Training needs assessment of frontline managers: a case of power distribution companies in central India

Abstract

Reforms in the Indian power sector have brought major changes to the sector's operating environment. It has led to commercial approach, setting up of independent regulators, restructuring, and privatization in the sector. Vertically integrated State Electricity Boards (SEBs) have been unbundled into separate power generation, power transmission, and power distribution companies (DISCOMs). Subsequent to reforms, there have been changes in the work orientation, and emergence of many new technologies and commercial practices, in which DISCOMs’ manpower is not trained. This has resulted in performance deficiency and reduced customer satisfaction. Frontline managers, posted in the field offices, act as an inter-face between customers and DISCOM. They use most of the technologies and practices. However, their skills need to be updated and polished to ensure efficient operations and quality customer services. Against this backdrop, the researcher wanted to probe, whether or not the frontline managers are adequately updated with these new technologies and practices. For this, the researcher has studied as to how the training needs of frontline managers are determined at the power distribution companies. The business problem of the present study is - Inadequate training of frontline managers at Indian DISCOMs in new technologies and commercial practices is resulting in inefficient operations.