Final answer:
The first step in creating a management development training program is to conduct an organizational analysis, which includes observing current practices, surveying, and interviewing employees to define the skills and objectives for the program.
Step-by-step explanation:
The first step in designing a management development training program is a) Conduct an organizational analysis. This involves gathering information through observation, surveys, and interviews with current employees, including management, peers, and supervisors. This data collection is crucial to understand the current state of the organization, identify the skills needed for various managerial positions, and determine the specific objectives the training program needs to address.
Understanding different types of formal organizations and recognizing the characteristics of bureaucracies are also important. It is this foundational analysis that informs subsequent steps, such as management task analysis, management team analysis, and examining management best practices. The collected information guides the preparation and implementation phases, and ultimately helps to evaluate the effectiveness of the training based on criteria like employee response, learning outcomes, behavioral changes, and impact on productivity and profits.