The Learning Process and Practice of Training - Essay Example

? The Learning Process and the Practice of Training and Development QUESTION 2: To what extent is knowledge of learning theory important for workplace training in practice? Critically discuss the strengths and limitations of two or more approaches. Mahmoud Hassouna Student ID: 109025367 April 30, 2011 Word count: 4413 Introduction The question that is the subject matter for this discussion provides a broad range of topic, but indeed we can narrow this down when we touch on training and development which we have introduced in our own organisation. Knowledge of learning and theory is very significant and can be said as the basing ground for training and development in the workplace. In the present age of globalisation, theories are somewhat ignored by organisations who have opted to introduce their own system. But other organisations prefer the traditional one coupled with a new and modified system. In the manufacturing world, they call it ‘hybrid’. Although theorists seem to have faded, their ideas and theories which have long been formulated a long time ago remain significant and useful in the modern world. Training and development have to be applied in a systematic way. The organisation is viewed as a system, and training as a subsystem. We can find the usefulness of training as ingrained in the system through our different readings and in the literature. But I also want to add experiences and real-life situations from our organisation. We consider training and development as very significant for the success of our mission as an organisation and as individuals with careers to nurture, along with our respective families who expect from us and support us, as well. Knowledge of learning theory is indeed significant in workplace training in practice for we can use this as a basing ground for successes in training and development and the outcome of it. First Approach: The Systems Theory The approach we want to expound in this paper is that training follows a system, and to make it effective it has to be in a logical sequence. We follow the theory of Mullins (1996), that the organisation must be seen as a system. This means that since the organisation is a system, all of its departments, sections, or branches, and activities are sub-systems. Each is inter-related and affects the success of the other departments and activities. Training is a subsystem and looks up to the organisation as the reference point. It would then be easy for a comparison of the different sub-systems because all the other branches and departments are inter-related. The outcome of a particular training becomes easy to distinguish and measure whether it has been effective or whether the outcome of the training meets the objectives of the organisation. From this systems theory, Buckley and Capley developed the 14-stage model to expound the effectiveness of the systems theory, as against Harrison’s (1997) 8-step model. Background of my Organisation I belong to an organisation which is international in scope. At present we are tackling the challenges of globalisation and the effects of inter-culture and diversity in what commentators call the global village. Based from our initial approach of the systems theory, our organisation conducts periodic training but also a needs-assessment for training and development; meaning we also conduct training when the situation demands. For example, the organisation conducts cross-cultural training (CCT) annually. But there are times that aside from the regular CCT, we also conduct training when a manager or employees are being sent abroad or to a subsidiary, i.e. in addition to the regular CCT. Trainings are systematic, regular and conducted in accord with the organisation’s objectives. There is no regular period, or time frame, when a manager or employee has to be sent abroad, for there are various situations when a manager, or department head or employee, is needed in foreign countries. These situations include, a) when a branch has just been opened in another country, b) when a manager has just resigned or retired from his job, c) when the expertise of a manager or employee is needed in another branch and, c) when there are obvious situations of expansion for our organisation. There are many questions we have to face on the subject of training and development in our organisation. First, there is a regular training, and I agree that this is a part of our system – to conduct training for new employees for the organisation. This is a structured approach. Top management has seen this as a strategic and effective way of introducing knowledge and learning to the employees and manager. There are also trainings being conducted for new employees, probably fresh graduates or those who come from other companies. They receive equal training to orient them to our system. Second Approach – Identifying the training needs of the individual and meeting organisational objectives The challenges and problems managers and employees face, when they are sent abroad for job assignment, always point to the question of culture and adjustment to a different way of life in the new environment, although there are many other problems that come along the way. This is an organisational objective. We have to adapt to different cultures because we go from one country to another performing different jobs, introducing our product, and managing people of diverse culture. We also adopt a structured approach to training and development. Cross-cultural training can be conducted through a structured approach and through assessment. Apart from the regular training is CCT, which is for managers, department heads and employees with special skill to do particular jobs in our subsidiaries or branches abroad. Sometimes an employee performs the job of ‘trouble shooter’, or when there is a problem in one of our branches that the manager there or the people taking charge cannot handle, and so they needed the expertise of the ‘trouble shooter’. Since this individual is not well-versed with the culture and the language of the branch in question, he/she has to take extra course, or an orientation course which may take several hours or a day or two, to prepare himself/her for this ‘emergency assignment’. Questions are about what, where, when, why and how to train employees. Training varies from organisation to organisation, depending on particular situations, on the available resources the organisation can provide, and also on the kind of employees an organisation has. Training and development helps managers and employees cope with unexpected situations in the workplace, or adjust to a foreign culture. Cultural integration is one of the challenges we face while working in foreign assignments. This is one of the primary objectives of CCT. Failure to adjust to the foreign cultural environment is a key factor in the failed performance of managers working abroad (Swaak, R. A., 1995, cited in Toh and Denisi, 2005, p. 132). Thus, awareness of the cultural differences is one of the topics in CCT. Cultural factors influence the manager’s work and decision-making process (Cray and Mallory, 1998, p. 71). For instance, the dissemination of information and its interpretation by individuals in a particular place are influenced by cultural factors. This was demonstrated in a study by Ali (1989, 1993, as cited in Cray and Mallory, p. 71) on Arab executives, which revealed that their decision-making styles were influenced by their culture and the Muslim experience. Our organisation takes training seriously, particularly cross-cultural training. It is a part of our strategic management, in the organisation’s system, since it can create and multiply problems if managers do not know what to do in situations involving two or more cultures. Failures in foreign assignments are caused by many factors, and one way to avoid this is through training before assigning managers abroad. The difficulties managers experience range from managerial problems to adjustment to the new culture which is far distinct from the manager’s own culture (Caligiuri, Phillips, Lazarova, Tarique, & Burgi, 2001, cited in Litrell and Salas, 2005, p. 307). As a result, managers usually return to their country of origin due to such difficulties. Survey results state that 10% to 50% of managers return early from their assignments (Eschbach et al., 2001, cited in Littrell and Salas, 2005, p. 307), costing money and resources for the organisation. Expatriate failure can cause significant direct and indirect costs (Takeuchi, Yun and Russel, 2002, cited in Puck et al., 2008, p. 2182). Some examples of indirect costs are employee loss of personal self-esteem, self-confidence or reduced motivation. The organisation may suffer because this means lost marketing opportunities (Puck et al., 2008, p. 2182). Managers working in an international environment are obviously subject to the impact of multi-country, regional and global change and dynamism than managers in a single-country operation (Harris et al., 2003). Different countries do have different values which affect the way people organize, conduct and manage work. Managers have to be aware of the cultural differences. They are faced with interpreting the actions and attitudes of the employees, negotiating with groups that have not only different goals but different methods of reaching to the company and different expectations of the other employees’ behaviour. Moreover, other normal human resource activities such as recruitment and selection, training and development, reward and performance appraisal, may all be affected by cultural values and practices in the host country. It is the job of the manager to provide policies for human resource in accord with the culture of the people in a particular place. Doing this requires a certain amount of knowledge and capability, and managers should be good at this. Our organisation defines training and development as a set of activities whereby practitioners are assisted in improving their individual competence and performance as well as the organisational environment, with the ultimate goal of raising the standards of organisational performance. This is the approach that we have pursued, as pointed out in Wills (1998, p. 28). The objective of training and development focuses on the design and implementation of training systems to successfully impact organisational performance. The strategic process begins with identifying the business strategy and the strategic learning imperatives (strategic training and development goals). Training should be carefully planned, designed, and evaluated in support of organisational goals and objectives. (Smith and Mazin, 2004, p. 65) Training aims to modify or develop knowledge or skill or attitude through learning experience which can be conducted either in the workplace or a facility for such purpose. A problem can be identified by substance or identity, location, problem “ownership”, magnitude or importance of the problem to the organisation, and time perspective. (Kubr et al., 1989, p. 60) In our organisation, we usually conduct training in-house with the supervision and instruction of experts or experienced managers and supervisors who have been assigned abroad and are well-knowledgeable in the subject of cultural integration. Another effective approach is the on-the-job training wherein we send managers and employees abroad and experience actual and real-life situations in the workplace. On-the-job training in our offices abroad provides a factual experience and knowledge of different cultures. Education is broad and encompasses many areas, such as the sciences and knowledge about life and different situations. Learning and training focuses on some aspects about work or particular situations. Training emphasizes particular skill and talent. In an organization and in the workplace, training is concerned with goals and objectives. And where training is concerned of goals and objectives, education cannot be far behind. Education’s role in this particular instance is the background and educational attainment of the manager or employee. And he/she needs more training and development than education because this was provided the individual before he/she was accepted for employment in the organization. There are instances however that education is needed in the organization, and that is for specialization. Training can also be for specialization, but as said earlier education is wider in scope. From the studies of Hussey (1985 cited in Buckley and Capley, 2007, p. 17), education and training are both prerequisites in an organization. It is a given that education and training are both important requirements for employees in the organisation. They can create significant outputs with the kind of education and training they have experienced. While education is the first requirement, training focuses on specialization and enhancement of the educational experiences one has had in the university. As Buckley and Caple (2007, p. 17) said, training objectives and initiatives should be of paramount importance. Training enhances the skills and talents of employees. Performance Appraisal Literally appraisal is evaluating, evaluating the performance of employees. This is also similar to focusing on job results. Human resource management function focuses on the job performance of employees, on how they fare with the customers, or what have they done to improve themselves and the workplace, or to help in the attainment of the organisation’s goals and objectives. Performance of employees is affected by several factors. Global organisations have the problem of cultural integration or the handling of employees of diverse culture. Human resource management (HRM) should be able to manage this as it will greatly affect the performance of the employees. Assessment of employees varies from culture to culture. Training and development has to take into consideration the cultural aspects. Culture can refer the organisational culture and the national culture of the people where the organisation is operating. Need Assessment Needs assessment is an important HRM function wherein a team conducts troubleshooting or problem solving techniques by looking at the whole picture or what is happening inside the organisation. This may look into the details of the operation, on the loopholes and identification of the troubles and barriers for a smooth sailing. The question that should be answered here is: what needs to be done? First of all, the assessment process examines the prevailing situation. Consequently, the team presents the findings and makes recommendations. Other changes that have to be squarely faced are: Is the business climate dramatically changing? Should the operational processes and methods also change? Do the people in the field need training? What kind of training? Needs assessment is the basis for training and development. The organisation cannot proceed without such recommendations from the team who conducted the assessment. It is the needs-assessment team who will recommend the training module, the time frame, or how the training will be conducted successfully. Needs assessment also looks at the prospect of retraining of personnel. This is particularly true with mid-level executives, or even employees who are experiencing difficulties with their jobs in the midst of the many changes in the organisational processes, and in the midst of intense globalisation. Performance Management Performance management is an HRM function that looks at the performance of the employees of the company. Performance management aims for the success of the organisation by improving the performance of the people. It focuses on talents, skills and the knowledge that the employees have acquired all through the years from the organisation. Their knowledge and capabilities are part of the organisational knowledge, and a part of the resources of the organisation. The performance of these people will improve through the years that they are in the organisation, but sometimes they deteriorate too; they need to be reassessed. According to Armstrong (2000, p. 14), performance management is a strategic approach; strategic in the sense that when the organisation looks at the performance of its people, it is concerned with the objectives and performance of the entire organisation. It also concerned with the function and role of the organisation in the community. Personal and Organisational Objectives All employees in our organisation are required to complete the periodic ‘Performance and Development Form’. The employee is asked to record his career development goals and performance improvement. The first category states a title under it: Career Development Goals and Action Steps. Under this category, the employee is asked: “Prepare myself to move into the next level in my career within three years, by developing managerial skills (within the management level); get familiar with the new policies for all the department sections; getting adequate knowledge on all the department’s major processes and business operations.” Going back to our approach, we can say that the first objective is for the development of the individuals and then it reflects back to the organisation. As stated earlier, each is part of a system, the departments are subsystems, including training and development. The interconnectedness of the parts makes one discrepancy affecting the others. There will be a formal record of development goals and performance improvement which we personally fill up, and review the career development goals for the last year. Then we have to meet with the training supervisor and discuss our career plan. At some time in our employment, we are asked to conduct a self assessment before meeting with the supervisor, wherein we have to be objective and well prepared for the evaluation meeting. Workplace Learning and Lifelong Learning In the age of globalisation, continual education and lifelong learning are significant tools for individual and organisational advancement. Learning includes a broad topic than training. Training covers many areas in the workplace. On the other hand, learning is more applicable more applicable considering that in the age of the internet and high technology, everyone is in a situation that he/she has to learn new things in order to survive. You can always learn even when you have reached the retirement age. You can learn through the internet, through e-learning with a laptop or a notebook. While the term training requires a ‘space’ or a room where physical presence is required for both the trainee and the trainer, learning only requires an internet connection and a laptop. Motivating Employees Motivation should be a part of our everyday existence. If we are not motivated, our work and relationship with others are of course affected. Studies of motivation have been conducted to make it a part of training and development. In examining human motivation, Abraham Maslow (1943) formulated the human need theory. He said that our motivation follows a pattern, like a pyramid. It begins with basic needs, and as long as the basic needs are not met, we cannot proceed to the other needs. For example, we have our basic needs such as food and shelter. We have to meet these goals first before we move up to the other needs like belongingness and love, and on to other needs like recognition, acceptance and approval of others. Motivation is an important function of HRM. If we do not apply motivation in the workplace, all our efforts of training and development will go to waste. Employees become bored at times, no matter how management includes programmes to uplift their working processes. The organisation has to care for the needs of the individual employees. Work and life balance is an HRM function; it is not a mere sidelight of HRM. As business firms aim to satisfy their customers, they also have to first look after their employees’ needs because satisfied employees can result into satisfied customers. Organisations and people encounter change every now and then. We are affected by globalisation and the continuous changes and innovations brought about by technology. We live in a world motivated by money. We have to face that – and face it squarely. We cannot be moved by simple promises. Along with that reality is the fact that it is not easy to achieve something by simple acts, we have to move fast, accurate and exert all our efforts to achieve our goals. The world is a global village and this village is rude if you do not know how to deal with it. When we think of work as a mere tool for us to live, we can hardly be motivated. We will continue working for the sake of the salary we get from the company we work for. But we have to cope with our organisational life, the same way we cope with family life. Organisations that promote work-life balance will have productive workers because the workers are well motivated. Success in work and happiness in the family go together. We have to adjust and cope with this ever changing world. Sometimes, phenomenon appears after another. The worker and the manager become puzzled. As the worker returns home to his family, he reports (figuratively) the events that transpired at the workplace. What happens here is that life at work reflects his home life. If the worker is not happy at work, he cannot be happy at home. There should be work and life balance. This is a part of training and development. Most of us belong to an organisation, which maybe a particular business, or a group with humanitarian goals. Many of the people who started these organisations would say that they formed the groups to make life easier and to make the world a better place to live in. But we know that these organisations have complicated goals, beginnings, and outcomes. They haven’t made life a better place to live in. They have made our lives difficult, although there is an exception to some. There are organisations out there which have noble intentions, although these organisations are victims themselves of the changes brought about by many factors. Our emotions, feelings, personal lives have never been so affected by organisational activities that we tend to look at the office or the organisation headquarters as our home away from home. We spend and dedicate our time, efforts, and knowledge to the organisation. We look at the office as more than a place. Moreover, the organisation’s strategic operation is very different than it was a few years ago. Employees have to give up, sometimes. We made the machines to serve us and answer to our needs and follow what we want of them. In our organizational life, we need these machines and the systems (IT) that support them. As we go along, we become dependent on the machines and the systems. Like the organisation, human nature is complicated – it is filled with emotions and feelings. In an organisation, there are complexities, errors, and successes, because organisations are manned by humans like us. Motivating in the workplace include simple acts of asking the opinion of employees or what they think about certain aspects of their job, or even how to manage them. Buhler (2003) says that this simple act of motivation can go a long way of motivating employees and adding benefits to the organisation. Management should think of employees as co-managers or co-workers in this world of intense globalization. It is a strategy long before adapted by successful companies like Toyota which had advocated the traditional kaizen and continual improvement. The Japanese traditional methods have never faded; this was passed on to them for generations. Their style of strategic management also aims at their employees. The Toyota work force is trained inside the company, and management does not believe in firing employees even in an economic downturn. (Lynch, 2008, p. 765) Team Formation Many global organisations today work on the concept of team building. Team building is quite successful in adding more meaning to work, or in de-stressing too much pressure on the job. It has been one of the many innovations which has benefited workers and organizations. Workers are formed in teams or clusters and function with teamwork and motivation. Each team is given independence, the members are allowed to function at their own utmost capacity, and are trained in the process, becoming multi-skilled, while each member is responsible to the team. As individuals mature in their job, and become accustomed to it, they significantly improve their skill and organisational knowledge, becoming more professional and expert in their own respective fields. The philosophy behind teambuilding is that when individual workers are allowed to work at their own pace and given the responsibility as part of the team, they become well motivated. The motivation is that each individual works for improvement and advancement of the organisation. A member becomes like a part owner of the business. Each cluster works like an independent body but each member is multi-skilled that allows the cluster members to be flexible. Cluster methods provide improvement not only as workers but as developed individuals. Teamwork can develop individual flexibility and learning. This concept is like that of motivation. The purpose is to motivate the workers into aiming for the success of the organizational objectives. Team formations are considered special features for improved organisational and individual performance. Introducing principles of team formations in the workplace is like implementing total quality management concepts. They present a strong foundation for global organisations in the present century, and they can be an effective way of providing work and life balance which is very much needed by the people. Conclusion Learning in our organisation has been applied with much intensity and demand because this is where we think we can succeed as a global organisation. The vertical set-up of the corporation has been reduced; our organisation is successfully managed horizontally, where managers in their respective countries do their own business activities, and would just report to the home country through teleconferencing. The branches and subsidiaries are given more freedom, and the top management would just intervene when there is a serious problem occurring in the branch office. We have introduced many methods of training but the knowledge of learning theory remains significant in the modern set up of globalised organisations. In this paper, we used two different approaches as applied to our organisational training needs: the systems approach and identifying the training needs of the individuals whilst meeting organisational objectives. 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