This study assessed the extent to which the design and delivery of leadership training offered by a Brazilian banking institution exhibited characteristics associated with training effectiveness, as defined by instructional theories and literature reviews. This qualitative research assessed the characteristics of the design and delivery of 61 trainings, according to a checklist composed of 31 items related to 11 training characteristics: type of learning, content, instructor presence, method, feedback and source of feedback, needs analysis, time spacing, modality, location, attendance policy, and leadership level. The definitions of the checklist’s categories and items were mainly based on the meta-analysis by Lacerenza et al. (2017) and the review by Kraiger and Ford (2021) . The results indicated that of the trainings evaluated, 80.3% are virtual, while 19.7% are face-to-face. Unidirectional information transmission (65.3%) is the most commonly used method in virtual training. More diversified methods prevail in face-to-face training, with three methods—transmission of information, demonstration, and practice (58.3%), and two combined methods (41.7%). The face-to-face training used multiple methods, provided feedback during classroom activities, presented varied content, delivered spaced training sessions, and selected internal instructors to teach the content based on real work situations. The self-instructional virtual training has several gaps, including a lack of alignment between training content and activities with leaders’ daily work (identical elements) and many short training sessions with no time spacing between them. These results suggest that self-administered training may be less effective than face-to-face training due to a lack of relevant characteristics. This study details a checklist and a method for evaluating instructional materials and resources, which can be applied before or after assessing the effects of leadership training in a business context. This evaluation provides precise information on training improvements that can enhance learning, transfer, or results.
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