Radio age research, manufacturing, communications, broadcasting, television (1941)

because of the war cannot be al- lowed to coiitiiuii' in a competitive market. The thinking <>f many su- pervisors on fuiulamental.s of busi- ness economics and principles of scientific management has been altered by the demand for products being confined principally to one buyer, the Government, and by the wide existence of cost-plus con- tracts. The struKjrle for business will also necessitate better training of sales staffs. Pre-war sales training methods too often devoted 90 per cent of their efforts to inspirational talks and only 10 per cent to in- structing salesmen how to do their jobs more effectively. In stiff com- petition, this kind of "training" will not suitice. Because of the many scientific advances brought about by the war, much more atten- tion will have to be given to tech- nical features and applications of products, and to changes in markets and distribution occasioned by war- time shortages and substitutions. Smart l)usiness organizations are alreadx' giving "I'efresher" courses to their experienced sales managers and their staffs. In addition, they are cultivating recruits for their new sales groups, and short and long training jirograms are being developed nmr to be put into oper- ation before and immediately after V-day. Training programs are also being devised now by progressive business organizations to imji^ove their relationshii)s with distribu- tors. Dealer improvement programs which will help increase the effi- ciency of the wholesaler and re- tailer are well beyond the drafting stage. As a matter of fact, some naiional organizations plan to spend several hundred thousand dollars annually in conducting special courses for their distributors. Some of the subjects are accounting, stockkeeping, store operations and effective merchandising — all of which are designed to make the dis- tributor a more efiicient business man. These companies believe that such efforts to increase the effi- ciency of their distributors will be rellected in increased sales ami l)idfils. To absorb some of the excess American production of war-l)orn and war-i'xtended firms, foreign in the harriso.n pla.nt of rca victor (above), jl'.mor engineers BROAUE.N their knowledge of radio and elec- tronics, circle—receiving special on-the-job training at the lan- caster plant. markets will lie intensively culti- vated. Companies engaged in ex- port trade will need to develop spe- cial courses of training for young men to equip them effectively to sell and service products in foreign markets. Many siiecial conditions surround the distribution of prod- ucts in foreign countries. Sales representatives must therefore be thoroughly grounded in the appli- cations of products to fit the par- ticular needs of foreign buyers. Training will include an under- standing of jiostwar problems, cus- toms, buying habits, trade practices and the clianuels of distribution of each market. Universities will be called upon to design courses along these lines for sales representatives and many industries will enter into cooi)ei"ative relationships with col- leges for the training of prospec- tive export sales representatives. Learning Situations Planned Studies show that every execu- tive, in fact, spends much of his lime every day in insti'ucting his assistants and in modifying their skills. hal)its, and attitudes. Many executives consider training as the principal tool of management. These men devote a portion of each day to the study of the strengths ,111(1 weaknesses of their subordi- iiales and to devising methods of (I e v e I o !> i n g them into better workers. Some of the most effective train- ing in industry is that carried on by capable supervisors who jdan learning situations for their em- ployees. Unfortunately, however, too few supervisors have been taught how to do this well. Some have failed to grasp the idea that training includes any instruction that is given an emjiloyee to help liim do his work ipiickly, safely and etficiently. Much of the training in business has been by "absorption", a process so uncontrolled that em- ployees often obtain misinforma- tion, develop inefficient work habits and aciiuire wrong attitudes. Planned training during the war has resulted in better use of man- power, greater speed in production, and practical use of inexperienced workers. The RCA organization full y recognizes the value of planned training as a means of de- ^l'loping the knowledge and skills of its em|)loyees—the human factor which is destined to play so large ;i [lart in postwar survival. Manufacturing plants of the UCA organization at Camden and Harrison, New Jersey: Blooming- ton and Indianapolis, Indiana: Lan- caster. Pennsylvania, and Holly- wood. California, conduct a variety of training programs designed to fit the number of employees in- [14 RADIO AGE]