Evaluation and transfer assurance of personnel development

For economically responsible organisations, personnel development is not a goal per se, but rather the goals that can be achieved with its support take centre stage. This requires evaluation and transfer assurance:

Firstly, personnel development itself is the object of evaluation. To what extent do the system and the overall process contribute to the achievement of objectives?
Secondly, the instruments used must be evaluated. Do they contribute - both in anticipation and in retrospect - to the achievement of specific qualification objectives? Are there more effective alternatives from the personnel development toolbox or through other measures?
Thirdly, as part of transfer management, it must be ensured that the intended objectives are achieved, taking into account both positive and negative impact factors.

These and similar questions are investigated in doctoral theses, dissertations and other research work. (See also Professor Becker's publication record.) In a cooperation project with the DGfP, we have, among other things, surveyed the current state of evaluation work in companies.

Further publications:

• Becker, Fred G. & Bader, Vanessa: Transfer management in personnel development: Sine-qua-non of operational value creation. In: Value creation in business administration. Festschrift for Wolfgang Becker. Edited by Patrick Ulrich & Baltzer Björn, Berlin/Wiesbaden: SpringerGabler, 2018, pp. 431-450.
• Becker, Fred G.: Personnel development at universities: Without transfer management only L'art pour l'art! In: Personnel and organisational development/P-OE", 12 (2017) 2-3, pp. 85-91.
• Werning, Ellena: Evaluation of off-the-job training. Development of a frame of reference against the background of a cognitive understanding of learning. Cologne & Lohmar: Eul, 2013.
• Meißner, Astrid: Learning transfer in continuing vocational training. Theoretical and empirical exploration of learning transfer determinants in the context of off-the-job training. Cologne & Lohmar: Eul, 2012.
• Becker, Fred G., Wittke, Ingrid & Friske, Vanessa: "Happy Sheets": Empirical survey of training providers. Discussion Paper No. 583 of the Faculty of Business Administration and Economics, Bielefeld University 2010; Available online at: https: //pub.uni-bielefeld.de/record/2316938#fileDetails [Accessed: 16 June 2020].
• Becker, Fred G., Meißner, Astrid & Werning, Ellena: Evaluation of external continuing education programmes: More than just 'happy sheets'. In: Personnel Management, no. vol. (2008) 12, pp. 64-71.
• Becker, Fred G., Meißner, Astrid & Werning, Ellena: Evaluation externer Weiterbildungsmaßnahmen - Ergebnisse einer Befragung unter Mitgliedsunternehmen der DGFP e. V. DGFP-Praxispapier Ausgabe 6/2008, Düsseldorf 2008 (Online in Internet: https://www.dgfp.de/fileadmin/user_upload/DGFP_e.V/Medien/Publikationen/Praxispapiere/200806_Praxispapier_evaluationweiterbildung.pdf [Zugriff: 16.06.2020].
• Becker, Fred G.: Evaluation and transfer in personnel development: making optimum use of resources. In: Continuing Education - Journal for Basics, Practice and Trends, 18 (2007) 1, pp. 30-32.
• Becker, Fred G.: Evaluation and transfer problems in personnel development in practice. In: Betriebswirtschaftliche Blätter, 55 (2006) 3, pp. 169-173.
• Becker, Fred G.: Measuring the return on development: Possibilities and limits of evaluation. In: Personnel Management, 38 (2005) 4, pp. 48-53.
• Günther, Sven: Evaluation of on-the-job personnel development. Cologne & Lohmar: Eul, 2001.
• Fleer, Andre: The performance contribution of the HR department. Cologne & Lohmar: Eul, 2001.
• Becker, Fred G. & Günther, Sven: Approaches to performance review in personnel development. In: management & training: Magazin für Human Resources Development, no. Jg. (2000) 2, pp. 21-25.
• Becker, Fred G. & Günther, Sven: Evaluation of in-company personnel development. In: Grundlagen der Weiterbildung (GdWZ), 10 (1999) 6, pp. 272-275.
• Becker, Fred G. & Günther, Sven: Evaluation of personnel development: functions and design. In: Jahrbuch Personalentwicklung und Weiterbildung 1999/2000. ed. by Karlheinz Schwuchow & Joachim Gutmann, Neuwied & Kriftel: Luchterhand, 1999, pp. 198-203.