Training and Development
Introduction
The business world is increasingly becoming complex with more and more information, intense interdependence and the relentless change occurring in the environment. And the organization has to keep pace with these changes. Further, corporate structures are becoming more diversified requiring new training not only for the success of the companies but as well as the workers.
Most companies recognized this need and thus transformed their training and development departments into learning organizations. Fundamentally, the concept of learning organization is to promote knowledge sharing among and within the members of the organization. It is necessary that the organization create knowledge and collect information for the organization to survive the changes of the external environment.
Employee Training and Development
One of the significant change in today’s business is the values of the workers. Employees want their companies to provide them with training that will enable them to do their job better. Along with these changing values are the workplace trends that have significant impact on the knowledge and skills, requiring the employee development programs. Another development is the thinking on social capital. The primary argument here is the significant role that is likely to be played by social capital in making an organization a collection of individuals. This concept encourages collaboration and access to knowledge through networks.
Employee development has become the focus of most firms that seek competitive advantage. Companies are encouraged to consider employee development especially in areas that require specialized skills or advanced education to promote company growth. They are also making dramatic changes in the way they develop the knowledge and skills of the workforce.
Trainings are described as the coordinated educational programs available for the employees. They are accomplished in various ways such as classroom training, e-learning and on-the-job trainings. Other developmental programs can include coaching and mentoring. The main goal of the training and development programs is to assist the company in achieving its objectives by the development of individual and eventually the organizational performance.
General Motors and McDonald’s pioneered the concept of corporate universities to facilitate employee training and development. Around 1,600 corporate colleges still exist at companies such as Motorola, Walt Disney and Microsoft. Like traditional colleges, these universities have classroom courses. At some instances students are given degrees or certificates after undertaking such trainings (, 2001, ). Other primary agents that commodified education are corporate software and hardware vendors such as IBM, Silicon Graphics, Prentice Hall and Microsoft (, 2001, ).
Another approach that has emerged for training and development is the use of e-learning. This responds to the difficulties of employees in attending classroom education. Learning technologies are the use of electronic technologies that delivers information while facilitating the development of skills and knowledge (, 2000, ). Leading firms have transferred most of their training activities to learning technologies. Instructor led training are the most common form of such learning.
Indeed, the organization’s support for the learning of the employees is becoming a pre requisite not just for the success of the business but as well as its survival. The action learning theories of (1980) view management learning as an experiential process that is achievable through shared problem solving(as cited in , 1998). His theory of learning organization centers on the view that the organizations survival is dependent on the rate of learning being equal or greater than the rate of change in the external environment.
Through action learning, managers are able to learn from their experiences and subsequently impart that learning experience with others. The criticisms and advices from colleagues must be then accepted by the manager and implement them if necessary. After which, the actions taken and the lessons generated from them are reviewed by the colleagues. By this, the confrontation of reality is adopted rather than the formulation of hypothetical situation.
Manager’s Role in Training and Development
Organizational transformations into learning organizations affect the relationship between the managers and their subordinates. Management practices evolve from assigning tasks and controlling performance to mentoring and coaching the employees to learn beyond what is required of their jobs. Managers are considered as coordinators and team leaders. A leader with the role of a mentor is suitable for promoting learning environments ion the company.
With this, firms that are in the process of transition into learning organizations need to have managers to facilitate the work related learning. These kind of learning can be either formal or informal and is broader than the conventional training activities. For instance, learning can be facilitated by allowing the employees to interact with customers, reading technical manuals and attending classes. Individual learning is essential but is not sufficient for organizational learning. What is needed is for the firms to provide mean like communication channels so that individual learning is transformed into organizational learning.
Some of the global firms that have transformed into learning organizations are Motorola, Apple Computer and Xerox. Moreover, training must be regarded as an individual responsibility especially in dynamic companies. At Motorola, employees and managers are encouraged to create development programs based on the needs of the organization. Employees are also given the opportunity to define their learning needs through the self directed labs. (1993) argued the most significant characteristic of a learning organization as the culture that encourages individual learning and openness to new ideas (as cited in & , 2000, ). This learning must be a continuous cycle to become effective.
Supervisors play a crucial role in the continuity of this cycle. Employees attribute their competencies to other resources such as colleagues and their formal and informal training. Supervisors are identified as source of learning as the other factors. However, the credit given to supervisors is usually related to the satisfaction gained from developmental activities.
To the employee, individual learning is a challenge and a way of giving value to the company. Aside from this, the continuous learning provides the employee a means of maintaining employability if he loses his job. To the manager, the benefits in improving leadership skills to manage employees’ learning include the a high performing team, personal development and better performance assessment. The development of leadership, mentoring and coaching skills also enhances the manager’s employability in the future.
Training effectiveness
Many organizations are reconsidering their training investments as they recognize the importance of knowledge, skills and competencies of the employees in gaining a competitive advantage. Organizations such as Motorola, Southwest Airlines and Sun Microsystems are devoting considerable amount of expenses to training (, 2002, ). They use training not only to facilitate learning but also to retain employees.
Training effectiveness is the process that occurs before, during and after the training to increase the likelihood that it will have an impact to the individual and the organization performance. On the other hand, training evaluation measure the extent to which it became effective. Traditionally, practitioners assess the impact of the training based on the employees’ reactions to the program, learning, behavioral change and results. Moreover, the outcomes used in evaluating such programs have come to include cognitive, affective and motivational outcomes ((, 2002, ).
The real value of the training is derived not only from the individual training but on the ability of the employees to interact and share ideas that improves the functional areas of the organization. This is particularly true in companies that engage in knowledge work such as pharmaceuticals, communications and engineering organizations where systems thinking and creativity are important factors. In such companies, training is regarded as a larger system in which knowledge is created and shared (, 2002, ).
E learning is a new method that provides a good learning environment and facilitates knowledge sharing. It utilizes a web or a company intranet to deliver instruction. This mode of instruction allows the employees to learn at their own rate. It has also the advantage of sharing learning, problems and issues to each other. While it is easily established, it is also used to facilitate learning and the transfer of learning (, 2002, ). For the training to become effective, the trainees must have the readiness and the motivation to learn. They must also know the content of the training program and be able to transfer the training back to their jobs. The transfer of training includes the effective and continuous application of learned skills in the job.
The Learning Organization
The most recent and widely accepted notion of learning organization today is one which is characterized by an organizational culture that fosters the improvement of the employees, their productivity and the overall operation and performance of the business through continuous learning ( & , 2000, ). Theoretically, they maintain a significant capacity for the renewal and the competitive readiness of the organization learning. Continuous learning and change is valued through learning organizations.
(1994) suggested clearer guidelines for practices to managers. He argued that managers must be informed on how to build learning organizations. Successful companies such as Honda, Coming and GE managed their learning capabilities to guarantee that it occurs through design and not by mere chance. These companies implemented unique policies and managerial practices that made them succeed as learning organizations (, 1998, ).
Learning Organization is manifested when the organization learn as it acquires information which includes knowledge, understanding, know-how, techniques or any kind of practice. The learning organization according to (1989), is not simply an organization that implements extensive training but that which facilitates learning of all its members while continuously transforming itself. The characteristics of the learning organization involve the formation of organization policies, strategies and the implementation of such that structures a learning process. With this, a wide participation and debate exist over the policies and the strategies. Collective learning is an essential element for the organizational learning.
Conclusion
The intensity of global competition and the emergence of knowledge based economies stimulated the transformation of companies into learning organizations. The purpose of learning and the acquisition of knowledge are to facilitate rapid organizational changes that are necessary for the success of the organization. The ability of the company to learn and innovate is important to increase revenues, profits and its economic value.
Moreover, businesses are increasingly putting value to their workforce.
They acknowledge the human capital as part of the company’s success factor.
Employee development has become the focus of firms wanting to become competitive. Because of this training and development initiatives are provided for the employees to improve their work. Companies especially those involved in knowledge work are encouraging their employees to advance their education.
One of the development programs implemented by some global companies is the corporate universities. Such provide courses for the employees just like in traditional colleges. Another approach is the e learning. This method allows the trainees to learn on less conventional means. It also facilitates the sharing of knowledge between them.
Indeed, all of these developmental programs are directed to improve individual performance and eventually the company’s overall performance. Its effect on the individual is determined through the learning and the behavioral changes. However, the more important impact is the ability of the employees to share the knowledge and ideas within the organization. A learning organization
is one which acquires knowledge and facilitates learning of all its members while constantly transforming itself. Indeed, collective learning is far more important than individual learning.
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