Effective Delivery Features for Organizational Interventions: A Meta-Analysis

Introduction: Many organizations conduct training programs to improve employee well-being and performance. Yet, the question of under which conditions organizational training programs are the most effective is mostly unanswered. This study investigates which delivery features lead to highest training effectiveness for affective (i.e., attitudinal and motivational) outcomes. The delivery features we explore are: training method, duration and intensity of sessions, the presence of feedback and practice, and the use of e-learning.

Method: A meta-analysis study (k=70) is conducted using the Hunter and Schmidt (2004) approach. Studies eligible for inclusion in the meta-analysis were those using controlled trials to examine the effectiveness of training programs on affective outcomes, and they were required to be published in 1980 or later.

Results: Preliminary results show that mentoring and traditional lecture method are the most effective training methods to improve affective outcomes (d=.46 and d=.35 respectively). Individual training is more effective compared to team and collaborative training to produce change in affective outcomes. The presence of feedback is associated with increased effectiveness of the programs, whereas presence of practice is not.

Conclusions: Training programs are often understood to be essential for an organization’s success; to this end, they are an answer to the challenge of reaching optimal performance. This study will inform practitioners and allow programs to achieve their potential. Moreover, none of the meta-analysis studies have examined a wide variety of training programs, as they mostly focused on investigating one specific type of program outcome. To our knowledge, this is the first study to investigate all types of organizational trainings targeting an affective outcome.