Training Professionals Have a Leading Role in Innovation and Change - Coursework Example

Running Header: Training professionals have a leading role in innovation and change Student’s Name: Instructor’s Name: Course Name & Code: Date of Submission: Introduction As a result of the dynamic changes in the economy and the organisational structures, demand of new strategies has significantly increased. The strategies include those of training and developing staff in order to improve their performance. As a result there are major changes in the focus of productivity and efficiency as more organisations now aim at risk taking, engagement and empowering their staff. Looise and Riemsdijk (2004, p. 278) describes that the renewed growth and innovation is therefore a reinvestment in learning and development. Through organisations view innovation as a challenge, it improves workforce skills therefore enabling them to meet their business expectations. The above study evaluates why training professionals have a leading role in innovation and change of various organisations. Training professionals in necessary for all businesses as it enables them to meet the challenges of today’s business environment. They also gain leadership skills that enable professionals to provide employees with necessary training for them to perform beyond business expectation. The major role of training professionals in today’s businesses is in order to deliver innovation. The role of training professionals is in order to achieve competency. Niederman and Mandviwalla (2004, p.7) shows competencies have made their mark on the business world since 1970s and more organisations have developed ways of measuring it. Competencies play a major role in performance management, success planning, career development and team building. However, there has not been a general definition of competence or core competence but they describe the abilities needed to perform a particular role within the business environment. The definition of the terms therefore rests with an individual organisation. Core competencies have been defined through a measure of extraordinary abilities that give a firm a competitive advantage in order for them to create and deliver value to its customers. Though some experts argue that competencies define the abilities to perform a particular role effectively, it is also argued that competency in an observable attribute which include skills, knowledge and value enabling one to perform a certain task. One of the major reasons for training professionals is to improve the utilisation of human resources. Training and development enables staff to achieve the organisational goals as well as their own goals. It also provides an opportunity and broad structure for development of human resources’ technical and behavioural skills therefore enabling employees in attaining personal growth. The second reason for training professionals is for the development of skills (Witte and Steijn 2000). Training and development improve job knowledge and skills of employees to another level. This enables them to expand the horizons of human intellect and the overall personality of the employees. The third reason is because training improves productivity, team spirit, organisational culture and climate. Productivity increases therefore enabling employees achieve long term goals. It also inculcates a sense of team work and collaboration. Training also develops and improves organisational health, culture and effectiveness therefore building a positive perception about the business. Training also improves quality and creates a healthy working environment, improves corporate image and a positive attitude towards profit orientation by the workforce (Niederman and Mandviwalla 2004, p. 8). Training professionals approach involves a certain design and delivery system as well as development programs in order to attain innovation. IT innovation for example involves budget limitations, availability of resources, reallocation of resources and technological infrastructure. Looise and Riemsdijk (2004, p. 282) puts it that IT projects for example must involve IT professionals with a technical background though there has to be input from the human resource management. Innovation strategies introduce new information technologies to employees. HR issues are also seen as playing a role in the management of technical change. These issues can be grouped into work structuring, organisational design and personnel issues. Work structuring involves change in supervision and the creation of teams. This allows staff to work according to their strengths (Markus 2004, p 18). The HR issues were identified to be selection, appraisal, reward and development and are considered to be major aspects of technological change. Among the four HR issues the most considered included selection of appropriate staff. This is an important aspect in every organisation. Training and development is the other major aspect as it enables staff to work well with new technology. HR therefore have a role in promoting technological innovation for example they may use human centered technological philosophy in supporting workers whose skills are leveraged by the advanced manufacturing technology. There has also been a higher impact of technological champion at the starting phase as compared to the planning and installation phases. According to Witte and Steijn (2000, p.261) HR practices are seen as valuable technological innovations for instance in the case of worker involvement in planning and empowerment. Training professionals for innovation is delivered through managerial support for IT innovation. The HRM innovation include introduction of new organisation and job design, new forms of human resource flow, performance and reward and new forms of communication and employee participation. Training professionals therefore enables employees in the selection of information systems responsible for changing the organisation. The new forms of performance and reward for example help in the evaluation of use of IT, system and the reorganisation of the pay system. The forms of communication and participation enable users to be part of decision making in innovation and enables them to plan their work effectively. Users are able to communicate with the IT suppliers provide the new staff with information about innovation and able to plan training sessions in terms of duration, quality and breath of coverage (Witte and Steijn 2000). The Australian organisations that have developed innovation in their training and development programs include Woolworths Limited which is the largest retail company in Australia. The retail sector is among the sectors that yield the country less revenue. This is because retailers strive in the market in achieving growth in profits and development of infrastructure. Rosemar (2009) shows fewer returns are attained due to the aggressive competition present in the small consumer market. Due to the increasing competition in the market Woolworth Company in the retail sector has improved brands of food controlled by few numbers of large international brands. Australian manufacturers therefore cannot evade these market pressures since they result of the global changing of food retails. These changes have enabled retailer to seek better methods of achieving economies of scale as well as providing their consumers with better services. The methods used by the retailers include asset utilisation, improving methods of promotion and maintaining consumer value. Technology is also necessary as most consumers consider purchasing goods at stores that have innovative technology for example where they do not have to queue to be scanned. To beat the price inflation in the market, Woolworth has introduced various strategy of increasing consumer spending. Commonwealth Bank of Australia is the other organisation that has improved innovation in the banking sector in the. Commonwealth Bank of Australia (2008) shows in 2005 for example, the bank established a strategic co-operation agreement with other banks in China a representative in India. This was to acquire more market share in both countries. It has also improved innovations by being involved in joint partnerships as a way of acquiring wizard mortgages. There have also been major divisions for the improvement of financial services to small business customers. They have also improved systems for providing advisory services to institutional clients and global markets. Wealth management has been improved as a way of bringing together groups’ funds, superannuation and asset management (Markus 2004, p. 15). The two organisations for example have embraced the importance of training and development in order to achieve innovation. The Commonwealth Bank of Australia have ensures the selection of skills workforce as well as training of the existing staff in order to achieve long term goals. The Woolworths Company on the other hand has ensured the introduction of profitable online home delivery systems. Rosemary (2009) shows more than 17,000 product lines have been set up to deliver products. However, there has been slow demand of food products bought through the internet due to change in habit of consumers since many of them preferred impulse buying. In comparison, we find that the two organisations have focused on their core competencies to become popular in the area. This is by understanding that development of competencies help in aligning workers with organisational strategies. It also helps in selection and development of people. Training and achievement of competencies also drive organisational initiatives for example through the measurement of the current state of the organisation and determining the significant gaps then comparing them with the future expectations. Conclusion Workplace competency is therefore important in every business today. This is because modern environments need good communication skills, team work abilities, time management skills as well as being able to adapt to changes and working with people from diverse cultures. The implementation of these strategies enables businesses to operate effectively and efficiently. Employees perform their job functions effectively and think critically. Trained employees are also able to adapt to changes in the global economy. Training professionals also improves job satisfaction as staff are motivated and engaged therefore employee turnover is reduced. Transfer of organisational knowledge is also possible through training from long term employees. To achieve this, organisations should ensure the establishment of a training program that includes the analysis of employee needs, measurable objectives, resources and results evaluation. References Commonwealth Bank of Australia 2008, "Commonwealth Bank of Australia to acquire Bank West and St Andrew's". Looise, J & Riemsdijk, M 2004, Innovation organizations and HRM, A conceptual framework, Management revue, vol. 1, no. 3, pp. 277-288. Markus, M 2004, Techno change management, using IT to drive organisational change, Journal of Information Technology, vol. 19, no. 4, pp. 4–21. Niederman, F & Mandviwalla, M 2004, Introduction to special issue on the evolution of IT personnel research, more theory, more understanding, more questions, The DATA BASE for Advances in Information Systems, Summer, vol. 3, no. 5, pp. 6–8. Rosemary, R 2009, Woolies’ strategy a winner, Business Report, Australia. Witte, M & Steijn, B 2000, Automation, job content and underemployment. Work, employment and society, vol. 14, no. 3, pp. 245–264. Read More