Culture and Learning in the Workplace - Coursework Example

Culture and Learning in the Workplace Name Institution Professor Course Date Introduction Poor employee performance has been established as one of major obstacles that block the attainment of organisational goals and objectives. As a result, managers try to implement strategies that aim at improving the performance of employees. Improving employee’s performance is amongst the scores of solutions that promote organisational productivity and profitability. The survival of a firm in the modern competitive business environment depends on the creativity and inventiveness of its human resources as well as its culture. The creativity and inventiveness of human resources can be enhanced through training and development. Training and development is one of the strategies that promote employee performance. Training and development is an essential strategic tool that promotes employee performance. However, effectiveness of training and development strategies depends on the culture of an organisation. This report explores the role and impacts of training and development on employee performance and organisational culture. The report also assesses the role of training and development in corporate success in different cultures, impacts of applying pertinent training and development strategies on a firm’s performance. The report also highlights the link amid training and development and corporate culture. Background and Theoretical Framework In the modern competitive business environment, innovation is essential to enhance the sustainability and growth of firms. Scores of firms fail because of failure to innovate. For instance, the fall of Kodak among other companies is as result of lack of innovation. According to Farinha (2015), the fast pace of market shifts requires contemporary organisations to adopt fundamentally different leapfrogging perspective and make quantum leaps in recognising, responding and projecting the trends in the market. In addition, firms must quickly let go old practices and embrace novel ones, as old practices eventually prove to be obsolete in the modern competitive business environment. Once, a market leader in photography, Kodak failed to acknowledge the dramatic shifts instigated by digital technology. The firm’s initiatives lacked creativity and innovation thereby making it to lag behind market trends. Creativity and innovation in a firm calls for adequate training and development. Kong (2014) confirms that training and development of human resources is aimed at developing the knowledge innovation capacity. In order for a firm to gain a competitive advantage, innovation is paramount, hence the need for continuous training and development. Training and development, on the other hand, promote employee performance as well as the overall organisational performance and depends on a firm’s corporate culture besides consideration of people’s culture of origin. Therefore, to attain business goals and objectives and ensure organisational growth, an organisation must update and optimize the knowledge constitutes of employees and improve their skills to ensure that their employees are competent to do and complete specific tasks. Firms like Kodak should have implemented training and development strategies to foster innovation and improve employee performance bearing in mind the knowledge economy is propelled by a culture of innovation. Role of Training and Development in Corporate Success in Various Cultures Training entails a planned procedure that focuses on modifying skill behaviour, knowledge and attitude through learning experiences to attain effective performance in an activity. In a workplace, training helps in developing abilities of an employee. Development entails learning that may be linked to future shifts in the a worker’s current job and it can entail formal education or job experiences. Training and development entail any effort to improve the future or current employee performance through augmenting the ability of a worker to perform well through learning and changing his or her attitude and increasing knowledge and skills. According to (Giri 2008), training refers to the systematic development of skill, attitudes and knowledge needed by a person to perform a certain task successfully. The aim of training and development is to improve organisational performance via enhanced performance of employees. While training assists employees to tackle their current jobs, development prepares people to handle prospective responsibilities. Giri (2008) stresses that the main role of training is to improve employee performance, update employees’ skills, prevent managerial obsolescence and satisfy personal growth requirements. Training and development plays a crucial role in enhancing the success of organisations in different cultures. Training and development in different cultures should be aimed at bringing together and enhancing skills of people from different cultures. The training and development techniques should address the subtle and invisible disparities amid people of different cultures. According to Scheel, Rigotti and Mohr (2014), contemporary firms employ people from diverse cultures. A mixed workforce composition necessitates that HR practices be channelled towards the temperament of work contracts employed. Scheel, Rigotti and Mohr (2014) further assert that HR practices within strategic HR management are linked to overall organisational performance. Through training and development, organisations try to accumulate and develop their inimitable and unique resources in order to gain competitive advantage. Training in different cultures augments productivity and is closely linked to long-term effects and organisational performance. The superiority of training practices has been demonstrated in the attainment of better organisational performance. Scheel, Rigotti and Mohr (2014) confirm that EU countries find training and development as the most essential HR factor for service quality, profitability and productivity across nations. Example of a firm that has improved its performance through training and development is Wal-Mart and IBM while firms such has Kodak failed because of lack of effective training and development. According to Hill and Jones (2012), Wal-Mart employs a universal training program where all its works receive the same kind of training to enhance organisational performance. Impacts of Applying Relevant Training and Development Techniques on Company Performance in various countries with differing cultural contexts Training and development are requisite strategic tools for effective employee and organisation performance. However, in order to attain the benefits of training and development, firms must employee adequate and relevant training and development methods. There are different training and development methods available to firms (Mpofu & Hlatywayo 2015). To ensure that a firm uses relevant training and development techniques, managers assessing the training needs must select of the appropriate method depending on the content of training. Some of these methods include seminars and conferences, special lectures and courses, programmed instruction, selected reading, role-playing, on-the-job training, understudy and job rotation to mention but a few. All these training and development techniques are aimed at improving employee and overall organisation performance. According to Marquardt (2010), people of diverse cultures differ in their willingness to be flexible and the capacity to accept uncertainty. As a result, people of different cultures require different training and development techniques. For instance, employees in Greek, Chinese and Swiss cultures seek clear responsibilities and roles and work processes that are consistent and precise. On the other hand, people from flexible cultures such as that of Australia, Netherlands, Norway and Sweden requires training and development techniques that provide general direction while allowing the trainees to determine means of implementing them. CCH (2010) claim that running training for international staff members is handled by learning and development professionals. Running training program in countries with different cultural contexts requires managers to employ techniques that are relevant and delivered professionally through application of culturally sensitive training methodology. Managers require assisting trainers to understand the cultural context and business context for training. Cross-cultural training is greatly provided to employees to help them adjust to the novel cultural context. Application of relevant training and development techniques does not only promote individual employee performance, but also promote overall organisation performance. Relationship between Training and Development and Corporate Culture in Social Context Culture is very crucial to organisational success in the contemporary business environment. Culture can impact training and development in a firm. Wang and King (2009, p.140) maintain that within the context of globalization, the key element to consider is the role of culture in training and development contexts. Culture impacts the techniques and materials used for training in an organisation. Culture also influences change in an organisation. Price (2007) asserts that cultures are human creations made up of elements such as beliefs, values, roles, norms and attitudes. Organisations use their own culture as the standard and key determinants of the most relevant training and development strategies. People have to operate in three different cultures at the same time, the culture of their origin, the culture within which they are work and the corporate culture of their firm. The training and development offered should reflect corporate culture and at the same time be sensitive to people’s culture of origin. For instance, a study carried out to examine development practices and policies in numerous Chinese MNEs indicated that these firms offered limited training to expatriates (Price, 2007). Firms that employ a culture of innovation and creativity must use training and development programs aimed at promoting innovation and creativity. For instance, IBM uses education-on-demand strategy to enhance the skills and competency of its workforce. The firm promotes the use of computer-based multimedia courseware to augment learning and development (Natale & Libertella, 2003). Additionally, IBM trained all its 10, 000 managers and executives, a few years ago, in its on-demand business model and its implementation. The firm matches its training and development programs to specific individual and organisational needs bearing in mind people’s different cultures as well as its corporate culture. The firm also ascertain universal training needs that require universal training and development strategies. Conclusion Training and development promotes employee performance. However, the training and development strategies employed by different organisations must be cultural sensitive. The psychological and physical separation by geographic distance provides distinctive challenges for global trainers and consultants. Although technology allows firms to be decentralised and centralised, they are numerous cultural aspects that influences training and development policies and practices employed by firms. For instance, high-context cultures are less comfortable interacting from a distance thereby requiring firms to adopt training and development policies are match these cultures. For training and development policies to be effective in promoting employee and organisation performance, mangers must try to be effective globally and across cultures and develop different cultural and professional skills. References CCH, (2010). Australian master human resources guide, 8th Edition, AU. CCH. DuBrin, A.( 2008). Essentials of management. UK:Cengage Learning. Farinha, C .(2015). Handbook of research on global competitive advantage through innovation and entrepreneurship. UK:IGI Global. Giri, Y.L.(2008). Human resource management: Managing people at work, India, Nirali Prakashan. Hill, C & Jones, G .(2008). Essentials of strategic management. UK: Cengage Learning. Kong, A .(2016). International conference on management and engineering (CME 2014).German: DEStech Publications, Inc. Marquardt, M.( 2014). Successful global training. USA: Association for Training and Development. Mpofu, M., & Hlatywayo, C.( 2015). Training and development as a tool for improving basic service delivery; the case of a selected municipality. Journal of Economics, Finance and Administrative Science, 20 (1),133-136. Natale, S & Libertella, A.( 2003). Business education and training: A value-driven process, volume 9. USA :University Press of America. Price, A.( 2007), Human resource management in a business context. UK: Cengage Learning. Scheel, T, Rigotti, T., & Gisela, M.( 2014). Training and performance of a diverse workforce. Human Resource Management, 53 (5) 749-772. Wang, V., & King, K.( 2009). Fundamentals of human performance and training. UK:IAP. Read More