A minerals research contract report 

MAY 0983 

EVELOPMENT 

F A SUPERVISORY 

I ND MANAGEMENT 

RAINING PROGRAM 

OR THE UNDERGROUND 

OAL MINING INDUSTRY 

Contract J0188053 

Human Resources Research Organization 

C 

BUREAU OF MINES 

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 
J 

The views and conclusions contained in 

this document are those of the authors 

and should not be interpreted as necessarily representing the official policies 

or recommendations of the Interior 

Department's Bureau of Mines or the 

U.S. Government. 

b 
50fR- ?Qt 

REWm WCUMPCTAnON ! 1- mffT no- 1 3. Ruimds Acenuon Ne. 1 

PAGE i I I 4. Title and Subm(. ' I RooeR Data 

Development of a Supervisory and Management 1 May 1983 

Training Program for &he Under~raund Coal Mining In- - dustry ! 7. Am.) h PHlwmtng Or#antzatlon R.DL No. 

v, nevah Gdowav 1 

j 10. hut/tash/Worh ~nct No. I 

Human Resources Research Organization 

300 North Washington Street 

Alexandria, Virginia 22314 

l2 Soomortne 0remlt.tlon Nmm and Addmsm 

U.S. Bureau of Mines 

2401 E Street, N.W. 

Washington, D. C 20241 

This report describes a project in which Development of a Supervisory and 

Management Training Program for the Underground Coal Mining Industry was 

developed and evaluated. The project was carried out in two phases. The 

first phase was a research effort to develop specifications for the program. 1 

The second phase was a developr~ent and evaluation effort. In the second I 

phase, training programs for first-line supervisors (section foremen) and I 

for middle managers (mine/shift foremen and mine superintendents) were prepared in accordance with the specifications and evaluated by members of 

the industry. This report describes the project and presents the conclusions drawn therefrom. 

Supervisory and Management Training, 

Interpersonal relations 

I b. Idmtllh~/O#r*endod Terms 

1 Mine Safety 

I Underground Mining 

Human Factors 

I 

1 UNCLASSIFIED I 1 

(SI ANSI-Z39.18) S.r In~ions onRwmo OmONAL FORM 272 (4-77! 

!Formerly NTIS-35) 

0.oartmmt of Commerca 
FOREWORD 

This report was prepared by the Human Resources Research Organization, 

Alexandria, Virginia, under U. S. Bureau of Mines Contract number 50188053. 

The contract was initiated under the Minerals Health and Safety Technology 

Program. It was administered under the technical director of the Pittsburgh 

Research Center with Mr. James Peay acting as Technical Project Officer. 

Mr. John Connelly was the contract administrator for the Bureau of Mines. 

This report is a summary of the work completed under this contract during the 

period October, 1978, to December, 1982. This report was submitted by the 

authors on 1 May 1983. 
TABLE OF CONTENTS 

Page 

OVERVIEW ............................ 4 

INTRODUCTION .......................... 

Task I . Determine Available Training Programs and 

Training Materials ............... 

Task I1 . Select Mine Sites at Which to Conduct a Training 

Needs Assessment ................ 

Task 111- Conduct the Training Needs Assessment ...... 

Task IV . Prepare Specifications for the Training Materials 

Prospective Trainees ............ Training Objectives and Teaching Points . . Instructional Strategies .......... 

Task I . Prepare the Training Materials ......... Supervisor Training Program ........ Manager Training Program .......... Special Features of the Program ...... 

Task 11 . Evaluate the Program .............. 

CONCLUS IONS .......................... 

TABLES 

1 . Agencies Contacted ................... 

2 . Summary Data and Selection Ranges for Mine Classification 

3 . Task Importance Ratings of Managers ........... 

4 . Task Importance Ratings of First-Line Supervisors .... 

5 . Industry Personnel ................... 

APPENDICES 

A . Initial Structured Interview Guide ........... 

B . Task Lists for Managers and Supervisors ......... 
OVERVIEW 

The training effort in industry has concentrated largely on task training. The overall concept has been that an employee who knew how to do a particular set of tasks well and was willing to take on additional responsibility, 

could supervise and manage people who were doing this same set of tasks. This 

concept is only partly true in that it does not take into consideration the 

need for training supervisors and managers to take care of the company's most 

valuable asset--its people. 

The fact that industry has not emphasized supervisory and management 

training does not mean that there are no capable supervisors and/or managers. 

Just as there are excellent mechanics with inherent mechanics1 skills who 

have managed to acquire such skills on their own without formal training, 

there are also people with inherent supervisory or managerial skills who 

have developed skills in these areas on their own. 

The expansion of the industrial work force has increased the need for 

supervisors and managers. At the same time, increased interest in employee 

welfare has emphasized the need for supervisors and managers to have skills 

in handling people. Some action has been taken to fulfill these needs, 

particularly at the higher levels of management. Colleges and universities 

have included human relations programs in their curricula. Other organizations 

have developed and conducted supervisory and managerial training programs and 

seminars. The majority of these educational and training programs, however, 

are directed toward the higher management levels. 

More recently, the need for training all management personnel, down to 

the first-line supervisor, has been recognized. Some organizations, particularly those with more extensive resources, have initiated programs to fulfill these needs. 

The Bureau of Mines has taken an interest in providing such training 

for the mining industry. A contract was issued to develop and evaluate a 

training program for all supervisory and management personnel in underground 

coal mines. 

The overall effort performed under the contract was in two phases. The 

first phase was a research phase to develop specifications for the training 

program. The specifications identified the skills and knowledge that the 

trainees should acquire as a result of the training and the instructional 

strategy that would be most effective in providing the trainees with those 

skills and knowledge. 

In the second phase of the project, two training programs were developed 

and validated. One program was for section foremen, the other was for mine 

middle managers, that is, mine/shift foremen and mine superintendents. 

This report describes how the specifications were developed and the 

rationale for the decisions that were made regarding their development. It 

ihen describes the development and validation of the programs. 
THE DEVELOPMENT SAFETY-ORIENTED SUPERVISORY 

AND MANAGEMENT TRAINING PROGRAM 

FOR UNDERGROUND COAL MINES 

TRODUCTION 

The Human Resources Research Organization has prepared two safetyoriented training programs for underground coal mines for the Bureau of ~ines' 

Pittsburgh Research Center. One program is for first-line supervisors. The 

other program is for middle managers. The overall objective of the training 

programs is to provide supervisors and managers with the skills and knowledges 

that they need to effectively lead, direct and control their subordinates as 

they carry out their daily work activities. The programs' subject matter is 

primarily in the field of interpersonal relations and the techniques of planning, 

leading, directing and controlling. 

The need for this type of supervisory and management training has not 

always been readily apparent. In the days when mining tools, equipment and 

labor were cheap, the hard-working section foreman who had a little more 

muscle than the other people in the section could effectively oversee coal 

production operations with little or no training in interpersonal relations. 

Today's typical section foremen, however, oversee the operation of more than a 

million dollars' worth of equipment and the use of over four million dollars' 

worth of supplies and labor each year. In addition, they are responsible for 

their sections'compliance with complex company-promulgated work procedures, 

company-and government-legislated safety programs and company and labor 

organization personnel policies. Managerial responsibilities have grown in the 

same proportion as supervisory responsibilities. Hence, supervisory and management training is becoming more of a recognized need. 

This training program was developed in two phases: 

Phase I: A research phase to develop specifications for the training 

materials. 

Phase 11: A development phase to prepare and evaluate the training 

materials. 

The results and implications of the research phase were reported in detail 

in the Phase I Report of this project, submitted in June 1979. A brief of that 

report is included herein in order to provide a report of the entire project 

under one cover. The remainder of this report describes in detail the results 

of the program preparation and evaluation phases of the project. 
Phase I - Research and Development 

of S~ecifications 

The research phase was divided into four tasks: 

Task I - Determine what supervisory and management training is 

being done and what training materials are available. 

Task I1 - Select mine sites at which to conduct a training needs 

assessment. 

Task 111 - Conduct a training needs assessment. 

Task IV - Prepare specifications for the training materials, based 

on the training needs assessment. 

Task I : Determine Available Training Programs and Training Materials 

It was our intent to contact the industry and organizations involved in 

mine training to determine if there were training materials available that 

could be readily adapted for use in this program. Fifteen organizations were 

contacted by visits and/or by telephone to determine what supervisory and 

management training was being done and what training materials were available. 

The organizations included the Mine Academy, the West Virginia University 

Mining Extension Service, the ~COA/National Photo Laboratory, and several 

mines. A complete list of the organizations is in Table 1. We found that some 

of the larger mines that have competent training staffs had prepared supervisory 

and management training programs for their own use. Some mines were using the 

BCOA/National Photo Lab's "Working With People" program. There were no uncopyrighted or non-proprietary "off -the-shelf" training materials that we 

could use directly in our program. We did find considerable agreement among 

the organizations contacted regarding the content areas that the training 

materials should cover and the instructional strategies that are most effective 

in presenting the materials. In brief, the subject matter covers basic interpersonal relations, and the techniques of planning, communicating, leading and 

controlling. The most popular instructional strategy was a short lecture 

covering a particular topic, followed by a problem-solving/discussion period 

in which actual incidents that had occurred or conditions that existed in the 

trainees' mine could be discussed. 

Although there was little material available for training mine f irst-line 

supervisors and middle managers, there was quite a lot of material available 

for training general industry supervisors and managers at the higher management 

levels. We prepared an annotated bibliography of such materials and submitted 

it to the Project Officer. We later used these materials for references in 

developing the training materials for our program. 
Task 11: Select Mine Sites at Which to Conduct a Training Needs Assessment 

Since the contract called for conducting the training needs assessment 

at "...a small mine, a medium sized mine, and a large mine, representative of 

the industry1', it became necessary to define the terms "small", "medium" and 

"large", as well as "representative of the industry." 

Available data that could be used to establish criteria for defining 

these terms were obtained from the Mine Safety and Health ~dministration's 

Health and Safety Analysis Center (HSAC) in Denver, Colorado. The Center 

provided us with taped data on: 

The man-hours worked in each underground coal mine in the 

U.S. in calendar year 1977 

a The number of lost man-days due to occupational injuries 

and illnesses 

a The tons of coal produced during the same period. 

Analysis of the data let to the decision to define "small", "medium" 

and "large" mines on the basis of man-hours worked, and to define "representative" in terms of lost man-days per 1000 man-hours worked, and tons of coal 

produced per man-hour. 

We encountered one problem in connection with establishing the criteria 

for "small" mines. Originally, we had used the term "large" for mines 

expending more than 500,000 man-hours in 1977 (250 + miners); "medium" for 

mines expending between 100,000 and 500,000 man-hours (50-250 miners); and 

"small" for mines expending less than 100,000 man-hours (less than 50 miners). 

On further analysis of the data, we found that about 25% of the underground 

coal mines expend less than 25,000 man-hours per year (less than 10-12 miners). 

These mines would be in the category of "small" mines. Such mines were 

considered to be more of a "family" operation and not representative of a 

typical commercial venture. It was decided, therefore, to consider a "small" 

mine as one that expended between 50,000 - 75,000 man-hours per year (25-40 

miners). Such a mine, we believed, would require a formal organizational 

structure and training of the type envisioned in this program. 

Next, we had to determine the criteria for the term, "representative 

of the industry". We re-analyzed the HSAC data to establish the mean and the 

standard deviation for the small, medium, and large mines in terms of 

number of miners, safety record and production record. We decided that a mine 

that is "representative of the industry" would be one whose safety record, 

production record and number of workers fell within the range of the mean + & 

standard deviation. The results of these analyses are given in Table 2. 

There were two other considerations in selecting mines for the training 

needs assessment. One consideration was to select mines that used different 

mining methods. We felt that the responsibilities of supervisors and managers 
would vary depending on the particular mining method used. Therefore, we 

selected mines that would provide data on continuous, conventional, and 

longwall mining methods used in both retreat and advance mining. The other 

consideration was the mine owners' and managers' willingness to cooperate 

in conducting the program. 

Based on the above criteria and considerations, we selected these four 

mines as sites for conducting the training needs assessment: 

Penn Allegheny Mine (medium) 

Harman Mine (medium) 

Kaiser Steel Mine (large) 

Crescent Hills Mine (small) 

We were then ready to prepare to conduct the training needs assessment. 

Task 111: Conduct the Training Needs Assessment 

Our plan for conducting the training needs assessment was to visit mine 

sites and interview and observe mine managers, superintendents, shift foremen 

and section foremen. The resulting data would give us a clear picture of the 

daily tasks that mine supervisory and managerial personnel perform. Analysis 

of these data would identify the skills and knowledges needed to perform the 

tasks and provide a base for selection of the training objectives. 

In addition, we would gather data on acceptable training practices and 

prospective trainee profiles. Analysis of the data would help to identify 

the instructional strategies that would be effective in presenting the 

training materials. 

There were two preparatory steps to be taken before visiting the mine 

sites. The first was to prepare an appropriate interview instrument to be 

used with the mine personnel. 

The second step was to make arrangements with the mine managers for 

conducting the visits. The initial contact was made by telephone with a 

follow-up letter describing what we intended to do during the visit. The 

managers contacted were extremely cooperative. 

The first interview instrument that we prepared emphasized safety. We 

used it to conduct the interviews at the first mine site and found that the 

instrument was not satisfactory. We discovered that typical mine supervisors 

and managers are as well informed about safety as they are in the technical 

details of mining. What they need, however, is the ability to get their 

subordinates to carry out their assigned tasks with equal regard for safety 

and productivity. 

We revised the document after that f i r s t v i s i t and used the revised version 

in the other three mine site visits. Copies of both documents are in 

Appendices A and B. 
Each visit took approximately two days. On the first day we conducted 

the interviews, and on the second day we observed the start-of-shift 

activities of the supervisors and managers and then proceeded underground 

to observe a section crew at work. After the visits we analyzed the data 

obtained. The results are shown in Table 3 for managers and in Table 4 for 

first-line supervisors. We then proceeded to the next task which was to 

prepare the training program spec if ications . 

Task IV: Prepare Specifications for the Training Materials 

Preparing the specifications for the training materials based on the 

gathered data completed the research task. The specifications identified: 

a The prospective trainees 

The training objectives and the teaching points to support the 

objectives and 

The instructional strategies 

Prospective Trainees 

It was decided that two programs would be prepared, one for first-line 

supervisors (section foremen) and one for mid-level managers (mine/shift 

foremen and mine superintendents). Programs for higher level managers are 

available from colleges, universities and organizations such as the American 

Management Association. 

Training Objectives and Teaching Points 

During the needs assessment we determined the tasks that the supervisors 

and managers perform to carry out their functions. We then developed a 

matrix showing the skills and knowledges that they would need to perform these 

tasks. For example, in outlining the work of the day to their section crews, 

supervisors must be able to communicate, and, therefore, need communication 

skills. Hence, being able to communicate effectively with subordinates became 

a training objective. 

After all of the training objectives were developed, they were grouped 

into certain subject areas. Each group of objectives then became the 

training objectives for specific lessons such as: Motivation, Planning, 

Leadership, Communications and Performance Review. Teaching points were 

selected from sources identified in the annotated bibliography of general 

industry materials. 

Instructional Strategies 

Next, the selection of instructional strategies was accomplished. The 

time needed to present the supervisor's program was determined to be 20 hours, 
and the manager's program, 12 hours. We learned, while conducting the needs 

assessment, that prospective supervisors and managers could not be spared, 

for large blocks of time. They could, however, be spared for about one or 

two sessions a week, either before or after the workshift. It was also 

apparent that each session should last no more than two hours. Spending any 

more than two hours in a classroom after eight hours at the working face would 

not be very productive from a learning standpoint. Using materials of this 

type, it would also be difficult to hold the trainee's attention for more 

than two hours per session. It was our observation that the typical coal 

miner is a practical person who would rather "do" than sit and listen to 

theory. Therefore, these instructional materials were designed with this in 

mind. 

The two-hour lesson starts with a lecture and is interspersed with group 

discussions. The lectures contain and/or are followed by practical exercises 

that show how the points brought out in the lecture apply to the trainees' daily 

tasks. Some of the practical exercises provided can be used very effectively 

without modification. For others, the instructors 'are encouraged to develop 

similar exercises based on incidents and information from their mines. We 

feel that practical exercises based on situations with which the trainees are 

familiar will improve the effectiveness and trainee interest in the program. 

The size of the class is important. Ideally, the class should have 6-12 

trainees. Having too few trainees reduces the effectiveness of the discussions 

and practical exercises. Having too many trainees makes the class unwieldy, particularly with an inexperienced instructor. 

Two additional areas of need were identified during the research task and 

brought to the attention of the Project Officer. One was the need for study 

guides for supervisors taking state certification examinations. On approval 

of the Project Officer, a subcontract was let to Western Wyoming College to Prepare these guides. 

The second need was training for managers of small mines (less than 

25 miners). We felt that they need instruction in filling out tax forms, in 

basic accounting procedures and in complying with legislation that applies to 

all coal mines. Again, the Project Officer was informed of this need and a 

subcontract was let to West Virginia-University Mining Extension Service to 

develop such a program. 

This task concluded Phase I. A report was made to the Project Officer 

and the "go-aheadff was given for Phase 11, the development and evaluation 

phase. 
Phase 11: Preparation and Evaluation 

of Training Materials 

The two tasks in this phase were: 

Task I - Prepare the training materials. 

Task 11 - Validate the training materials. 

Task I: Prepare the Training Materials 

The training materials were prepared from the objectives and teaching 

points developed in the specifications. The manner of the presentation of 

the materials was based on the instructional strategy selected. 

The training materials for each lesson are in two parts: an Instructor's 

Handbook and a Participant's Handbook. 

The lnstructorfs Handbook contains: 

Introduction - (Brief Description of the Lesson) 

List of Objectives 

Schedule and List of Required Materials 

Instructor Preparation Section 

Suggested Lecture 

Practical Exercise Instructions 

visuals for Use with the Suggested Lecture 

Summary 

Self Checks and Answers 

Lecture Outline 

The suggested lecture in the Instructor's Handbook can be presented "as 

is" along with the visuals. If instructors want, they may develop their own 

lectures. The outline indicates the material that is to be covered. The 

practical exercises (not included in all lessons) are provided to add interest 

and to encourage trainee participation. As stated in the "Instructor 

Preparation" section of the training materials, instructors are encouraged to 

develop and use their own practical exercises based on actual incidents in 

their mines as substitutes for those in the handbook. 
The Participant's Handbook contains : 

Introduction - (Brief Description of the Lesson) 

List of Objectives 

Summary 

Self Checks 

Practical Exercise Materials (where applicable) 

Supervisory Training Program 

The Supervisory Training Program consists of 10 lessons. Eight of the 

lessons can be accomplished in two-hour sessions and the other two in fourhour sessions (with each four-hour session further divided into two twohour sessions). Titles and descriptions of each lesson follow. 

Lesson Title 

1 Role of the 

Supervisor 

Leadership and 

Supervision 

Motivation 

General 

Communications 

Duration (hrs) Points Covered 

2 Includes an introduction 

to the supervisory training program; description 

of the supervisor's daily 

routine and how this program will help in carrying 

out the routine. 

The five sources of a 

supervisor ' s in£ luence ; 

the elements of job 

satisfaction and the 

supervisor's effect on 

these elements; problem 

solving; directive and nondirective leadership. 

Definition of motivation, 

individual motivation; 

group motivation; how 

supervisors motivate 

miners and develop teamwork. 

Need for good communication; 

developing an open communications "climate", the elements 

of commc~nication; one-way 

and two-way cornmunica t ion ; 

developing communication skills. 
Lesson 

5 

Title Duration (hrs) Points Covered 

Organizational 

Communications 

Enforcing Rules 

and Regulations 

Performance 

Review 

Planning; 

Supervisor ' s 

Training 

Responsibilities 

Supervisor ' s 

Safety Role 

Formal and informal communication channels; basics of the 

formal network; use of written 

communications; use of verbal 

communications. 

Need for rules and regulations; 

reasons why people break rules; 

how you can prevent rules from 

being broken; corrective action 

when rules are broken. 

Setting standards; difference 

between standards and rules and 

regulations; presenting standards 

to miners ; evaluating performance; 

formal and informal performance 

evaluation; scheduled and 

unscheduled performance counseling. 

Planning responsibilities at 

all levels of the organization; 

detailed supervisory planning 

responsibilities; contingency 

planning, emergency planning. 

The four phases of training; 

who needs training, preparing 

to conduct training ; conducting the training ; evaluating 

the training. 

Identifying, controlling, and 

eliminating hazards; sources 

of hazards; reducing hazards; 

supervisor ' s participation 

in the company program. 

Although the lessons may be given in almost any order, the order shown 

is suggested for trainees who have had no previous supervisory training. If 

there are immediate problems in your mine ,f or example, in the areas of safety 

training or planning, the lessons could be presented in the order of the 

seriousness of the problems. 

Since Role of the Supervi-sor is, in a sense, introductory, this lesson 

should be given first. Also, t:he two lessons on communication should be 

given in the order shown. 
Manager Training: Program 

The Manager Training Program consists of six lessons, each lasting 

two hours. Titles and descriptions of each lesson follow. 

Lesson Title Duration (hrs) Points Covered 

1 Role of the 

Manager 

Leader ship in 

Manag emen t 

Communications 

Personnel 

Management 

Planning 

Financial 

Management 

Special Features of the Programs 

The managers' responsibilities 

during the normal work day; 

the skills and knowledges 

required to carry out these 

responsibilities. 

Directive and nondirective 

styles of leadership; choice 

of leadership styles ; delegating work; desirable leadership characteristics. 

Review of the elements of 

communications; the managerst 

communications responsibilities; 

when and how to use oral and 

written communications; canmunication networks; providing 

effective communications . 

Procedures for hiring; 

procedures for promoting 

from within; standards for 

an effective training program; 

personnel evaluation; rewarding and disciplining. 

Mid- level managers ' planning 

responsibilities; steps in 

planning ; setting gods; 

guidelines for effective 

planning . 

Manager s ' financial management responsibilities; budgeting; cost control. 

During the training needs assessment we found that each mine's training 

capabilities and training requirements varied widely. In order for this 

program to be applicable to and suitable for a large portion of the mining 

population, these variations had to be considered in designing the progrzm. 
A major variable was the training personnel and facilities available 

at the mines. Some mines had highly skilled personnel, well versed in 

education, training, and mining. Their facilities included c~assrooms with 

projection equipment, mining equipment simulators, and, in one instance, a 

simulated mine. Other mines had access to training organizations such as 

local school systems and private organizations who could take over their 

training tasks. At the other end of the scale, we found the responsibility 

for conducting training assigned as a collateral duty to a young administrator with limited training experience. The training "facilities" consisted 

of a table and chair. 

We designed this program so that it could be used effectively by mines 

at both extremes. Obviously, the mines with better training facilities and 

more experienced perscnnel will be able to conduct more effective training. 

They will have the manpower with training skill and experience to develop a 

presentation based on the subject matter provided by the lecture outline 

in the Instructor's Handbook. The material in the handbook can be augmented 

with examples of problem situations that have occurred at the mine, and with 

visual and other training aids to improve trainee interest. 

The less experienced trainer with limited facilities can also make an 

effective presentation of the training material. The suggested lecture 

states the basic precepts of each session in clear and simple statements. 

The visual aids highlight the teaching points presented. Learning is 

reinforced with the Self Checks. In the instructions for conducting each 

session, the instructor is urged to introduce for discussion some recent 

incident in the mine that reflects the need for the supervisory/management 

skills/knowledge training being developed in the session. 

A second variable was the number of trainees that would require 

supervisory or management training at any one time. In some instances, 

there will be several trainees who need supervisory or management training, 

and it would be cost effective to conduct formal classroom lecture presentations of the material. In other cases, there may be a need to provide such 

training to one or two newly appointed supervisor(s) or manager(s),or it 

might be desirable to provide refresher training in supervision or management to someone who has been away from the industry for some time. 

In the last two cases it may not be economically feasible to have one 

instructor for only one or two trainees. Therefore, we designed the 

program so that the training materials can be presented as a self-study 

program. 

Each trainee will be given a copy of the Instructor's Handbook and 

the Participant's Handbook. The trainees will read through each lesson and 

answer the questions in the Self Checks. At the end of each session a 

training monitor will review each trainee's work and, if it is satisfactory, 

will have the trainee proceed to the next lesson. 
Finally, the specific supervisory and management training needs at a 

particular mine at any one time may not always require that the trainees 

be given the full program. Therefore, each lesson in this program is 

designed to stand alone. If, for example, safety, training, planning or 

motivation is a problem at a mine at any time, the trainer may select the 

lesson that covers this specific need and present that to those supervior 

or manager trainees who need it. 

Task 2: Evaluate the Program 

The objective of a training program is twofold. First, as stated 

earlier, the program is intended to provide the trainee with new skills and 

knowledges for performing certain tasks. Secondly, it is intended to 

motivate the trainee to use the newly acquired skills and knowledges when 

performing the tasks. Evaluation of a training program should determine 

the degree to which each of these objectives is achieved. 

In the Introduction we stated that this program was developed to 

provide prospective underground coal mine supervisors and managers with the 

skills and knowledges they need to plan, lead, direct, and control the 

activities of their subordinates. The basic subject matter of the program 

is interpersonal relations. 

Evaluating the trainees' acquisiti.cn of the requisite skills and 

knowledges is comparatively easy. The majority of the objectives were 

knowledge objectives. The training materials presented accepted precepts 

for establishing and using communication channels effectively, leading, 

planning, evaluating performance, enforcing rules and regulations, and 

performing other supervisory or managerial tasks. Examples were presented 

to show these precepts could be applied to the everyday operations of an 

underground coal mine. Conducting tests at the end of each session that 

include questions on the meaning of or application of the precepts will 

determine whether or not the trainees have acquired the knowledge objectives. 

Determining the degree to which the trainees are motivated to use 

their newly acquired skills and knowledges is more difficult. One approach 

considered was to determine if, in the post-training period, the overall 

operations are more efficient (more tons of coal produced per man-hour), a 

better safety record is achieved (fewer lost man-days per 100,000 man-hours 

worked), or labor relations are improved (fewer labor grievances). On 

closer scrutiny, however, it was decided that there are too many other 

factors that would affect these indicators to provide a valid evaluation. 

For example, tons per man-hour did increase at one mine where the supervisory program was presented. However, the evaluation took place at the 

time when the demand for coal had slackened and employment prospects 

suffered. Hence, the improved production could have been generated by the 

miner's concern for their jobs as much as by the supervisors' or managers' 

recent leadership training. 
The worsening economic condition of the coal industry had a second 

undesirable effect on evaluating this program. Although mine management 

was cooperative and interested in the program, we did encounter a reluctance on their part to participate in any activity that did not relate 

directly to coal production. Therefore, we could expect one or more 

mines to use the program, but we would not be able to gather the data 

necessary to conduct an in-depth "laboratory" evaluation of the program. 

We therefore re-oriented our plan for evaluating the training program. 

Under the new plan, the interest shown by the trainees in the program would 

be a measure of the degree to which they would be motivated to apply the 

skills and knowledges they had acquired. This decision led to the conclusion that promoting trainee interest should be a paramount consideration in 

designing the program. 

Our principal method of generating trainee interest was to include 

in this program examples of how a supervisor or manager would carry out 

various aspects of leadership and interpersonal relations in an underground 

coal mining situation. Generating these examples required a considerable 

knowledge of the coal industry. Further, if the examples were to serve 

their stated purpose of generating interest, they had to be 100% technically 

accurate. Obviously, a technical error in such examples could destroy the 

credibility and hoped-for interest in the entire program. 

We were fortunate in obtaining the assistance and cooperation of 

several mining industry training personnel (see Table 5). They reviewed 

the training materials as they were being developed and commented on 

deficiencies in technical accuracy, applicability to coal mining and 

semantics. Their assistance was invaluable in preparing this program. 

After their comments were incorporated, we sent copies of the completed 

program to mine industry trainers with a request that they use the material 

in whole or in part. We have received word from them that the program will 

be used in their training curricula. 

The Supervisor's Training Program was presented to supervisory and 

management personnel at Harman Mine, a medium-sized mine in Harman, Virginia. 

Sixteen persons, including five mine superintendents or mine shift/foremen, 

eight section foremen, and three prospective section foremen were asked 

by management to take the courses. Those on the night shift attended class 

from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m.; those on the day shift attended class from 4:30 to 

6:30 p.m. Attendance was voluntary. 

Questionnaires were passed out at the end of each training session, 

requesting the trainees to indicate if they felt that the material covering 

each objective would help them to carry out their supervisory or management 

responsibilities and if they felt that the training materials were clear and 

covered each objective in sufficient detail. Their answers were scored on 

a rating scale of 0 to 4. Seventy-five percent of the answers to both 
questions were favorable. We felt that it was significant that the more 

senior persons--mine superintendents and foremen--rated the first question 

higher than did the more junior people. 

We further felt that it was significant that attendance, though 

voluntary, was slightly better than 75%. In a number of instances, attendance suffered because the trainees were held over at the mine due to unforeseen conditions. 

The trainees' achievement of the knowledge objectives was measured by 

giving a test at the end of each training session. The test included multiple choice, fill-in-the-blanks, and other similar questions. The average 

test scores were slightly over 75% for all sessions. 

CONCLUSION 

In conclusion, we feel that this training program has met the requirements of the original proposal in the following ways: 

It provides supervisory and management training 

for underground coal mines. 

The training is based on a valid needs assessment. 

The training program has been reviewed by mining 

industry training personnel and pronounced technically 

accurate and applicable to the mining industry. 

Industry personnel have requested copies of the program 

and are incorporating it into their training curricula. 

The trainees for the supervisory program pilot test 

displayed above-average interest in the program. 
AGENCIES CONTACTED 

The Mining Academy at Beckley, West Virginia 

The Mine Safety and Health Administration in Arlington, Va. 

North American Coal at Powhatan, Ohio 

Penn Allegheny Coal at Tarentum, Pa. 

National Photo Laboratories at Houston, Tex. 

Peabody Coal Training Office in St. Louis, Mo. 

Kasier Steel Mine, Sunnyside, Utah 

Harman Mine, Harman, Va. 

Crescent Hills Mine, Daisey Town, Pa. 

Triangle Research Inc., Harman, Va. 

University of West Virginia, College of Mineral and 

Earth Resources, at Morgantown, W. Va. 

National Coal Training Office, Lexington, Ky. 

Freeman Coal Training Office, Frankfort, Ill. 

Island Creek Coal Training Offices, in Virginia, 

West Virginia, and Kentucky 

Monterey Coal Company Training Office, Carlinville, Ill. 
TABLE 2 

SUMMARY DATA AND SELECTION RANGES FOR MINE CLASSIFICATION 

Mean 

SD 

Range 

Selection Range 

(Mean k 1/ 2 SD) 

Number in S e l e c t i o n 

Range 

Mean 

SD 

Range 

Selection Range 

(Mean 2 1/2 SD) 

Number in Select ion 

Range 

Mean 

SD 

Range 

Selection Range 

(~ean 2 1/2 SD) 

Number in S e l e c t i o n 

Range 

SMALL MEDIUM LARGE 

Man-years (//Man-hours i- 1840) 

32.64 141.905 647.92 

3.58 61.866 321.10 

27.765-40.424 55.89-270.65 275.75-1657.29 

30.85-34.43 110.972-172.838 487.366-808.47 

Days Lost Per 1,000 Man-hours 

13.178 7.663 

28.125 11.048 

0.00-119.1 .OO-50.48 

.OO-27.24 2.139-13.187 

Tons Per Man-hour 
TABLE 3 

TASK IMPORTANCE RATINGS OF MANAGERS 

Set Long-Range Goals 

Set Objectives 

Discuss Long-Range Plans with Subordinates 

Formulate and Review Long-Range Policies and Procedures 

Communicate with Subordinates 

Prepare Records and Reports/Paperwork 

Control Internal Business Affairs 

Review Work of Subordina tes/Lower Level Units 

Interpret and Execute Policies 

Discuss Short-Range Plans with Higher Management 

Coordinate Activities of Several ~nitsl~epartments 

Discuss Short-Range Plans with Subordinates 

Troubleshoot Technical Problems 

Handle People Problems 

Represent Department to Higher Management 

Advise and Instruct Subordinates on Work Problems 

Counsel Subordinates About Work 

Counsel Subordinates Who Have Problems 

Organize Personnel and Equipment for Work 

Handle Conflicts Between Subordinates 

Train Personnel 

Mean 
TABLE 4 

TASK IMPORTANCE RATINGS OF FIRST-LINE SUPERVISORS 

- Task 

Check Condition of Worksite 

Give Orders and Instructions About the Work 

Train Crew Members on the Job 

Motivate Crew Members 

Enf orce Policies , Procedures and Safety Rules 

Handle Complaints of Crew Members 

Counsel Crew Members About Their Work Performance 

Counsel Crew Members Who Have Problems 

Mean 

Communicate With Crew Members 4.88 ,196 

Discuss Safety Regulations 4.83 .289 

Receive Directives from Shift ~oreman/Mine Supervisor Regarding 

Safety, Mine Policy and New Operations 4.72 .255 

Prepare Reports and Paperwork 

Discuss Situation with Off-Going Section Foreman 

Discuss Equipment Condition with Maintenance Foreman 

Troubleshoot Problems as They &ise 

Check Work of Crew Members 

Represent Company to Crew 

Build Teamwork Within the Crew 

Check Condition and Inventory of Supplies 

Discuss Policy Regulations 

Investigate Potential Problems 

Instruct Crew Members on How to Handle Problems 

Receive Orders For the Day's Work-Shift Foreman 

Handle Conflicts Between Crew Members 

Discuss Situation With Fire Boss Prior to Start of Shift 

Cite Needs of the Crew to Higher Management 

Plan Work 

Check Condition of Equipment 

Estimate Supplies Needed 

Estimate Manpower Requirements 
TABLE 5 

Mr. Clif Burden 

Mr. Edward Carman 

Mr. Alfred Horvath 

Mr. Chris Marshall 

Mr. Fred Morrell 

Mr. Allen Plaisted 

Mr. Edward Zajac 

Mr. Edmund Zehel 

INDUSTRY PERSONNEL 

Island Creek Coal 

Eastern Coal Assoc. 

North American Coal 

Republic Steel 

North American Coal 

Beaver Creek Coal 

Wes tmoreland Coal 

Bethlehem Steel 

United States Steel 
Appendix A 

INITIAL STRUCTURED INTERVIEW GUIDE 

Questionnaire has 5 sections: 

1) Background Information 

2) General Questions on the Job 

3) General Questions on Safety 

4) General Questions on Regulations 

5) Questions on the Safety Considerations for Specific Tasks 
Section 4: General Questions on Regulations 

1. Wken was the last time you were aware of new Federal or State regulations? Year 

2. Did you have any special meetings or training in order to learn about these regulations? 

0 Yes 0 No 

If yes, what? 

3. Are these the most important set of safety regulations the mine follows? 

0 Yes 0 No 

If no, what are? 

4. What affect did the regulations have on the operation of your mine? 

Were there any changes to you on the job? 

0 Yes No 

If yes, what? 

5. In overseeing the work of your people, how do you insure that they perform their work safely and 

in accordance with the regulations? 
Section 5: Tasks and Their Safety Considerations 

Tasks: 

1. Receive and make work assignment 

2. Conduct pre-work inspections 

3. Conduct operations 

4. Inventory and order supplies 

5. Troubleshoot problems 

6. Write reports 

Appendix 8 

TASK LISTS FOR MANAGERS AND SUPERVISORS 
?re-Shift Activity 

Mine 

Title 

TASK LIST 

FIRST-LINE SUPERViSOR 

Communicate with peers and higher management 

Receive orders for days work-shift foreman 

Discuss situation with off going section foreman 

Discuss situation with fire boss 

Receive directives from shift foremanlmine 

superintendent regarding safety, mine policy, 

new operations 

Discuss equipment condition with maintenance 

foreman 

Represent crew to higher management 

Cite needs of the crew 

Plan daily work activities 

Estimate supplies needed 

Estimate manpower requirements 

Investigate potential problems 

Plan work 

Significance for Job: 

5 - Highly important part of job 

4 - Important part of job 

3 - Moderately important part of job 

2 - Part of job but not important 

1 - Insignificant part of job 

0 - Not part of job 

Job 

Significance Training 
Job 

Sisnificance Training 

Shift Activitv 

Organize crew and equipment for work 

Check condition and inventory of supplies 

Communicate with crew members 

Represent company to crew 

Discuss safety regulations 

Discuss policy regulations 

Motivate crew members 

Build teamwork within the crew 

Check condition of worksite (housekeeping 

gas checks, ventilation curtain, water) 

Check condition of equipment 

Give orders and instructions about the work 

Instruct crew members on how to handle 

problems 

Troubleshoot problems as they arise 

Check work of crew members 

Train crew members on the job 

Enforce policies, procedures, safety rules 

Handle complaints of crew members 

Counsel crew members about their work 

performance 

Handle conflicts between crew members 

End of Shift 

Counsel crew members who have problems 

Prepare reports and paperwork 
Mine 

Title 

TASK LIST 

MIDDLE AND UPPER MANAGEMENT 

Plan Long Range Operations 

Set goals 

Set objectives 

-. . Discuss with subordinates 

Formualte and review policies, procedures 

Plan Short Range Operations 

Organize personnel and equipment for work 

Coordinate activities of several units/departments 

Discuss with subordinates 

Discuss with higher management 

Review work of subordinates/lower level units 

Represent department to higher management 

Interpret and execute policies 

Train personnel 

Job 

Significance 

Direct On-going Operations 

Communicate with subordinates 

Control internal business affairs (costs, budgets, 

inventorylorder supplies) 

Prepare records and reports, paperwork 

Troubleshoot technical problems 

Counsel subordinates about their work 

Advise and instruct subordinates on work problems 

Handle conflicts between subordinates 

Counsel subordinates who have problems 

Siclnificance for Job 

5 - Highly important part of job 

4 - Important part of job 

3 - Moderately important part of job 

2 - Part of job but not important 

Training 

1 - Insignificant part of job 

0 - Not part of job 
For each major activity (pianning long range, planning short range, directing on-going operations, 

controlling business affairs), ask the interviewees the following three questions: 

1. Tell me a little about what you do in this area of activities. 

2. In this area, what gives you the most problems? 

3. How do you usually handle them? 
5. Do you receive reports on accidents that allow you to see how your people do? 

Yes No 

If yes, do these reports show your people in comparison to the rest of the mine or mines in the state, 

or mines across the nation? 

0 Yes 

6. Do you ever set goals in terms of reduced accidents or improved safety for your people? 

Yes No 

If yes, how do you communicate these goals to your people? 

How often do you do this? timeslyear. 

7. In assigning tasks to units or individuals, do you take into account their past performance relative 

to accidents and safety matters? 

0 Yes 0 No 

If yes, how? 

8. What is the responsibility of , your boss, in safety matters? 

9. What are the safety duties of the people working for you? 
Date: 

Time Started: 

Time Completed: 

Mine: 

Circle One: SM MED LG 

Interviewer: 

Interview No.: 

Section 1: Background Information Form 

1. Name: 

3. How old are you? years 

4. How much schooling have you completed? 

El Less than 8th Grade 

El Some High School 

El High School Graduate 

Technical School Training 

El Some College 

College Graduate (Degree) 

El Some Graduate School 

El Graduate Degree (Degree, Area) 

5. How long have you been in your current position? months 

6. What was your previous job? 

7. Did you have any special training to prepare you for your current job? 

0 Yes C3 No 

If yes, what? 

8. Have you had any special training since taking your current job? 

Cl Yes O No 

If yes, ask: on what? 

How long did it last? 

Was the course worth your time? 
9. What do you think, or hope, will be your next position? 

10. Who is your supervisor? 

What is his title? 

11. Who reports to you? 

How many: 

Titles: 
Section 2: General Questions on Your Job 

1. If you had to break your duties into 3 or 4 major categories, how would you do it? 

Here are some examples to help you. 

(Hand them sheet of paper.) 

If safety is NOT on list: 

You didn't mention safety as an area. Did you omit it or do you think of safety as part of these 

other categories? 

3. Is there a written description of your job? 

Cl Yes Cl No 

If yes, (ask for a copy) 
EXAMPLE CATEGORIES 

How you spend your time: 

DOING INSPECTIONS 

ON PEOPLE PROBLEMS 

CONDUCTING OPERATIONS 

EQUIPMENT MAINTENANCE 

GOING TO MEETINGS 

WRITING REPORTS 

PAPER WORK 
4. As far as your total time at work goes, what percent of your time do you spend on each of the 

following activities? 

(Hand them a list to fill in and a pencil) 

- Activity 

Report writing 

Going to meetings 

Inspection of equipment and 

site 

Conducting daily operations 

In emergency situations 

With employees' problems 

Inventory and ordering 

supplies 

Receiving and making 

assignments 

% of Time 

5. Can you think of any of your important duties that I left out? 

Q Yes Q' No 

If yes, what are they? 
6. 1 see you spend the greatest proportion of your time on 

(Fill in) 

What are your major problems in 

(Fill in) 

7. Are there any of these duties where you feel additional training would improve your performance? 

0 Yes 

If yes, which ones: 

8. What about your superiors? Can you think of any area where they need more training? 

0 Yes O No 

If yes, what? 

9. What about the people reporting to you? Is there any additional training you would like to see 

them get? 

0 Yes 0 No 

If yes, what?