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Security Management
home page > Unit 12: summing up / study guide
How does the shift to a learning organization play out in terms of the management functions we have studied?
- New Realities:
- while training is perhaps more necessary in security field than others because of the danger, Salzman (1998) found that companies in general needed more skilled workers but weren't increasing the level of training.
- New Practices:
- unlike Mass., some states do require minimal training. (CA, for example, requires passing a 40-hr. course to be licensed).
- Some private organizations,
typically dominated by leading firms, have stepped into void
and created their own training programs:
- International
Association for Healthcare Safety and Security (IAHSS) has both basic
and advanced
certification programs and exams (
--Stephenson's Law #1 in action, since the challenges and
risks of hospital security are so much more complex than for
most private security .....).
- American Society for Industrial Security (ASIS) has Certified Protection Professional program, plus a variety of other continuing education programs.
- International
Association for Healthcare Safety and Security (IAHSS) has both basic
and advanced
certification programs and exams (
- training program can't be in
a vacuum: must relate to desired results in terms of company's
skill needs. Must be dynamic, constantly adjusted. Another aspect
of organizational development.
- Begins with a "training-needs
assessment" (TNA). Includes:
- creating training objectives
- developing training programs
- developing methods of delivering training
- evaluating and revising program
While costly, "..the TNA process also justifies training, as it gives the organization a greater understanding of the costs and benefits related to training."
- Begins with a "training-needs
assessment" (TNA). Includes:
- Benefits:
- better trained workforce, better able to deal with crises and unforeseen situations.
- hidden benefits:
- as a continuous process, improved training is a form of organizational development, i.e. it doesn't just give the trainees needed skills, but is a crucial part of the organization's overall development (remember our problem that security firms must simultaneously address the training/revenue/services,pay/marketing, etc. issues in order to break out of the downward spiral of generic services at bargain rates).
- can lead to improvements in recruitment and selection of new employees
- can identify new levels of knowledge, skills and abilities the organization needs
- worker morale likely to be higher, makes them more willing to participate in management, problem solving, may make delegated authority more dependent on expertise than on individual's position. Makes them more productive, more versatile.
- Can also reduce corporate liability, reduce insurance premiums, show the company complies with any relevant regulations, and can reduce turnover, thereby reducing recruiting costs, etc.