle. (Tayler, 1991)
Since the 1970s and to the present the training cycle is the conventional model for organisational training and development. Originally and referring to Armstrong (2001), Donelly (1987) as well as Kenney & Reid (1986) the training cycle can be divided into four stages. As a first step in the cycle, training needs need to be analysed in order to specify which skills or knowledge are required but missing within the organisation or individual employees. The second step refers to the design of training programmes. After the training needs are analysed, a training is designed based on the required skills or knowledge, including the development of a training plan. The third stage describes the