The corporate training department as a clinic for the study of instructional design

Abstract

Researchers can design productive studies that are both attractive and feasible to corporate sponsors. To do so, researchers should first characterize the host training program as following a reactive strategy, cost center strategy, or human capital strategy. Each strategy carries implications for the type of research that is most likely to be of interest. Designs using naturalistic inquiry, comparative studies, or experimentation may be feasible in certain circumstances. Sample research topics are given, and guidelines for initiating contact with corporate research sponsors are proposed.