BENEFITS OF TRAINING
FOR ORGANIZATIONS
Fewer than 5% of all training programs are assessed in terms of their financial benefits to the organization (Swanson 2001). The picture changes among companies recognized for their commitment to training. Specifically, the majority of organizations recognized by ASTD for innovative training programs measure training impact at some level of organizational effectiveness (Paradise 2007, Rivera & Paradise 2006). Typical organizational performance measures in this latter sample include productivity improvement, sales or revenue, and overall profitability. Overall, research regarding organizational level benefits is not nearly as abundant as the literature on individual and team level benefits. Not only have there been relatively few empirical studies showing organizational-level impact, but those studies that have been done typically use self-report data and unclear causal link back to training activities (Tharenou et al. 2007). Nevertheless, we review this literature organized into two areas: benefits related to organizational perfor-mance and other benefits.