Ithaca, NY -- When hotel and restaurant companies spend money on classroom training for new managers, one concern is that the manager-trainees will forget their new skills before they have a chance to use them. A new study from the Cornell University Center for Hospitality Research shows how relatively inexpensive interventions can strengthen the lessons of classroom training.

The study, “Enhancing Formal Interpersonal Skills Training through Post-Training Supplements,” by Michael J. Tews and J. Bruce Tracey, demonstrated the value of following up classroom training with on-the-job support. Tews, who earned his doctorate at the Cornell School of Hotel Administration, and Tracey, an associate professor at the Hotel School, tested two interventions: self-coaching and upward feedback. The full report is available at no charge from .

“We were fortunate to have the support of the vice president of a large restaurant firm in testing ways to support classroom training,” said Tews. “We found that both self-coaching and feedback from subordinates improved the manager-trainees’ retention of what they learned in the classroom. Given the expense of classroom training and the importance of making sure new managers are effective on the job, we believe that it’s worth following up classroom training with one or both of the techniques we tested.”

Trainees who were tested on the self-coaching approach filled out workbooks with questionnaires that assessed their behavior on the job over a five-week period. The group who participated in upward feedback were given open-ended, anonymous suggestions from their subordinates regarding how they could be stronger on the job. The report gives samples of the workbook questionnaires and the upward-feedback assessments.

About The Center for Hospitality Research

A unit of the Cornell School of Hotel Administration, The Center for Hospitality Research (CHR) sponsors research designed to improve practices in the hospitality industry. Under the lead of the Center’s 54 corporate affiliates, experienced scholars work closely with business executives to discover new insights into strategic, managerial and operating practices. The Center also publishes the award-winning hospitality journal, the Cornell Hotel and Restaurant Administration Quarterly. To learn more about CHR and its projects, visit .

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