Developing a Corporate Learning Strategy - Term Paper Example

?Human Resource Development: Importance of learning in people development Introduction Organizations survive and succeed on basis of one of their most important resources i.e. people or human resource. Every year many companies try to revisit their strategy on employee retention and motivation so that they do not lose efficient workforce who can make things happen in times of crisis. Since the term HRD came into cognizance, there has been a dichotomous approach developed to HRD – on side of the Atlantic the British pursued learning and development paradigm which focused on enhanced training and development genre’s while on the other side of Atlantic, the Americans pursued a performance based development paradigm which focused of developing individuals to enhance organizational performance outcomes. This dichotomous approach to HRD was further obscured by the evolution of Strategic HRM and Strategic HRD (Simmonds and Pedersen, 2006, p.122). However, being competitive and coping with the increasingly turbulent environment are issues that challenge most managers, thus focusing on the development of themselves and their staff has to be of major importance (Wilson, 2005, p.484). According to Swanson and Halton (2009, learning is at the heart of human resource development (HRD) and continues to be a core part of all paradigms of HRD. The present paper is aimed at evaluating the importance of learning in human resource development and how it helps the overall organizational development. Importance of Learning in Human Resource Development Hargreaves and Jarvis (2009) mentioned that people are interested in learning something new and this is supported by research during 1970s which revealed that approximately 90 per cent of adults were engaged in self managed learning projects of various kinds. According to Watkins (1989, p.427) “human resource development is the field of study and practice responsible for the fostering of a long-term, work-related learning capacity at the individual, group and organizational level”. It is further argued that the centrality of learning requires the active involvement of employees and that retraining and the outsourcing of the workforce are two of HRD’s biggest challenges (Sheared and Sissel, 2001, p.124). Human resource development has become increasingly important to the success of modern organization. Mclagan (1989) defines HRD as the integrated use of training and development, organizational development and career development to improve individual, group and organizational effectiveness. Academic are constantly seeking approaches to HRD which are more relevant to the needs of today’s organizations as well as asking questions as to whom and what HRD is for. The traditional view of HRD has been a technocratic “development of effective practitioners” and invariably the rationale for development is to better pursue competitive advantage, to ‘meet the changing character of market conditions’ or to fulfill the needs of business strategy (Trehan, and Rigg, 2011). McGoldrick, Stewart and Watson (2002) argued that HRD is more than providing economic performance and pointed out that it has a central focus on and concern with learning, likely to have a wider constituency and purpose than organizational success, which suggests that HRD practice has a broader accountability than performance and is clearly a political activity (Trehan and Rigg, 2011). Werner and DeSimone (2008, p.65) defined learning has a relatively permanent change in behavior, cognition or affect that occurs as a result of one’s interaction with the environment. According to Hargreaves and Jarvis (2000), learning is the basis both of individual development and of organizational enhancement of education and training. The skills, knowledge and experience of each individual contribute to the economic growth of organizations, communities and nations. Sheared and Sissel (2001) mentioned that much of the historical work that does exist has uncritically viewed HRD as the latest and most humanistic phase of an ongoing educational process where an organization facilitates learning of its employees so that they can become more productive and empowered. Importance of learning was recognized in early 1980s and many academicians termed learning as the key developable and tradable commodity of an organization and is evident in present days when knowledge management is considered important and is intellectual property for individuals and for organizations (Joy-Matthews, Megginson and Surtees, 2004, p.88). The focus of learning is change, either by acquiring something new or modifying something that already exists and this change must have the essential qualities of endurance. Learning outcomes can be skill based or affective but does not include behavior changes attributable to physical maturation or a temporary condition. Erasmus and Schenk (2009, p.446) similarly agree and added that HRD focuses on intentional rather than incidental learning, Swanson and Holton (2009) advocated various learning theories which include humanism, social learning, constructivism, holistic learning, behaviorism and cognitivism as these methods facilitate development and behavioral change in their approach to their work apart from improved skills and knowledge. Impact of learning development on individuals and organization Continued learning is essential so as to ensure that people are updated about the latest technology, skills, etc., provide a high skilled and flexible workers, providing opportunities for technological updating, provide efficient managers and directors, career development opportunities, promoting creativity and technological development within the workforce, retrain staff who possess obsolete skills and promote the return of the unemployed to work (Hargreaves and Jarvis, 2000). Successful training begins with a needs assessment to determine which employees need to be trained and what they need to be trained. If learning that has taken place during training is not transferred to the job situation, the training programme has been ineffective (Erasmus and Schenk, 2009). Therefore it is necessary to monitor the events taking place during the process of learning so that the newly gained skills are put into use. Mortimore (1999) mention that throughout the UK and the European Union, there is widespread acceptance that current and predicted changes in the organization of work are generating new skill requirements and occupations profiles and are hence promoting learning in work based contexts. It is important to mention that there were very few national learning or training initiatives in the UK until 1960s; now the UK has a national system of vocational qualifications, a national industry based network of occupational standard setting. Shuck, Rocco and Albornoz (2011) mentioned that employee engagement is necessary as it increases workplace performance and productivity amid widespread economic decline. North Shore LIJ Health System invested $10 million into training and development and encouraged employees to further education in hopes of raising engagement levels within their organization which resulted in a one-year retention rate of 96 per cent, increased patient satisfaction scores, and record setting profits. It is further revealed by Shuck et al (2011) in his study that evidence of learning played a role in the development of an employee’s engagement with their work. However the importance of learning at work was not a total surprise, but incidental learning played into the experience of engagement which provided chance to learn something new every day which kept them excited about their work. Rowden and Conine studied the impact of informal, incidental and formal workplace learning on job satisfaction among employees in small banks which demonstrated significant positive relationship with all forms of workplace learning. Sostrin examined barriers to workplace learning and performance which included learning among others. Van Buren argued that organizations increasingly understand ‘workplace learning as an investment rather than a cost’ based on an American Society for Training and Development (ASTD) Future Research Study, which uncovered an extremely powerful connection between investments in workplace learning and financial measures such as total shareholder return (Malloch, 2010, p.206). The effects of employer provided work based learning are potentially wide reaching. Since 1988, Ford Britain’s Employee Development Programme has sponsored educationally oriented courses outside working time for employees (ILO, 2000). Dodds and Verest (2002) provide a practical case illustration of the development and implementation of web based training in an international financial services company in The Netherlands which is based on the Lancaster Learning model. Further Buyens et al (2001) while stressing the need for learning related aspects in HRD, finds it as necessary in order to cope with changing demands in the organizational environment. According to the South African Training Industry Report (2007), South African organizations spend 3.43% of payroll on training and 87% of organizations have human resource information systems. It is further revealed that 33% of organizations measured the financial ROI of training programmes (Erasmus and Schenk, 2009) Coulson – Thomas (2000) in their study on corporate learning plans and priorities of 69 firms in Belguim, Britain, Germany, and Greece found that many courses were excessively general in nature which failed to address specific requirements. It was further found that successful and unsuccessful companies adopt very different ways of managing change. It was therefore considered that learning, training and development activities should address the root cause of unsuccessful methods and focus upon more profitable approaches. Smith (2004) mentions that the contribution of HRD in achieving effective organizational change falls into three broader areas; i.e. creating an organizational environment that is supportive of learning and development; developing and sustaining in employees an individual orientation towards learning and skill growth; and providing staff with the direct skills and knowledge required for working in the changed environment. This is evident in Marks and Spencer Plc management and development program where employees are encouraged to own their own career and their own development which does not aim for promotion, but job enlargement or job enrichment in the same position (Select Knowledge, 2001). Conclusion Learning is no longer a separate activity that occurs either before one enters the workplace or in remote classroom settings (Sheared and Sissel, 2001, p.132). Organizational learning is essential not only for the people’s development but also for the development of an organization. Many theories advocate various learning styles but converge at one point i.e. human resource development. Organizations in the US associate great importance to the training of employees viewing it as an investment in their future while in India, it is viewed as a social advantage to the point the point that employees find it challenging to even consider transferring any new acquired skills in training to their working environments (Hassi and Storti, 2011). It is evident from various studies and researches that learning provides ample opportunities for development and opportunities for career advancement. Though performance based developmental approach is essential, learning cannot be ignored as it provides the person with less skills and qualification an opportunity to grow and advance in his area. Therefore learning is unarguably an important tool in the human resource development of an organization. References 1. Buyens, D., Wouters, K. and Dewettinck, K. 2001, Future challenges for human resource development professionals in European learning-oriented organisations, Journal of European Industrial Training, 25 (9), pp. 442-53. 2. Coulson-Thomas, C. 2000, Developing a corporate learning strategy, Industrial and Commercial Training, 32 (3), pp. 84-8. 3. Dodds, B. and Verest, M. 2002, E-learning in support of induction training at De Lage Landen, Industrial and Commercial Training, 34(2), pp. 70-5. 4. Erasmus, B and Schenk, H 2009. South African human resource management: theory and practice, Ed. 4th, Cape Town: Juta and Company Ltd,  5. Hargreaves, P and Jarvis, P. 2000. The human resource development handbook Ed.2nd US: Kogan Page Publishers 6. Hassi, A. and Storti, G 2011 Organizational training across cultures: variations in practices and attitudes, Journal of European Industrial Training, 35 (1), pp.45 – 70 7. ILO, 2000. Lifelong learning in the twenty-first century: the changing roles of educational personnel : report for discussion at the Joint Meeting on Lifelong Learning in the Twenty-first Century : the Changing Roles of Educatinal Personnel, Geneva: ILO 8. Malloch, M. 2010. The SAGE Handbook of Workplace Learning, US: Sage Publications 9. McGoldrick, J., Stewart, J., Watson, S. 2002, Researching HRD, in McGoldrick, J., Stewart, J., Watson, S. (Eds),Understanding Human Resource Development: A Research-based Approach, Routledge, London, . 10. Mclagan, R. 1989. Models for HRD Practice. Training and Development Journal, 43 (9) pp. 49-59 11. Mortimore, P 1999. Understanding pedagogy and its impact on learning, US: Sage Publications 12. Select Knowledge, 2001. People Development, University of Cambridge 13. Sheared, V and Sissel, P.A.. 2001, Making space: merging theory and practice in adult education, UK: Greenwood Publishing Group 14. Shuck M.B, Rocco, T.S. and, Albornoz, C.S. 2011 Exploring employee engagement from the employee perspective: implications for HRD, Journal of European Industrial Training, 35 (4), pp.300 – 325 15. Simmonds, D and Pedersen C. 2006. HRD; the shapes and things to come, Journal of Workplace Learning, 18 (2) pp. 122-134 16. Smith, I. 2004, Continuing professional development and workplace learning-Human resource development – a tool for achieving organisational change, Library Management,. 25(3), pp. 148-51. 17. Swanson, R.A. and Holton, E.F 2009. Foundations of Human Resource Development, Ed 2nd US: Berrett-Koehler Publishers 18. Trehan K and Rigg C, 2011 Theorising critical HRD: a paradox of intricacy and discrepancy", Journal of European Industrial Training,. 35 (3), pp.276 – 290 19. Wilson, J.P, 2005, Human resource development: learning & training for individuals & organizations, Ed.2nd US: Kogan Page Publishers Read More