An Idea of Cross-Training Employees - Research Paper Example

Proposal for Cross training and development of employees Table of contents Executive Summary Introduction Strategic role of HRD HR and labor market HR as proactive human capital Need for cross training and development Major issues in training Literature review Barriers to training programs Recommendations Conclusion References Executive Summary The fast changing technology and rapid globalization has necessitated reevaluation of previous strategies, in all areas of human interaction, so as to encompass the changing paradigms and maintain a competitive edge over their competitors. To keep up with the pace of advancement and gain competitive advantage, it has become imperative to upgrade the existing skills and develop multi-skill through training programs. The current scenario of working populations therefore faces much more challenges than the people who were earlier working in different work environment. Hence, in the changing environment of business imperatives, the organizations need to opt for training their employees and staff in the inter-disciplinary skills to meet the challenges of the time. The organizations need to incorporate necessary changes in their HR strategies and gain essential leverage through training and development of their human resource in the multifunctional areas. Introduction The flexibility and transferable skills are important imperatives sought by the employers in the contemporary times. The fast advancing technology and rapidly changing equations of the societal structure has dramatically transformed the dynamics of the global business environment. ‘Organizations must change because their environments change’ (Bateman, 1990). Since employees are the pillar of the organization, the role of human resource management becomes crucial in the employment of its workforce. In the emerging challenges of the changing business equations, when the labor deployment is undergoing quantitative and qualitative transformations, HR strategy needs to be redefined to create versatility and flexibility of the contemporary work environment. The proposal primarily examines the inter-disciplinary approach of training or cross training of employees of different departments so that they are better equipped to handle emergency situations and contingencies. Strategic role of HRD In the highly cut throat business, the experienced and motivated workforce is conducive to higher degree of creative inputs and innovative approach. Indeed, for any organization to expand and succeed, it is crucial that its people are recognized as vital part of its strategy and organizational goals and objectives be interpreted in the context of the changing paradigms of the times. Therefore, HR leadership initiatives become crucial factor for creating and organizing an effective workforce that is able to make valuable contribution of promoting a sense of togetherness and collective responsibility that reflects in the increased output and improved performance outcome of the organizational goals and objectives. HR and Labor market Cultural production signifies construction of collective identities on the basis of cultural diversification and therefore, the platform that promotes this production stresses the importance of technical division of labor that emphasizes the specialized type of labor inputs, required for different level of production. Social scientists have asserted that the present time requires workforce that is multifunctional and is able to provide solution to business problems through IT because ‘alignment of business, IT and organizational factors’ have become part and parcel of business processes (Grindley, 1990; Scott Morton, 1991). The technical division of labor, therefore, has become more job specific and highly skilled. The cultural production has multidimensional facet that not only contributes towards creating identities and disseminating information and knowledge but it also helps to establish a unique relationship among individual, promoting understanding. Hence, the hierarchal division of labor that needs to conceptualize and produce such cultural production becomes more sophisticated in its approach and complex in production processes. Human resource as proactive human capital The globalization has ushered in a huge database of human capital whose potential needs to be exploited to realize one’s own vision and mission. The workforce must be looked as resource that can be tapped to improve and improvise the performance of the organization in the fiercely competitive business setting with cost cutting measures through multi-skilled workforce. The management needs to accept the challenge of creating a cohesive and encouraging atmosphere so that the workers could get effective learning environment and at the same time adopt IS in their work methodology for optimum performance. They are provided with a wider scope for professional growth in the area of core competencies. Strategies and policies must also incorporate the changing nature of the society that is increasingly becoming multicultural and focus more training and development of human resource to meet the challenges of the global competition. The HR department, through judicious approach of employing people and upgrading their skills to suit the changing business environment, becomes critical to creating congenial work atmosphere that motivates and inspires others to improve their performance and achieve organization’s goals with vision and innovation. Need for cross training and development The rapid globalization and technological advancement of the recent time has greatly revolutionized the labor processes. With the advent of technology, the collective production has become more complex. There is a significant paradigm shift in the technical division of labor from direct to indirect model that is focused on regulation, administration, improvement and innovation to meet the challenges of the changing time. With the global competition becoming increasingly stiff, the jobs specifications are becoming less rigid and changing the overall perspective of job criteria and employment. Versatility in the working force has become a significant factor. In the daily routine of work within an organization, the ‘absenteeism’ and inadequate skills of the workforce to perform different tasks in contingency situations adversely impacts the quality of the services delivered. Hence, individuals and firms must embrace the culture of multi skilled professionals that are able to meet the challenges with efficiency and unmatched proficiency. Major issues in training The major issues in the training programs for the workforce are: commitment of the managers and employees; funding of the training programs; and experienced trainers who are well equipped to formulate and implement appropriate training agenda for the human resource of the organization. Literature review The various studies have shown that temporary workers greatly facilitate contingencies and external flexibility to the employers and adjust workload fluctuations created through absenteeism, work mobility or temporary nature of the project (Houseman et al., 2003; Olsen and Kalleberg, 2004). The importance of temporary workers is also highlighted during the phase when the global business needs local skills to promote its global products. The sense of job stability amongst the workforce is therefore, seriously affected by the threat of temporary workers who may exhibit diverse skills to improve performance outcome. The training of workforce in multi functional areas would greatly facilitate in coping with concurrent situation of emergency and changing equation of business. The studies have also shown that good HRM practices lead to better performance outcome of the organizations (Delaney and Huselid, 1996; Dess and Shaw, 2001). The studies have also shown that the competitive business environment necessitate workforce to upgrade their skills to suit the changing times but the firms are not very willing to invest in the training and development of their workers (Booth et al., 2002; Burgess and Connell, 2002). In the recent times, the firms are turning towards temporary employees to redress the skilled workforce that can effectively work under the fast advancing technology and global values (Sanders and de Grip, 2004; Hall et al., 2000). Indeed the flexibility and transferable skills of the temporary employees has become great asset for these firms who wish to remain competitive. The role of inter-disciplinary training of workforce within the organization has, therefore, become critical element of competitive advantage in the current business environment. Julie Beardwell and Tim Claydon (2007), in their book have asserted that the theoretical concept of human resource management has become ‘fuzzy concept’ with abstract empiricism and needs to be looked from a wider perspective of providing the invaluable human capital that can meet the challenges of the rapid globalization and advancing technology. With the global competition becoming increasingly stiff, the jobs specifications are becoming less rigid and changing the overall perspective of job criteria and employment. Scholars have argued that even in the changing global environment, MIS curricula lack integrative and pragmatic MIS education….demanded by business professionals’ (Lee et al. 2002). Hence the HR needs to be redefined to take into account the various factors that intrinsically link technology and people. Barrier to training programs Misplaced priority of the managers and lack of understanding of the contemporary business compulsions are the major barriers to promote regular training programs for the workforce, within an organization. Business organizations are driven by the main objective of financial gain through continuous production that often leads to short term gain but fails in the long term due to lack of training that is necessary to keep abreast with the changing business equations of the time. While funding and expertise for training are also important hurdles but they can be overcome once the managers and employees believe in the training schedules and become committed towards regular training programs to improve and improvise their work performance. Recommendations Strategies and policies must incorporate the changing nature of the society and focus more on training and development of human resource to meet the challenges of the global competition. The workforce must be looked as resource that can be tapped to improve and improvise the performance of the organization in the fiercely competitive business setting. The HR department, through judicious approach of employing people and upgrading their skills to suit the changing business environment must create congenial work atmosphere that motivates and inspires others to improve their performance and achieve organization’s goals with vision and innovation. Period workshop/ awareness program must be conducted for the staff and management for various business paradigms like gender sensitization, changing regulations of safety, managing diversity, environment etc. In an article from Leader to Leader Journal, Frances Hesselbein has said that ‘Leadership is a matter of how to be, not how to do’ (No. 41, 2006). Hence, leadership initiatives must be able to exploit the potential of the workforce as per the demands of the changing times. HR leaders need to be aware that the traditional process of labor deployment is undergoing a fast transformation, both in terms of quality and quantity. ‘It is widely acknowledged that over the past decade and a half, radical new forms of production have emerged with the pervasive expansion of information and communication technology’ (Freeman et al, 1988; Best 1990). The rapidly changing models of work environment has made it imperative for the employees and the job aspirants alike, to keep themselves updated with the knowledge and use of all the latest gadgets and processes which are increasingly replacing the older model of office efficiencies. The technical division of labor has become more jobs specific and highly skilled. The cultural production has multidimensional facet that not only contributes towards creating identities and disseminating information and knowledge but it also helps to establish a unique relationship among individual, promoting understanding. Hence, the hierarchal division of labor that needs to conceptualize and produce such cultural production becomes more sophisticated in its approach and complex in production processes. The new HR strategy must promote and inculcate a climate of Empowering the workforce promotes mutual trust building as it helps the person to act on the informed choices and make decisions that would not only affect the person himself but would also have significant impact on the working of the organization thus encouraging responsible behavior. Conclusion In the emerging dynamics of globally competitive business environment, having an effective human resource strategy has become decisive factor of success. It should promote creative practices to overcome the challenges of fast changing technologies and dynamics of economy to provide competitive advantage in the global business. The world has shrunk into a global village and one must accept the challenges of developing new strategies and models of HR management that incorporate multi-cultural work environment. The role of training and development as human resource strategy has become the most critical factor that develops the highly indigenous team of human capital that helps to provide the organization with a competitive advantage that is unique. Indeed, the changing times have made the businesses more competitive thereby making it obligatory for them, as well as for the working force to become more flexible and swiftly adapt to the changing technologies and products. The current scenario of working populations therefore faces much more challenges than the people who were earlier working in different work environment. Training and development of the human capital must become intrinsic to the overall performance outcome of the organization. One can therefore conclude that effective HR strategy which focuses on multi-skill is an important source of competitive advantage. Reference Bateman, Thomas S., and Carl P. Zeithaml. Management: Function and Strategy. Homewood, IL: Irwin, 1990. Best, M. 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