The purpose of this study was to identify the perceptions of human resource development professionals in Taiwan regarding their working relationships with subject-matter experts (SMEs) during the training design process. A descriptive correlation survey was used in this study. The target population in the study was 314 HRD professionals who worked in high-tech companies located in a science park in Taiwan. One hundred forty-six of 173 respondents completed the online survey (response rate: 84.39%).
The questionnaire was used to assess the independent variables, the current and desired ability of HRD professionals in the training design process, classified across the four stages (analysis, design and development, implementation, and evaluation) and the dependent variable, the ability of HRD professionals in working with SMEs. Paired t-tests, one-way ANOVA, Chi-square, Pearson product-moment correlation, and simple linear regression analysis were used to address the research questions.
The results showed there was no perceived difference between the HRD professionals’ current and desired ability regardless of whether they had worked with SMEs or not. Among HRD professionals who had not worked with SMEs, education level, years of work experience in HR related jobs, and experience in designing training programs were significantly related to current ability in the training design process; among HRD professionals who had worked with SMEs, education level was significantly related to ability to work with SMEs. In particular, a higher percentage of HRD professionals who had not worked with SMEs had obtained bachelor’s degrees while a higher percentage of HRD professionals who had worked with SMEs had obtained master’s degrees. A higher percentage of HRD professionals who had worked with SMEs had experience in designing training programs compared to HRD professionals who had not worked with SMEs. Finally, there was a significant positive relationship between the ability to work with SMEs and current ability in the training design process among HRD professionals who had worked with SMEs.
This study provides implications for the professional development of HRD practitioners and the practice of HRD in Taiwan companies. Cross-cultural issues are discussed to explain inconsistencies between the results and US-based perspectives on the training design process.