Learning and Development in Organisations, Improving Ethics and Academic Skills - Essay Example

? LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT IN ORGANIZATIONS goes here] [Your goes here] [Due the paper] Learning and Development in Organizations Section A Answer No. 1 I would seek to identify the learning needs of the caregivers using direct observation method. On-field or direct observation is a method using which a person or a researcher can identify the behaviors of a target group. In our case, this method will help in identifying those behaviors or attitudes that cause decrease in the effectiveness level of caregivers. I will use two other techniques along with direct observation. First, I will visit the nursing homes to interview some of the elderly residents who might have been living there at least for the last six months or so. I will interview them to know the problems that might have been facing in the nursing home. I will design a questionnaire which I will distribute to all residents of those nursing homes. This technique will be useful as I will be able to know the needs of the residents and the problems they might be facing while living in nursing homes. The collected data will help me identify the learning needs of the caregivers. I will analyze the responses to create a list of activities that the caregivers would need to do in order to be able to provide best services to the residents. The second technique that I will use to know the reasons of decreased effectiveness level of caregivers will be taking interviews of caregivers and nurses. This technique will help me know the problems that are making it difficult for caregivers to cope with more challenging residents. I will also inquire the reasons behind lack of confidence in dealing with paperwork. I think interviewing the target population is the best thing one can do to know the measures he/she can take to improve the conditions. Answer No. 2 Reading and analyzing the case, I have learned that the caregivers are falling short of providing best services to the residents of nursing homes. The learning needs that I have become aware of through analysis include lack of confidence, lack of knowledge and practice to deal with challenging residents, lack of ability to make quick decisions on their own, low academic qualification, and less wages. To design a learning solution to meet these needs, I would consider some key factors that are playing their role in decreasing the effectiveness level of the nursing homes. I would consider the nature of the job of caregivers to develop the learning solution. I would research the basic requirements of this job and the skills that caregivers should have to be employed for this particular job. To me, no job can be done without relevant skills and knowledge. Therefore, I would get an insight into the set of required skills and knowledge that is required by caregivers to perform this job effectively. Next, I would consider the job environment that the owner of the nursing homes has provided to caregivers for doing their jobs at their best. I think job environment plays a key role in determining the effectiveness level of employees of any company or organization. A good job environment makes employees more productive and satisfied with their jobs. On the other hand, a less secure and unhealthy job environment makes employees dull and ineffective which also puts a negative impact on the efficiency and productivity of the company. Therefore, I would analyze the job environment completely in order to know the factors that might have been causing decrease in the effectiveness level of caregivers. Next, I would analyze the pay scales of the caregivers. I think high salary is one of biggest motivating factors for an employee. Employees receiving high salaries are satisfied with their companies and usually show more commitment and dedication towards their job tasks. On the other hand, employees who receive fewer wages are in constant search of some new job where they can get higher wages and that approach ad mindset decreases their level of productivity and efficiency. Therefore, I would analyze this factor as well to know whether wages are having an influence on the efficiency level of employees or not. Next, I would analyze aptitude and approach of caregivers regarding provision of services to elderly people. The mentality of employees matters a lot for a company because it has a direct impact on their level of productivity. As far as I have analyzed the case, the caregivers of Nurture nursing homes do not have a complete awareness of their job requirements. They tend to pass on their responsibilities to nurses who become overloaded with tasks. Such situations also cause delay in the provision of healthcare services to residents in a timely manner. I have also analyzed that caregivers have no idea regarding the way to deal with challenging residents because of which they fail to fulfill their job requirements properly. I will work on this factor to design a proper learning plan for the caregivers of Nurture nursing homes. Answer No. 3 After analyzing the case, I have developed an effective learning solution for the caregivers of Nurture nursing homes which will meet all of their learning needs. The solution will also improve the effectiveness level and efficiency of the nursing homes and the residents will feel better living there. Some other benefits that the learning methods will produce for caregivers include improved employee morale, less need of supervision, elimination of the chances of work overload, improved confidence level, improved care giving skills and abilities, and increased productivity. The learning methods that I will use to train caregivers include on the job training, off the job training, small group discussion, and cross training. I have chosen all of these methods to provide a better understanding of the nature of the job related to provision of care to patients. I do not think that any single method can be effective for this cause. Therefore, I have selected four most effective methods to improve the effectiveness level of caregivers. Let us discuss the learning methods and the approach I have chosen to use them for improving the skills and abilities of caregivers. On the Job Training I have selected on the job training because it will help me provide direct training to caregivers while on job. It is also a cost-effective a simple training method as compared to others. This method will help me train caregivers in actual working scenario. This method focuses on improving employee efficiency using the approach of learning by doing. I will use direct coaching and temporary work rotations to make caregivers able to deal with changing scenarios in an effective manner. I will spend three days at each nursing home to observe the problems that caregivers might be facing in their jobs and will work to resolve those issues for them. I will try to improve the confidence level of caregivers because confidence always leads to increased job productivity and performance. On the job training will also help me improve the mistakes of caregivers on the spot. I believe that such approach is very successful because improvement through on the spot training usually lasts for the whole career of a professional, whereas off the field training has a short-term impact on improvement. However, I have selected such techniques even in off the job training method that its impact will also be long-term for caregivers. Off the Job Training I have selected this method to train caregivers because it will help me provide training to them in self-created working conditions. Although this method works best for new employees, but I have selected such an approach for this method that it will also help existing caregivers improve their learning skills and abilities. I will use seminars, workshops, and conferences to make caregivers aware of their actual job responsibilities. I will conduct seminars and workshops twice a week for one month. I have selected a one-month training course for this case because care giving is a job in which people do not have enough time to engage themselves in so many things. Moreover, applying four methods of training will already have a significant on the job performance of caregivers. I will also use computer-based training technique in the off the job method because it will make them enjoy their learning. Computer-based learning programs will be custom designed and will prove to be a cost-effective technique. I have also planned to send training program cds to caregivers which they can see at their homes. It will eliminate the need of making them come to training sessions. At home training will be convenient for the caregivers and it will not make them disturb their shift system for training. Small Group Discussion I have selected this method because it will help me improve the knowledge of caregivers regarding the services that their job demands from them. Using this method, I will break the number of employees into small groups to provide them relevant case studies to work on. The caregivers from each group will discuss those case studies with each other which will improve their interpersonal communication skills, as well as knowledge regarding the ways to deal with different situations and people. I will also assign the responsibility of group management to a veteran caregiver who will provide assistance to other group members in solving questions regarding case studies. This method will help me introduce interactive sessions to keep caregivers engaged in learning. Cross Training Cross training will help me engage caregivers in more than one job tasks at a time which improve their confidence, as well as the ability to deal with more than one situation at time. I have selected this approach because of two main reasons. First, it will help me develop good relationships between caregivers which will enhance their group work skills. Secondly, it will help me improve decision-making skills of caregivers as they will get a chance to apply learned knowledge and skills in solving complex issues. Improving Ethics and Academic Skills Along with improving learning skills of caregivers, I will also work towards improving their ethics and academia skills. I will arrange academic classes for caregivers in which they will e given demonstrations regarding provision of best healthcare services to elderly people. I will arrange three classes per week for one month for this cause. As there is shift based system for the caregivers of Nurture nursing homes, I have planned to provide cds of nursing knowledge to them which they will see at their homes and I will ask them different questions the next day they will come to their jobs. I will make it a requirement for them to watch those cds and give tests. They will be ranked according to the results of their tests and the results will be sent to the owner of the nursing homes to decide which caregivers should be retained on the basis of improved job efficiency. I think this learning solution will work best for the caregivers of Nurture nursing homes as they will get an opportunity to enhance their skills and knowledge which will ultimately help them improve their job efficiency level. Section B Answer No. 1 As the name suggests, evaluation means to evaluate something or to assess the working of a process. The main purpose of employee learning and development is to make new and existing employees capable of performing their job tasks in an effective manner. If we talk from health perspective, we can say that employee training is the most important function of any healthcare organization because it is directly related to the health of patients. Properly trained healthcare professionals are able to treat patients more effectively because training enhances knowledge and skills which one can use to deliver best health treatment to patients. Let us now discuss the way to evaluate workplace training on health and safety at each of the four levels of evaluation in Kirkpatrick’s model. Reaction From the perspective of healthcare organizations, reaction refers to the way healthcare professionals feel about getting job related training. As a trainer, I would use post-training surveys and feedback forms to know the reactions of healthcare professionals. I would also use their verbal reactions to know what they feel about training. Learning Learning refers to the measurement of the amount of knowledge before and after training. Trainers usually take tests to measure the level of knowledge they have provided to employees through training. As a trainer, I would use typical assessment sheets to measure employee learning. Moreover, I would also use direct observation method, as well as individual face-to-face interviews to judge the improvement in the knowledge of healthcare professionals. Transfer Transfer refers to the way employees apply learned knowledge in carrying out job responsibilities. “It is at this level that participants change their behavior in response to what they learn from their training program” (Miller 2008). As a trainer, I would use direct observations and interviews to know the way healthcare professionals apply their knowledge to practice. Results Results refer to improvement in a company’s level of productivity through training of employees. As a trainer, I would use reports and health information system to know the level of improvement in the company’s productivity and performance. Answer No. 2 Coaching in organizations has seen a tremendous increase in the last few years because of many significant benefits associated with coaching. The main aim of coaching is to train employees to show their best performance while on job and put all of their efforts to increase the performance of the company. Coaching is basically related to the improvement in skills, abilities, and knowledge of employees. “The coach has to help the person learn the requisite attitude, behavior and skills needed to perform the job successfully” (Chakravarthy 2011). Some of the main benefits tat coaching can bring in employees include improved job performances, improved skills and abilities, increased knowledge, improved company’s performance, improved productivity, and improved working relationships between employees and managers. A coach is a trainer who makes his/her trainees able to meet organizational objectives in a timely manner. The importance of coaching in organizations cannot be denied in today’s world of competition. The world has become a global village due to development in the field of information technology, and due to this, more and more companies have started expanding their business to international markets by opening their branches in other countries. Such companies usually recruit culturally diverse workforce to carryout company’s operations successfully in other markets. In such a scenario, the use of coaching becomes even more practical and essential for companies. Companies need to hire efficient coaches who can change a culturally diverse workforce into a cohesive unit. Coaching is not only related to training of job related skills, it is also concerned with developing a sense of unity between employees which is a key to improved group performances. Differences between Coaching and Mentoring Although the basic aim of both coaches and mentors is to improve individual and group performances, but there exist some little difference between them. Coaches usually focus towards bringing improvement in skills and knowledge, whereas mentors deal more with improving behaviors and attitudes of individuals. Coaches work usually with groups, whereas mentors generally work with individuals. Coaches focus on the development of professional skills and abilities, whereas mentors usually focus more on personal behaviors and skills (Quast 2009). Answer No. 3 Learning is important in a workplace because it makes employees capable of doing things right. It makes an employee able to apply knowledge and skills to carry out job related activities. Learning is a continuous process. It starts from the first day of an employee at job and continues until the last day at work. Learning is a process, which brings positive changes in employees’ behaviors and capabilities. Learning is related directly with employee development which is essential for an employee to gain success in his/her professional career. “The purpose of employee development is for workers at a company to learn skills that they can use within the workplace” (Wiesen 2011). Learning is a key phase of employee development process which results in improving the performance of employees and makes employees able to meet global competition challenges. Employee learning and development is one of the main responsibilities of the human resource department of a company. It is also called intellectual capital which has been proven as a key to increased organizational productivity and performance. It is such an asset of a company which although cannot be touched but plays a significant role in making a company reach heights of success. “Employee training generally refers to programs that provide workers with information, new skills, or professional development opportunities” (Testa n.d.). Learning not only helps employees build their skills and knowledge but also helps all other people in the world. Every person in the world belonging to any field of life goes through a comprehensive learning process throughout his/her life. For example, a firefighter learns to save lives of others through practical experience and that experience helps the firefighter perform his/her job effectively. Similarly, a football player goes through the process of learning throughout his career. He has a goal in mind, a goal to serve the nation. Therefore, he practices his football skills through engaging himself in training sessions. The behaviorism approach towards learning confirms that learning enhances when objectives become clear. Learning also occurs when a person has to go through this process. For example, children learn their course material to perform well in exams. Jerome Burner, a cognitive psychologist, seems to support this point, as he believes that learning occurs when mental processes give rise to the need to learn something. Learning is also related to the way changes occur in the behaviors of people when they pass from different phases of life. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs supports this point as in that theory, the theorist points out five basic levels of needs in which a person’s learning needs changes with the changes that occur in needs. Summing it up, learning is something that injects perfection in the actions of a person. Learning is a life long process that ends with the last day of life of a person. Without going through the process of learning, it becomes difficult for a person to achieve anything whether in personal life or in professional life. Therefore, I would say that learning is one of the main factors that lead a person’s way towards success. References Chakravarthy, P 2011, The difference between coaching and mentoring, viewed 08 November 2012, http://www.forbes.com/sites/infosys/2011/12/20/business-leadership-for-smarter-org-2/ Miller, S 2008, Role of Training Metric in Training Evaluation, viewed 08 November 2012, http://ezinearticles.com/?Role-of-Training-Metric-in-Training-Evaluation&id=1047150 Quast, L 2009, What are the Differences Between a Coach and a Mentor? viewed 08 November 2012, http://www.careerwomaninc.com/2009/07/what-are-the-differences-between-a-coach-and-a-mentor/ Testa, K n.d., What Is Employee Training? viewed 08 November 2012, http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-employee-training.htm Wiesen, G 2011, What Is Employee Development? viewed 08 November 2012, http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-employee-development.htm Read More