Evaluation of NLA and Work Based Learning - Term Paper Example

Evaluation Report of NLA and Work Based Learning Table of Contents Overview 2 Evaluation of the Negotiated Learning Agreement (NLA) 3 a-The Value of the Agreed Learning Outcomes 3 b- Changes Made During the Placement 4 4 c- Characteristics and Behaviour in the Organization 5 Evaluation of Work-Based Learning 6 Work Role Description 8 Review and Assessment of Performance during the Placement 11 Clarification of Career Direction 12 14 References 15 Overview Success of the students in their professional life depends largely upon their skills and talents. The skills as well as the talent of the student are of significance in order to develop a career plan. Career plan is the source through which students can achieve their dreams by developing strategies within them for a proper career path (Hill, n.d.). It is of importance for every student to have a career plan beforehand to reduce the complexities in building a strong prosperous future. However, it is often observed that students at times lack a definitive career plan and hence face difficulties with greater chances of being misguided in career selection. Therefore, to have a proper learning base and to be effective in the future endeavour, it is important for me to have well-governed education framework with regular grooming sessions so that I become aware regarding my abilities (Hill, n.d.). In this regard, this evaluation report regarding the learning will help me in building a strong career in future. The intention of this essay is to evaluate the significance of Negotiated Learning Agreement (NLA) in order to analyse my skills and capabilities. Moreover, the work based learning is also emphasised upon in order to understand my altering views regarding the education and professional life. The evaluation report has helped me in identifying my achievements and performance with the help of NLA with regard to my placement process. At the same time, Work Based Learning (WBL) can assist me in overcoming my mistakes. The WBL has helped me in determining the needs of the companies and mitigating those gaps. All these learning have facilitated me in creating well-framed curriculum vitae (CV) that will be effective for me in the future endeavour (Ahammad, 2013). Evaluation of the Negotiated Learning Agreement (NLA) The NLA is an effective tool which helps in developing important and necessary skills which are involved in self-directed along with the lifelong learning. With regard to the NLA, the learners are motivated to reflect upon their past learning so that they are able to identify their needs and take an active part in the process of learning. The NLA becomes effective with the help of the effectiveness in communication. It is observed that NLA provides greater insights and self-direction in the life of the students (Jones & Lomax, 2014). a-The Value of the Agreed Learning Outcomes I was a student of York St. John University studying in 2nd year with a growing interest in the field of marketing. The management course had influenced me at large due the skills and interest I have in the process of management. I had a strong desire to build my career in marketing and had thus decided to join the hotel industry. At present, I am working at Shinkey Hotel as a part-time waiter. Marketing is important and holds its importance in hotel sector and business operation as it assists the person to get into direct interaction with their clients. Marketing is regarding the exchange of values and communication between the marketers and clients, especially for the increasing effectiveness of the hotel. The study in the field of marketing is a worthy selection for me as it will help me in considering a healthy future due to increasing effectiveness of marketing in the hotel industry. In this regard, it can be stated that NLA during my coursework helped me in realising the importance of current market scenario along with the growing importance of marketing. Moreover, NLA helped me in understanding and determining my needs and abilities required in order to meet the placement requirements. The learning is assisting me in focusing upon my weaknesses along with strengths to meet the organisational needs of the hotel. Therefore, the learning agreement is of immense value for me as it helps in analysing the business environment and facilitates me in realising the importance of the business culture. Additionally, NLA has helped in understanding my skills and abilities with regard to building a strong career ahead. I had gained experience as a sales manager with intensive knowledge regarding the business practices and marketing. Correspondingly, this management study has assisted me in enhancing my skills and abilities regarding the problem solving and forecasting skills. b- Changes Made During the Placement At the beginning stage of my learning in the hotel industry, I had gone through a lot of problems. On the first day of my placement, I was feeling too nervous and also thought of how to get into interaction with my leaders and colleagues. However, later on with the passage of time, I could enhance my knowledge and shape my behaviour according to the professional norms and requirements. At the earlier stage of the internship session, I had learnt that communication is the major element required for developing a long-term relationship with the clients in the hotel industry. Subsequently, when I got placed in the real world hotel scenario, I came to know that there are other various skills such as knowledge of marketing the products of the hotel along with understanding the needs and requirements of the clients. Understanding of the requirements of the customers will help me to serve them with the best quality services and also make them satisfied along with creating long-term relationship. After getting placed into Shinkey Hotel, I got to add much of the positive impact to my learning and experience as an efficient marketer. While working and dealing with the customers of varied nature in the hotel, I learnt how to transform the wants of the customers into their needs. It is the prime intention of a skilled marketer to identify the demands of the customers and alter them into their prime needs. Thus, learning this criterion allowed me to grow the feeling that identifying and satisfying the ultimate desires of the customers will be my basic aim during my working hours in the hotel. The other knowledge that I added to my concern is that if I want to prove myself as an efficient employee in the hotel, I need to enrich my knowledge in that field and get devoted to it. c- Characteristics and Behaviour in the Organization As mentioned in the earlier description, I was quite nervous regarding my job roles and responsibilities. I was also wondering whether I will be able to accomplish my role as a successful marketer or not in front of the customers. However, when I got into the job, I realised that proper interaction with my leaders and fellow workers will help me to learn more of the desired learning. I was able to attain much of the success due to the full cooperation and coordination achieved by my fellow workers, who had provided me with all the assistance in learning the process of job to be done within the hotel industry. They gave me a lot of lessons and also passed on their experiences in the hotel sector in order to boost and encourage my spirit of working within the team along with enhancing my theoretical knowledge. The fellow workers had trained me with all kinds of behaviours required for getting into interaction with the customers as well as delivering services, which satisfies their desires and needs. Thus, it can also be ascertained that due to the extreme and invaluable cooperation of my leaders and fellow workers, I was able to learn many of the newer skills and competencies of marketing in the hotel industry such as transforming the wants of the customers to needs and selling the brand of the hotel instead of its features (Naveed, 2013). Evaluation of Work-Based Learning During the tenure of being placed after my studies in university as a part time waiter in Shinkey Hotel, I could analyse that the managerial skills along with the enhancement of various other competencies. Apart from all these, I also came across the detailed knowledge of the host organization i.e. Shinkey Hotel. It is basically a mid-sized hotel rendering quality services to its customers. It offers its customers with a wide range of cuisines along with the renowned local Chinese cuisine. It is also popular for its quality services and fulfilment of customer satisfaction despite being smaller in size. Particularly, it was observed that the hotel was completely built on the organizational structure framed by Henry Mintzberg i.e. strategic apex, operative core, techno structure, middle line and support staff (Lunenburg, 2012). The implementation of this organizational structure helps the hotel to render quality services along with bringing cooperation among the top level managers and their subordinates. When I had joined the hotel, I also observed that the environment of the hotel was much comfortable for all the customers including its employees. In addition, I have also experienced a mix of competitiveness and cooperativeness within in the work culture of this hotel. The competitiveness factors get reflected within the work performance of the waiters based on which they are graded and rewarded at the end of the month (Chatman & Flynn, 2001). However on the contrary, the cooperatives between them can be seen in terms of helping one another during the time of excessive work pressure (Barney, 1986). Due to this flexibility in the business environment, I could gain maximum knowledge from my superiors and also the fellow colleagues. A majority of the key personnel within this hotel such as the manager, the product and service quality control in-charge, the supply chain manager and the human resource team also appeared extremely helpful in terms of providing assistance regarding my experience gathering process. On the other hand, there were also several issues rising in the business environment of the Shinkey Hotel hampering the reputation of the hotel in return. One of the major issues observed was the customer handling problems amidst the crowd of customers. Few of my colleagues complained that during any kind of event in the hotel, there arises complains of customers not being served at the front desk itself. The other issue that was frequently arising was the rising customer handling problems. The top level managers used to frequently make complaints that many of the staff members were not competent enough to handle and solve the problems of the customers at the utmost level. Due to this reason, the volume of customers visiting the hotel was fluctuating and degrading to a certain extent, which can also be termed as one of the most serious issues concerning the welfare of the hotel. In the hotel industry, it is very important that the customers are served with the best services and all their problems must be served at the utmost importance. Despite all these issues and problems, the hotel is framing several criteria for dealing with the problems. The hotel authorities have planned to recruit more of qualified and competent staff members to avoid such nuisances and render proper services to their clients so that they will not get any scope for making complaints. The hotel authorities have also determined to expand the business area so that they can develop more of the facilities for the customers and give them services through the technical media as well. For instance, I had also contributed my best efforts towards the solving of the customer complaints. I, myself, involved into direct communication with the customers so that I can listen to their varied problems and solve at the very instance of such scenario with urgency. Work Role Description As I worked within this midrange hotel on a part time basis as a waiter, so my work role included managing the customer reservation process. In this process, I used to reserve appropriate dining spaces for the customers based on multiple factors such as family size of the customers, purpose (business outings or family timeouts), type of service they want (regular or VIP). This work role subsequently helped me in terms of evaluating the aspects of the organization on which I intended to focus. From an explanatory perspective, I can say that carrying out of this work role has gradually helped in understanding the concepts of effective customer relationship management within the hospitality industry. It has also provided me with subsequent understanding of other related concepts such as customer differentiation based on service types and which of our services coerces our customers to a significant level (Amamrnath Hotel, n.d.). Apart from just the customer reservation handling role, a few of my other job roles included responsibilities such as welcoming customers, taking service orders from them, providing recommendations to them in cases of special food and beverage items as well as other value added and members services that the hotel seemed willing to provide to the customers. Accordingly, it is mainly due to my past experience of being a sales manager that the management board of this hotel also asked me to carry out effective communication with the customers regarding the quality of products and services provided to them. The management believed that through the communication process, they can gradually understand the needs and expectations of the customers in a more effective manner and thus improvise the deteriorating condition of the hotel. To them, it was just a data and feedback extraction process but to me it was just like a scope in the context of improvising my communication skills and leadership quality. It also contributed towards improvising my cognitive capabilities regarding how to handle unsatisfied customers who often turn out rude. My job roles within this mid-range hospitality organization have also provided me with a clear understanding about the necessary principles and steps of effective customer complaint handling (Faed, 2013). Moreover, I also integrated my past managerial experience with the present customer waiting role and achieved specific levels of success during my job period (Yuksel & et. al., 2006). I have learnt that customers always project fickle mindedness when it comes to remaining satisfied by a list of services that are being provided by the hotel. Additionally, I have observed that the loyal customers of our hotel often shift to other hotels for checking out about new and unique services types that get provided to them by the other hotels. During my conversation phases with the customers regarding their feedbacks about our service types, multiple instances occurred when the customers suggested that our hotel should provide certain specific services which the customers might have experienced in other hotels (Baharun, 2013). By my understanding of these valuable instances, I took these as a mode of customer retention strategy in order to improvise the loopholes and service diversification within the organization in which I was placed (Wang, 2007). I conveyed these instances to the top level management and they responded to my efforts in a very positive and appreciative manner. This further boosted my confidence level as being considered as a contributive asset for this hotel business. I experienced these concepts of management to be pretty amazing in the real world scenario in comparison with the theoretical concepts that were taught to me during the classroom sessions. However, a significant level of connectivity can be drawn between both the practical and the theoretical aspects (Mason & et. al., 1995). Throughout this discussion multiple quotes have been made regarding the deteriorating condition of the hotel due to its poor customer handling process. As a corrective measure, the management team decided to include the staff of this hotel in terms of discussing their issues and listening to their opinions regarding how to improvise the condition. As being a student of the finance background, I was also asked by the management team regarding coming up with some finance related strategies such as discount offering and cost cutting techniques so as to protect the downgrading reputation of this hotel (Manzardo & Sharma, n.d.). In an overall manner, it can be stated that all these conditions and training gradually helped me in terms of attaining a glimpse of what management actually looks like in a real world scenario. It helped in fortifying my understanding capabilities to a much higher level (Mason & et. al., 1995). Review and Assessment of Performance during the Placement By taking into consideration my past managerial experience and the current experience provided to me by this hotel, I can now assess myself as being a hard worker, fast learner, effective thinker, friendly, capable to work under pressure and strategic thinker as well. In the context of coping up with the tough situation, I can say that my observation of the surrounding environment helped me in paving a path towards attaining success. The above provided facts describe my strengths. However, for my weakness part, I can quote that I need to work more on my situational strategy building capabilities. I also experienced a subsequent level of competitiveness within the staff functionality of this hotel. I also identified one specific factor within the functionality pattern of this hotel, which as per my perception can be considered as a significant aspect that might have contributed with regard to the deterioration of the hotel. Through my observation, I found that the management only structured the rewarding points for the staff members depending on the rate at which they attend the customers. As a result, the waiting staff increased their speed of attending the customers which further led to subsequent deterioration of the service quality. Consequently, the negative effects of this procedure came up in the form of unsatisfied customers and loss to business process. All these directly or indirectly raised a few ethical issues within the hotel. One instance in this context being that the loss to the business process resulted in ending up the business owners and the stakeholders in a panicked stage. Gradually, they started reducing down their expenditures by cutting down the percentages from the salaries of the staff members and also increasing the workload on them which further led to employees quitting the organization. In the end, all of these ended up being like a complete massacre until they conducted multiple staff meeting and formulated strategies in order to get back to their normal state. Clarification of Career Direction These part time placements have proved highly beneficial for me in terms of providing my career a better direction. I have always looked forward towards excelling in the area of customer relationship management and through this part time placement in Shinkey Hotel I have attained a significant opportunity in terms of knowing the customers, their behaviours and their expectations in a better way. Combining this to the my previous managerial experience, I can quote that with these new set of skills, I can confidently manage customer related issues and contribute to any type of business process to which I will be appointed. I have also attained multiple business contacts to whom, I might consult in case I need assistance. Apart from all these mentioned facts, I have successfully gained a clear understanding about the recruitment process within an organization along with its significance. As per my understanding, I can say that in a recruitment process, the interviewee needs to be smart and capable enough for expressing himself/herself to the interviewer. In simple words, the interviewee should know how to convince the interviewer that he / she is worthy enough to handle the responsibilities of the post. Review and Assessment of Your Job Application Skills For effectively building up my curriculum vitae (CV), I had taken the guidance and feedback of my managers and supervisor during my placement within the Shinkey Hotel. During the interview process for this hotel, I had explained my key skills and competencies which I acquired as being a sales manager. I did explain how my intensive business knowledge and practices will serve as my reinforcing factor in terms of understanding the hospitality business in an effective manner. However, in multiple cases the situation does not remain the same. I also faced multiple questions to which I could not come up with an answer but with time and observation, I have made myself capable enough to face any type of situation. Now that I have attained multiple invaluable skills throughout my placement period, I can add these up in my bio data which in turn will gradually give me an edge over others and subsequently increase my scope of getting placed in a full time basis within this organization or in any other renowned corporation. Responsively, I will gradually be aiming towards the hospitality industry sector as a scope for developing and flourishing my career. This is due to the fact that now with time and in keeping with the evolving situation, I have studied the trend regarding how the customers behave in the context of the service provision. I have also attained considerable amount of knowledge in terms of managing myself during tough times as discussed regarding the challenging situation within the Shinkey Hotel. I have also realised the key motivating factors that drive the customers to re-visit a particular hotel. This in turn would aid me in providing valuable insights to the future employer regarding devising customer retention and attraction strategies. I have also gained valuable comprehension regarding my presentable skills to draw and ensure recruitment in my desired organisation through explaining my strengths and weaknesses by the virtue of an interactive CV. Besides, I have gathered a strong belief that I possess multi-faceted skills to assert myself as a valuable member within an organisation. References Amamrnath Hotel, No Date. Job Description. Job Responsibilities, pp. 1-2. Ahammad, S., 2013. Importance of Training in Hotel industry. A Case Study of Hilton Hotel, Cyprus, pp. 1-32. Baharun, R., 2013. Relationship Marketing, Customer Satisfaction and Loyalty Association Moderating by Switching Cost. Archives Des Science, Vol. 66, No. 5, pp. 1-15. Barney, J. B., 1986. Organizational Culture: Can It Be a Source of Sustained Competitive Advantage? 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Managing Employee Involvement and Participation. SAGE. Naveed, H., 2013. Characteristics of Organisational Behavior. Glyndwr University, pp. 1-17. Manzardo, A. E & Sharma, K. P., No Date. Cost Cutting, Caste and Community: A Look at Thakali Social Reform in Pokhara. INAS Journal, pp. 25-43. Wang, R., 2007. Relationship, Loyalty, and Marketing---A Correlation Study of Taiwan Hotel Customers' Perspectives. ProQuest. Yuksel, A. & et. al., 2006. Cross-National Analysis of Hotel Customers’ Attitudes toward Complaining and Their Complaining Behaviours. Tourism Management, pp. 11-24. Read More