The field of training and development has changed significantly during the past several years, reflecting both its role and importance in achieving higher employee performance and meeting organizational goals. Today, this field has become more important because employees need to learn new skills, advance their knowledge, and meet the challenges of technology in achieving high performance.

Background

Training has traditionally been defined as the process by which individuals change their skills, knowledge, attitudes, and/or behavior (Robbins and DeCenzo, 1998). In this context, training involves designing and supporting learning activities that result in a desired level of performance. In contrast, development typically refers to long-term growth and learning, directing attention more on what an individual may need to know or do at some future time. While training focuses more on current job duties or responsibilities, development points to future job responsibilities. However, sometimes these terms...