Systematic Approach to Learning and Development - Essay Example

Systematic Approach to Learning and Development Introduction Adoption of systematic approach encourages the rational views of the practitioner towards their purpose fulfilment. Anything which is accomplished in a planned way, where every step has been planned prior to its execution operating within a framework is said to have systematic approach. Adoption of systematic approach is not restricted to learning and development alone rather it is applicable to all the activities of various forms from different backgrounds with a definite purpose or goal. The systematic approach can be considered as a general problem solving approach which is applicable to all the areas for problem solving. The significant role of systematic approaches could also be found in other fields of activities such as medical and engineering where they serve as the foundation for any kind of activities (Sadler-Smith, 2006, p.51-52). From the perspective of learning and development, systematic approach supports these activities by enhancing their effectiveness and guides them in attaining desired learning objectives. The systematic approach towards the process of learning and development rationalizes its complex structure by dividing the entire process into several steps of learning and development. The systematic approach encourages the execution of the process of learning and development in a cyclic or iterative manner. Each of the phases present in the cyclic model represents a step in the learning process. In order to achieve the excellence it becomes very essential for organizations to encourage their learning and development activities. The practice of continuous learning provides organizations with a competitive edge that ensures that they are ahead of their competitors. The systematic approach towards learning and development also supports organizations in developing their knowledge base on a regular basis. Emphasizing the training needs as per the need of the employee base is an important aspect of learning and development at organizational level. Major steps of systematic approach The systematic approach for learning and development is classified into separate steps which begin with identification and evaluation of learning and development needs. During the primal stage of learning and development, identification of performance level is done which helps in identification of areas where learning and development activities are required. After the assessment of current performance level subsequent steps of identification of learning needs are performed. The next step is concerned with the designing of learning and development activities which is based on the identified needs of learning and development. Organizations utilize their resources in development of the learning sessions which are scientifically crafted as per the need of the organization. The actual implementation of the learning and development activities takes place in the implementation step which is executed in a subsystem or the entire system of the organization. The step of implementation involves facilitation of training activities and feedback collections are parts of the implementation process (McNamara, n.d.). Organizational learning process comprises of four major steps through which organizational members identify, design, develop, and implement the process of learning and development. These four steps are as follows: Generate- Generation of information at larger scale across all the levels of organization with equal information generated from the external sources of the organization. Integrate- Collected information is then integrated with the organizational context. Interpret- The information thus collected and integrated is interpreted by the organizational members. Act- The meaning drawn from the interpretation of the collected information supports them in taking initiatives in response to the learning issues (Dixon, 1999, p.64). Figure 1- The Organizational learning cycle (Source- Dixon, 1999, p.64) Above mentioned steps are the core functions which are performed by the organizations in gaining excellence in learning and development activities. These four step are applied at all the levels of the organizational hierarchy which supports them in effective decision making at a given business situation. Theories on learning and development Learning and development have remained a potential topic of study for the researchers who have identified various aspects of the learning process and highlighted the factors which influence the process of learning and development. Researchers have mainly classified the learning theories as reinforcement, cognitive learning, experiential learning, and social learning. The learning theory of reinforcement is based on the study carried out by Skinner (1974). The theory advocates that changes in behaviour of an individual are entirely a result of response shown by the individual towards the events and its associated outcomes irrespective of rewards or punishments. Organizations reinforce the positive approaches to make the individual repeat its positive behaviour. These approaches are either feedbacks or results pertaining to the performance of the individual shown towards the organization. Further studies on the reinforcement theory of learning revealed that several other factors were also responsible. According to the theory of ‘response-stimuli’ proposed by Gagne (1977) these factors are: Drive- The need of learning serves as the major driving force for the process of learning. Stimulus- The organizational members involved in the learning process need to be stimulated through effective learning processes. Response- Organizational members who are involved in the learning process are provided with sufficient support in developing the appropriate response towards the learning process. This helps them in enhancing their effectiveness of the performance. Reinforcement- When the appropriate responses are obtained from the members involved in the learning process reinforcement of these responses should be done. Feedbacks and results are potential forms of initiatives through which reinforcement of the learning activities can be performed. Another view on the learning and development theory is available, known as cognitive theory of learning. In the cognitive learning theory principles, facts and concepts are used by the learning process to facilitate the learners with knowledge. Learning members develop their ability by gaining knowledge over the issues through the help of principles and concepts. The cognitive learning theory identifies the learning members as the potential processors of information fed to them during the process of learning. Another view of learning process suggests it as the experiential theory of learning where people learn through experiences which they gain over the period of time. According to Reynolds, Caley and Mason (2002) people are the most active agents for their own learning activities. According to Rogers (1983), learning can be defined as the constructions which are performed personally by individuals on the basis of the understanding which they develop through their experiences. Rogers is of the opinion that providing the environment through which learners can be stimulated to respond as per their experiences in most effective way to improve the learning process. The social learning theory perceives the learning process as social interaction and considers it as a major source of improving the learning activities. According to Wenger (1998), individual in a social system is a participant of learning communities where people having different levels of expertise interact with each other. These community people act as a major source of learning for other members of the learning community. Another researcher Bandura (1977) described the learning process as a chain of information processing steps which are set up by these social interactions. An optimum level of motivation is also required to be present among the learners which Rogers (1996) describes as ‘...those factors that energise and direct behavioural patterns organized around a learning goal’ (Armstrong, 2003, p.538-543). The required level of motivation is essential in the learning process as it represents the level of commitment present within the learners which also contributes to the driving force of the learning process. Systematic approach for learning and development Systematic approach supports the learning process by reducing the complexity and simplifying the learning process. The systematic approach helps in dividing the process of learning into five different steps which are arranged sequentially and logically forming the learning and development cycle. Through the systematic approach the process of learning and development has become more simplified but as the level of systematic approach increases on the learning process its overall structure gets complicated with inclusion of sub steps resulting in the increase in the total number of steps. The systematic approach for learning and development exists in organizations in various forms such as the training cycle, the L&D cycle, models for learning system design, or models of instructional system development. Every form of systematic learning process varies with respect to its complexity and number of steps involved in it. Different authors have represented their model with certain number of steps which are not same for all. The models developed under Inter-services Procedures for Instructional System development (IIPSD) involves 19 separate steps while the model developed by Briggs and Wager (1981) comprises of 15 stages. Another model described by Patrick (1992) under his learning system possesses three different phases which have further subdivisions. Figure 2- generic systematic approach to learning and development (Source- Sadler-Smith, 2006, p.53) The Above given figure describes the basic systematic approach towards the process of learning and development. It is also true that not necessarily everything moves as per the plan which is evident from the explanations and justifications given by the organizational members on failure of their strategies. Adding systematic approach to the learning process rationalizes the entire learning process and identifies uncertainty level in the environment which could influence it. Considering the need of contingency plan for the learning process, the adoption of systematic approach is also helpful as it breaks up the steps with increased level of analysis and verification for the effectiveness of the plan. Increased level of systematic approach in model of learning increases its complexity but it does not mean that adopting systematic approaches for learning is not appropriate. Better situations can be obtained through systematic approach for learning and development by establishing constant checking rules at every step which has influence on its preceding and succeeding steps. Figure 3- Complex generic system approach towards learning and development (Source- Sadler-Smith, 2006, p.55) Advantages of systematic approach Systematic approach adopted for the learning and development activities have several advantages which make the learning process more effective and useful. Considering the present day business scenario learning and development is an effective mean for organizations to achieve sustainable development. Large enterprises which have their presence at multiple locations consider the activities of learning as a crucial part for their business operations. Toyota is one of the leading names in the automobile manufacturing sector which has set benchmark in the activities if learning and development. The approach of continuous learning adopted by the organization has offered them with benefits such as enhanced production capacity with efficient utilization of resources. The company ahs also gained excellence in quality management by its efforts on learning activities. The company has focused on both the aspects of learning of its employees, i.e. their learning at organizational and individual level. Toyota developed several mechanisms for improving their learning activities at organizational and individual level. The basic concept behind the learning and development activities performed at Toyota is the lean thinking of production process. The company treats its engineers as one of the most valuable assets for the organization and provides them with sufficient training sessions to enhance their talent levels. The managers at Toyota perceive the performance feedbacks of their teams as their capabilities since the whole responsibility of team improvement is on the managers of the organization (Morgan & Liker, 2006, p.169). IBM is another prominent name in the field of information technology which gives importance to the learning activities for the overall development of the business process. The company ahs adopted the approach of collaborative learning for which it has also developed the system called the Lotus Learning management System which supports organizational members in conducting educational sessions for learning, efficient utilization of resources, and in carrying gout other learning activities. The system is capable of providing self-development courses through which employees can improve their skills and ability (Sebastian & Spencer, 2005, p.74). Through the systematic approach of learning and development organizations can move ahead in a planned way which supports them in identifying those areas where they need to focus more. The rationalized views provided by the systematic approach bring clarity in the plan which reduces the uncertainty in the successful execution of the plans. Success factor of systematic approach The success factors involved in the systematic approach for learning and development is the basic understanding of the purpose of the learning. Organizations adopt systematic approach in order to gain in depth knowledge about their learning activities in terms of what they need to have and how they can achieve that. As discussed earlier systematic approach enforces formulation of policies and frameworks which support organizational members in achieving the desired level of expertise in their respective areas of learning. Formulation of policies aims to bring clear understanding of the goals and objectives to be achieved through the learning activities. The policies also serve as the guidelines for the team members for pursuing the desired goals and objectives (ICT, n.d.). Adopting systematic approach for the purpose of learning and development enhances organizational capabilities in the context of innovation and change management. Through effective learning and developmental activities organizations enhances their business process as they gradually develop their knowledge base through the process of learning and development. The systematic approach for the learning and development activities also encourage the activities of knowledge sharing among the business organizations. The systematic approach for the learning and development activities are considered as an effective step in the era of globalization. Organizations such as Novartis proved its ability of learning and development through its effective leadership skills. The organization adopted innovative approaches to meet the continuously increasing demand and prepared their internal employees as leaders of the team during the time when it faced scarcity of workforce to meet the high rates of demand. To meet the required level of leadership skills among its employee base the organization selected two external firms for assistance in conducting the learning and development sessions for its employees. Oxford Group and Ashridge served the company with support in the process of learning and development (Brockbank et al, 2002, p.70). Following the basic generic model of systematic approach for the learning and development activities all of the steps provide several benefits to the organization. These benefits are of potential use for the organizations in gaining the competitive advantage over their business rivals. The initial step of the model concerned with the identification of need of learning for the organization. This step offers benefits to the organization in a way that it provides them with information regarding the changes which they need to bring in their business processes through which they can achieve the sustainable development. The first step supports the organization in identifying the need of bringing the difference in their business process. The second step of the model provides information on the design through which they can bring change in their business process and enhance their productivity. The third step discusses the development of the learning activities through which the designing of the learning sessions are created. It helps organizations in putting the new ideas and concepts into the newly developed learning procedures. Similar benefits are obtained from the subsequent steps of the model which empowers the organization to conquer the uncertainty and rising level of competition in the global market. Conclusion The systematic approach for the learning and development activities provides the organizations with a ground on which they develop their strategies for further development. Adopting systematic approach helps them in drawing meaningful outcomes which have potential benefits for the organizations. Being systematic indicates that this approach has better potential in effective carrying out of learning and development activities. Reference Sadler-Smith, E. 2006. Learning and development for managers: perspectives from research and practice. Wiley-Blackwell. McNamara, C. No date. Systematic Approaches to Training and Development. [Online] Available at: http://managementhelp.org/trng_dev/basics/isd.htm [Accessed on March 31, 2010]. Dixon, N. 1999. The organizational learning cycle: how we can learn collectively. 2nd ed. Gower Publishing, Ltd. Armstrong, M. 2003. A handbook of human resource management practice. 9th ed. Kogan Page Publishers. Morgan, J. & Liker, J. 2006. The Toyota product development system: integrating people, process, and technology. Productivity Press. Sebastian, R. & Spencer, D. 2005. Understanding IBM Workplace Strategy & Products: A New Approach to People Productivity. 2nd ed. Maximum Press. ICT. No date. The need for a systematic approach. [Online] Available at: http://www.unescobkk.org/education/ict/themes/policy/guidelines/the-need-for-a-systematic-approach/ [Accessed on March 31, 2010]. Brockbank, A., McGill, I. & Beech, N. 2002. Reflective learning in practice. Gower Publishing, Ltd. Bibliography Clifford, J. & Thorpe, S. 2007. Workplace learning & development: delivering competitive advantage for your organization. Kogan Page Publishers. Harrison, R. 2005. Learning and development. 4th ed. CIPD Publishing. Merriënboer, J. & Kirschner, P. 2007. Ten steps to complex learning: a systematic approach to four-component instructional design. Routledge. Read More