Learning as the Process of Acquiring Knowledge - Essay Example

?Personal Development and Careers Learning is the process of acquiring knowledge through experience which leads to an enduring change in behavior” (Huczynski & Buchanan, 2010). Explain this statement, showing how it relates to a learning theory that you have studied on this module and to your own approach to learning. In the changing dynamics of business today, learning has deemed a great deal of significance due to a host of reasons. This is because learning inculcates a sense of understanding amongst the people that they exist for an essential basis. Their behaviors get manifested with the learning that has come about within their folds, and thus shaped up their actions. Acquiring knowledge is indeed an important part of the learning process because this satisfies the need to assume more in line with the changing needs of the time. The behavioral changes therefore mean that the learning element has been incorporated in a due way. If the learning quarters are not being documented for in a proper way, there would be serious apprehensions within the related ranks, and it is quite possible that the behaviors within the business dynamics are affected in a negative way. The learning theory suggests how the learning process comes about, and how this has been manifested for time and again through different activities and tasks. Learning is therefore a process that will manifest success in its own form towards the individuals who hold it in an important way. The organizations of today are banking on the success aspects that are related with the learning which is being attained. What is even more significant here is the fact that learning is something that shall bring about the best resources under the aegis of knowledge acquisition in the best and most apt way possible. The changing business times have therefore signified how essential it is to make use of the learning regimes, and what their incorporation within the employees’ domains would mean towards their professional ends. The experience that these employees gain through experience is also an element that needs to be appreciated under different circumstances and situations within an organization. It is correctly said that organizations which are not ready to incorporate learning within their respective zones are actually undertaking huge risks, which are of magnanimous proportions. Thus what is really required here is a vision to bring in learning so that it could inculcate a sense of belongingness within the employees, and be appreciated for what they are doing within the organizations and more so in the future as well (Court, 2001). The learning theory gets implemented within an organization when there is a dire need to set things in a manner which shall bring in success at the end of the day, not only for the employees but also for the sake of the organizations in the long run. However this learning must be initiated by the organizations so that the employees can get better acquainted to the changing needs and dimensions of the time. As far as my learning mechanisms are concerned, I have wholly and solely set my eyes on finding out about the learning aspects and differential elements that remains within its midst. This has made me realize where I am going wrong and what I need to do in order to get myself back on my feet whenever I am down. This indeed is a proactive exercise that I have set for my own self because this shall bring in a great amount of learning on my part and make me feel head and shoulders above the other employees in the organization. I believe that the learning aspects must come about in an automated way because this means so much for employees like me who want to move up the ladder of success through hard work, commitment and complete devotion towards work tasks, activities and processes in the organization. Therefore my approach towards learning is such that it allows me to move ahead with the new entities that are shaping up within the organization and which shall bolster my growth and development over a consistent period of time. It would allow me to comprehend the nuances of work as well as teach me the essential skills and abilities that I direly require for my own self in the coming days. I would gain an aptitude of how things work within the organizations and what I need to do as an employee to pace ahead in the future. This indeed is a very befitting element that comes to the notice of all and sundry and more so for people like me who want to find out more considering the learning discussions happening in an organization on a consistent basis. I am sure that if learning is allowed for my own sake in the organization, I would be able to give in my best time and time again, and this will become the basis of not only my own success but also of the organization (Lee, 2011). My behaviors would be in line with what I have learned and how I have shaped up things within the reins of the organization. These are indeed significant discussions which have been centered on the premise of bringing about a sense of optimism at the workplace, and the same will continue to be the case in the times to come if proper resources are employed and hard work is incorporated. 2. Why would managers want to change employees’ attitudes? Comment on the approach you might take as a manager, giving reasons. Employee attitude is a very essential element of the employee undertaking at the workplace. This means that the attitude of the employees within the workplace realms would be directly proportional to how they manifest work and their norms and routines. What is most important is a sense of understanding that the employee attitude will bring in a sense of optimism in the long run, and do away with the negativities that will hamper their relevant work realms. The attitude forms the core basis of success for the sake of the employees and gives them the much needed boost as per their work regimes. The employee attitude is therefore a fragment of how the employee would be able to give back what he has understood from the organization and how he has planned to give back what he thinks is the right course of action. The managers will always look forward to receiving the best possible attitudes that the employees possess within their folds at work. They know that such attitudes can win them favors to take their organization to the levels that they have envisaged. The positive attitudes would surely mean that the employees are contented with their respective jobs and want to give their very best towards the different organizational undertakings. However, if they believe that they are being hard done by and are not getting the required objectives that they have expected out of the organizational folds, then they would have to talk to the management with regards to obtaining the same (Topper, 2007). This shall allow them to proceed ahead within the difficult and trying circumstances that have come about and which shall be the points of success within their future work domains. As a manager, I would appreciate the kind of employee attitude that would be the basis of not only his own long term success but also that of the organization that we all work for. This would mean that the work processes would be smoothly delivered and there would be less hassle emanating within the workplace realms. As a manager, my first and foremost concern would be to make sure that the employees receive the compensations that they have been promised with. This will help in solving a number of predicaments that might come about in the future. It will also tackle the profound attitudes that are a part of the organizational domains, and thus haunt the basis of sanity within the workplace realms. I would make it a must to be as concerned about the organizational undertakings as I am regarding the employees’ personal and professional ones. This would help solve a number of issues that will come within their fore, as well as make remedy for the up and coming issues at the workplace domains. I have to be very firm with my disposition because this is required from the starting, as I need to make my point clear and apparent from day one. My concern should be to give as much concentration and attention towards the employees’ domains as required because these are the need of the hour. What is even more important is the fact that I have to supplant the employees’ attitude with a sense of optimism that is much sought after, in this day and age. This is so required because I have to be accountable for their work tasks, and make my point get across within the thick of things. It would make me feel contented with what I believe in doing and how I manifest my own work realms. Also I would be answerable to my subordinates who are looking for a sense of optimism within the workplace settings because it is them for whom I am the manager in the first place. If their work domains are not given the cover that is required, then it is the entire organization’s loss which I would have to bear and be answerable for at then end of the day (Cole, 1981). I cannot afford such a situation to crop up because this is something that would mean absolute loss and anarchy for the organization in the long run scheme of things. As a manager of this organization, my work should be such that I must manifest my control and wrest my initiative so that the long run success is something that is attained over a period of time, and without much hassle coming to the fore. Therefore a sense of optimism will be a much awaited entity that exists within the workplace settings where I am employed, and I shall seek my refuge through my own incorporation of the positive attitude as well as the positive manifestation within the attitudes of my employees and subordinates. I would like to apprise them as and when they fall from an accepted level of optimism and hence would make my best efforts to let them get back on their feet, as and when required. 3. Choose four barriers to communication that you have studied on this module. Suggest, as a manager, how you might overcome such barriers. The four barriers to communication include the physical barriers, the cultural barriers, the perceptional barriers and lastly the barriers which are related with gestures and nonverbal emotions. These four barriers dictate the basis of understanding within an organization that communication can come to a halt and thus disrupt the entire synchronization within the work realms. It is for this reason that all-out efforts are undertaken by the organization to make sure that these barriers are kept at a safe distance so that they these do not come to haunt the basis of the organization, neither at the present nor in the future course of action. Therefore what is direly required is a vision to set things right within the communication hierarchies and suggest for a significant change which is lacking all the same. It is important to go in-depth and have a clear cut understanding of these barriers so that the communication link is made apparent with the help of the study of these barriers (Davis, 2004). The first barrier is the physical barrier which suggests for incorporation of sub-elements like time, the environment, needs of the communication hierarchies, the comfort level and the physical medium that is present. These physical barriers more or less dictate the element of sanity within the reins of the communication hierarchies more than anything else. As a manager, I would overcome the physical barrier through gaining a better understanding of how the comfort level amongst the communication dynamics could be made smoother, and how the physical medium could be boosted further for the successful completion of the communication hierarchies. I would also comprehend as to how these physical barriers could be done away with in the shortest possible time so that the organization does not suffer on the same count. Moving on towards the cultural barrier that is concerned within the communication platforms in an organization, these comprise of the ethnic discussions, the religious tilts and lastly the societal differences that exist amongst the people on an organizational level. This will signify how the organization moves as a whole and what kind of relationships are being developed within its fore (Roy, 2001). As a manager, I aim to deal with the cultural barrier in a very head on way. This is because these are serious issues that must be dealt with a stern approach. The need is to be spot on as far as realizing the gravity of the situation of the cultural barrier is concerned. This will make the employees feel secure and safe within the workplace domains because racial and ethnic discussions always result in a great amount of disparities within the organizations. The third form of barrier is the perceptional barrier which takes into consideration the perspectives and perceptions of the people as and when they witness or view a particular aspect within the workplace domains. One must understand that the perceptional barrier is not very easy to decipher and a person who is in the position of the individual who has had a change of heart or a perception will only get the idea as to how differing viewpoints have emanated from. Therefore there is a dire need to get acquainted with the perspectives of the different people within the workplace as they hail from varied backgrounds and have several manifestations and thinking mindsets of their own. As a manager, I will make sure that the perceptional barrier is something that does not come about in an easy going fashion. I will study why different perceptions crop up every now and then, and what could be done to do away with such perceptions and perspectives in the first place. After this, I will implement what I have learned from the study at hand and make my point very clear. The last barrier that exists within the organizational communication domains is the one that is related with the nonverbal communications that do come about under the aegis of a workplace setting. No organization can afford such problems because gestures and emotions have to be properly balanced before they could be seen as properly implemented. As a manager, I will make sure that the gestures and emotions are deciphered in the exact same manner as they are sent out. This shall make the lives of the common people easier and allow them to understand the significant nuances under the workplace settings. It would also make the feel aware of the kind of people that exist under the workplace realms and how they link up with one another. The element of misunderstanding someone is such a grave issue that it can literally shake the basis of an organizational communication process. It would make the individuals feel that they are being understood wrongly or their emotions and gestures have a completely different meaning to what they wanted to send out in the first place (Matteson, 2010). Therefore these four communication barriers more or less suggest how organizations need to work immensely well on their communication hierarchies as this would be the basis of achieving sound results and objectives that is the need of the hour of any workplace setting in this day and age. 4. Create a formal letter applying for a job as assistant manager in a company and sector of your choice. Manager XYZ Paints Marketing Division Stratchen Road, Warwick Dear Sir/Madam I, ABC, have been a marketing major as I have attained top quality education at one of the most sought after universities – the MNO University. I undertook some courses within the marketing discipline which made me understand the nuances of marketing management, budget, forecasting, patterns of revenue and returns, strategic business planning as well as the business process engineering, etc. to comprehend the different terminologies and sub-fields within the marketing major. I understand how this entire field worked and how the students would have to professionally make both ends meet within the organizational folds. I am hopeful that my experience is at par with the comprehension that I have gained within the marketing discipline as this is the main reason why I wish to take ahead my career under the aegis of marketing in the future. For this, I have put my eyes upon XYZ Paints which is a name to feel pride with, where I can go ahead and make a name for my own self. My aspirations are to work within XYZ Paints as the Assistant Manager in the marketing department so that I can fulfill my dream of working for an honorable company as well as to showcase how talented and skilled I am in essence. In the end, I would ask you to kindly give me a chance to see for your own self how I can contribute to the organization and thus allow me an opportunity to work for XYZ Paints – a name that speaks for its own self. I would therefore be grateful if the people within the top management positions understand the gravity of my longing with XYZ Paints and give me a chance for which I will be indebted for, for the rest of my life. Yours truly, ABC References Cole, G., 1981. Employee Attitude Surveys—A New Role for Trainers? Journal of European Industrial Training, 5(6) Court, T., 2011. How the HR function can build the capability to change. Development and Learning in Organizations, 25(1) Davis, P., 2004. Effective communication strategies in a franchise organization. Corporate Communications: An International Journal, 9(4) Lee, J., 2011. Aligning organizations for positive change: The role of leadership in matching strategy, culture, and social networks to vital organizational challenges. Advances in Global Leadership, 6 Matteson, M., 2010. The impact of group interaction on shared cognition: An analysis of small group communication. Advances in Library Administration and Organization, 29 Quirke, B., 1996. Putting communication on management's agenda. Journal of Communication Management, 1(1) Roy, M., 2001. Small group communication and performance: do cognitive flexibility and context matter? Management Decision, 39(4) Topper, E., 2007. Supervisor's attitude and employee's performance. New Library World, 108(9/10) Read More