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Considers companies’ increasing demand for “just‐in‐time”, “just‐for‐me” training to meet the need for cost‐effective and performance‐focused competitiveness. Examines how developments in technological communication can assist training delivery to match changing company objectives. Discusses the training implications of harnessing in‐house e‐mail facilities for creating better individual responsibility and empowerment for learning, particularly in cultures of high power distance. Suggests e‐mail training can act as a catalyst for successful change‐making by providing training with a minimum of delay and maximum of personal tailoring, while also helping to transcend the cultural divide between East and West.

Trainers are no longer mere providers of activities; their role is increasingly to add value to organizational learning as the foundation for future competitiveness. However some trainers may feel inadequately empowered to do so. This paper considers how the attitudes, feelings, and experiences of three trainers affected their role of change‐maker, within one particular training program. These issues were explored through a questionnaire completed at the end of the delivery cycle. The results suggest more account of trainers’ belief systems may be necessary if change management objectives are to be credibly and consistently achieved. As such employers, managers, and peers, as well as the individual all have a part to play in enabling trainer empowerment as a bedrock for organizational change‐making, but strategies must take account of the cultural environment within which the organization is located.

The number of part‐time trainers is unknown but within some training specialisms they can form a substantial cohort. Often, however, their development is not supported adequately, if at all, within their working environments. Considers self‐development from the individual perspective of six English as a Second Language (ESL) peripheral trainers. Explores how a profession’s attitude towards its members and self‐actualization can influence the development of its practitioners. Also considers the significance of the internal impact of the organization on restricting the possibilities of self‐development. The implication is that professions need to be more supportive of peripheral trainers; that organizations need to be more imaginative and responsive towards engendering self‐responsibility for personal learning; and that individual trainers need to be more strategic and proactive in facilitating their own self‐development.

Evaluation is becoming increasingly important as companies seek to measure performance improvement as a result of training initiatives. Describes the introduction of an evaluation process into a self‐study business English writing programme. Suggests that using a suitable pre‐ and post‐test questionnaire can help to establish a means of self‐assessment for trainees to assist continuous development. Indicates trainers may need to become more mindful of the limitations of investing self‐study modules with the ability to automatically empower the learner unless the training material accommodates for the learning culture of the trainee, and provides support for the self‐directive notion. Also discusses the implications of establishing evaluation techniques within self‐study training. Provides suggestions for exploiting self‐study as a more effective empowering tool.

The transfer of training techniques across cultures is fraught with difficulties for both trainer and trainee. Trainers working within multicultural settings need to be especially sensitive to their trainees’ needs and socio‐cultural learning backgrounds. Both trainers and participants in the workplace bring to training courses a baggage of past and present educational experiences that impacts their reaction to organizational learning approaches. Considers how a particular assessment technique can make explicit what trainers often assume to be implicit in terms of their training practices, and how industry can learn from educational case studies. Describes the results from implementing a “one minute” assessment feedback to Asian students undertaking a technical English enhancement programme. Suggests classroom assessment can heighten greater personal awareness to training approaches within a multicultural setting, broaden understanding of participant needs, and encourage a more systematic strategy for expanding and improving training and learning quality. Implies exploiting cultural synergy requires managing rather than merely accepting, the cultural divide.

Argues that although flexible working is becoming increasingly common, training departments are not creatively adapting their strategies. Provides a framework within which to redefine the role of flexible trainers in more opportunistic, value‐added directions. Suggests the need to recognise non‐permanent professional trainers as a distinct group from permanent staff. Analyses attitudes of six English as a second language (ESL) peripheral practitioners, who typify one coherent group of the free agent training sector. Indicates concept of flexibility was viewed positively but lacked adequate support from employing organizations. Proposes various approaches for redefining flexibility to enhance organizational competitiveness and effectiveness, and individual performance and commitment.

The introduction and use of computer‐aided design (CAD) systems in a number of settings in the UK building industry is discussed with particular reference to the relationship between organizational design and computer implementation. A series of case studies are presented which illustrate that computers are currently having a limited impact on project communications and, in most instances, are supporting existing patterns of fragmentation within the industry. The paper concludes with a speculation about how the industry might be organized to make more appropriate use of new technology.