<![CDATA[Training Needs Analysis (TNA) is a fundamental stage in training management that functions to bridge performance gaps with appropriately targeted training solutions. The classic model by McGehee and Thayer (1961) divides TNA into three hierarchical levels: organizational analysis, operational analysis, and individual analysis. Among these three levels, operational analysis occupies a crucial position because it translates the organization's strategic goals into concrete performance standards, task descriptions, and competencies (knowledge, skills, and attitudes/KSA) at the job level, before these are used as a benchmark for assessing individual performance gaps. This literature review aims to examine how operational analysis is positioned and operationalized as a basis for identifying employee training needs, drawing on classic theoretical foundations (McGehee & Thayer, 1961; Goldstein & Ford, 2002; Taylor, O'Driscoll, & Binning, 1998) as well as an expanded set of recent empirical findings from both international and Indonesian settings (2019-2026). The review shows that operational analysis contributes to training effectiveness through three main aspects: ensuring the relevance of training content, providing clear evaluation benchmarks, and maintaining consistency across the levels of the TNA process. This review also identifies a research gap, namely the still-limited number of empirical studies specifically focusing on the operational level of TNA compared to the individual level, particularly within the Indonesian organizational context, which presents an opportunity for further research.]]>
