Introduction3
1.1 Purpose of Report..3
1.2 Outline Structure3
2.1 A structured reflection based on Kolb’s Learning Cycle..4
2.2 Peer Review6
3.1 Discussion of the significance of Organizational culture upon the employees with reference to organizational structure.7
3.2 Peer Review.10
4.1 Workforce Planning Presentation..10
4.2 Peer Review.12
5.1 Conclusion13
5.2 Future Plans.13
References .14
Managing People and Organizations
Introduction
Throughout this course, the class has presented with several vital information that will help to progress in the workplace and beyond. The information that has sustained in the following development of my career path is Kolb’s Learning Cycle. The world is constantly changing and is the workplace. The business world is facing new challenges from shortages in the talent pool, globalization, outsourcing, international mobility, and disruptive technologies that can cause serious issues in the workplace. Within the executive landscape there are three generations currently in the workplace and in the workforce, as baby boomers are making their exit, soon will be Gen X and the Millennials that will need to adjust. The Generation Xers and Millennials will play critical roles in how the workplace is being changed, and the work HR is working to hire new talents in order to gain a competitive advantage in the global market. The differences in generations are taking center place as managers, and HR executives are working to transform the organization’s structure and cultures in order to effective manage people within the organization. In the reflective process, it is essential to Kolb’s Learning Cycle that we are able to gain learning through experiences taught through teaching and facilitation to students. Kolb’s theory is essentially developing a reflective learning process that means by reviewing the teaching experiences of the individual that it becomes a routine process, so that in which the experimental learning helps to further advance the development.
1.1 Purpose of Report
The purpose of this report is to provide the reader with the overview assessment of the learning experience gained from the course and work experience. This report is presented to provide a structure reflective view of Kolb’s Learning Cycle, in which will critically analyze the theoretical approach on how it applies to the management of the organization and the people. This report will include a critical overview of organizational behavior and the significance of organizational culture to the employees in reference to the organizational structure. Lastly this report will provide a critique on human resource management approaches in reference to examining workforce planning.
1.2. Outline Structure
This report will be structure to provide the reader with a clear process of reflection that includes discussing the structured reflection on Kolb’s Learning Cycle that will cover, and analyze the experiences that were learned and developed in pertains to the theory. After which will provide a peer review that will cover the exercise of experience at the organization and the Kolb’s Learning Cycle. This report will soon transition to examining the discussion of the significance of Organizational culture upon employees in reference to the organizational structure. After which will be another peer review that summarizes and expands on organizational culture and its importance in organizations. This will explore the organizational culture compared with the organizational structure, and function of both within an organizational. Lastly this report will provide an analytic view on human resources management in pertains to workforce planning for the organization. A peer review will expound on the role of human resource management within the organization and its future for the workplace. The report will provide a concluding discussion that will recognize the key learning points, and the keys that need to be developed. Future plans on understanding all the components taught and learned throughout the course and further development needed to succeed throughout the course will be provided.
2.1 A structured reflection based on Kolb’s Learning Cycle
The Kolb’s Learning Cycle involves building a routine process or cycle where learning is developed through experimentation. (Healey, Jenkins 2000) Reflection on learning experiences is a method used in the classroom to reach all the students. The Kolb’s Learning Cycle makes credible links between planning and action when reflecting back on the theory and the experience. (Felder, 1993) To fully understand, Kolb’s learning cycle is a process that students understand their learning experiences to modify their behaviors. It is the concept that more students are able to reflect on their experiences they have the opportunity to refine and modify their behavior as it pertains to their experiences. The Kolb’s Learning Cycle incorporates four stages that include; experiencing, reflection, conceptualization, and planning, in which the students repeat the same steps to learn from. The Kolb’s learning Cycle is applied to initially during the framing of the experience or afterwards to see if another approach to improve. This inconceivably works better during the experience which allows for incremental changes throughout the work experience or if a problem needs to be solved.
The experience that I applied the Kolb’s Learning Cycle is when I was a second-year student at the graduate school, I accepted an internship at the Shanghai Sine Pharmaceutical. This is the first pharmaceutical company in Shanghai, so I had truly appreciated and cherished this golden opportunity to serve out the internship in the marketing department. The director arranged for me a carton design project for a new medicine. Due to this project requiring a painting basis and background, my boss had to spend a lot of time to learn. The name of the medicine is Xiaopeifeikang, it is a baby non-prescription Diarrhea medicine. Xiaopeifeikang can completely have the same qualities as the imported drug Semcta, it is the star medicine for Shanghai Sine Pharmaceutical Company. My boss wanted me to give a few suggestions for the project. I was able to suggest that although there are highly experienced researchers, the project could not be completed within the planned time of the project.
The design corporation gave us three concept designs for the pill case. Finally, we chose an achievable product in three packing works. The first design was a vivid giant sun that was printed on the box. The second one was violet, which had a clear view of the lines. The final design was a messy color, it was very ugly. Therefore, I chose the first product because yellow is my favorite colour and the partial design feeling was very stereoscopic. I was very satisfied with this work. On the other hand, the target groups of the solution were focused to children and children like bright colours. This packing could not only enhance the aesthetic pleasure for consumers or stimulate their desire to buy, but also served to capture their imagination and cultivate their minds. In the light of conceptual thinking, one design may be in a multi-angle and the multi-form way. After a while, I reported to the boss on my decisions. My boss was exceedingly astonished that I finished my work rapidly. When I finished my report, she said, “Dear MA, You must consider many aspects when you solve the issue. The harder you think, the better goal you will achieve.”
In my analysis of this problem that arose during the project, I had to reflect on the options and possible solutions. So I started to rethink about this problem. What packing can stimulate consumers desire to buy? Maybe I vibrated between the choices. My reaction was to try something new. I think that I would use the concept of a multi-angle thinking of the design. Consequently, one can broaden their mind and may come up with new ideas in the design. I looked for the competing medicine at the nearby drugstore. I was surprised to find that all the competing medicine like Smectite in Shandong used the bright yellow packing. It was difficult to distinguish our medicine from competing products. So the first design was a faulty design. We had a choice to choose either of the two designs. Finally, we had unanimously decided that we would use the second design on the surface at the meeting. We trusted that this project would be the hot product in the medicine market. Precision in market research is irrelevant. My experience of the central market survey and the data acquisition help in coming to an informative decision. The expert group spent a year gathering information, so they were specialized in processing the statistics collected during the market survey. These data collected from the market survey proved that our decision was right.
The overall conclusion of that can be drawn from this experience is delved in working the entire year in the first pharmaceutical company for Shanghai, working with my colleagues, and solving problems within the marketing department. This experience gave me ample inspiration and encouragement from which I learned a lot as well. More notable is that I learned how to face problems and able to pick apart the problems in order to come to a solution. The more effective of the packaging is, the more customers it draws. This will continue to be an advantage as the development of global trading and amount of advertisements are brought to the global environment. Packaging has become a potential business. According to several researches made by some experts, text are so frequently used and so useful in package decision making, text is one of the most valuable things in packaging. Therefore, wisely dealing with translating text in packaging, which can have unique functions and features in translation, is necessary to attract foreign consumers even greater in terms of profit gains. The colour of product packaging design in the practice is undoubtedly unpractical. With the demand for diversification, product market differentiation, and packaging design requirement are more demanding. In order to correctly understand the different kinds product packaging color design requirements. They can be divided into three categories of consumer goods that are put forward for color design requirements. In applying this experience for the future, it can be applied to any decision making process in which the wants of the company or individual must compromise with the wants of the customer/individual. Working in the marketing department within the business world this problem will arise several times in order to reach out to the targeted audience, and gain the upper hand in competitive advantage. The world outside has changed due to globalization, and the wants of the customer continue to change as well. Marketing departments as well as business organizations continue to adapt to decisions in the marketing world in order to be successful. The decisions such as the types of packaging are essential in attracting consumers and maintaining dominance of the market share. The experience is useful for not only in my profession but other as well. “In short, experience is all there is—“We start with the supposition that there is only one primal stuff or material in the world, a stuff of which everything is composedwe call that stuff ‘pure experience’”.” (Kolb, Kolb, 2009, pg. 300) In that respect, this experience is born from real life situations in which is essential in progressing further in society.
In planning for future action, there are things that I will do differently. I think the packaging is crucial although the most noteworthy thing is that there are no side effects and have a strong effect, it like the window displays, even with a clever display to attract a crowd, you would hope some will stay and buy items. There are not only to consider themselves, but also consider the opponent. If given another chance, I would have more knowledge in packaging color design requirements. Additionally in order to come to a better consensus in a timelier manner, management needs to enlist candidates that specialize in the requirements that it needs, or offer up training and education in order to train those that are already staffed. In doing so the company can benefit tremendously as well the employees in having that additional skill to make the company a success in the global market.
2.2 Peer Review
Within this experience, I was able to work an internship at the first pharmaceutical company in Shanghai. In the company, I worked within the marketing department and was tasked with a difficult project in which I had to enlist the help of my colleagues and skills I learned throughout my higher education. The project was at first difficult because of the knowledge background that was necessary in completing the basis of the project. With market research and data collection, our team was able to come to a solution that met the standards of the company and the customers. In doing so, the medicine that is necessary for millions of patients will be available to children in Shanghai.
Base on Kolb’s Learning Cycle Theory, the reflection on this experience has help provide a concrete learning development. According to the theory, “Effective learning is seen when a person progresses through a cycle of four stages: of (1) having a concrete experience followed by (2) observation of and reflection on that experience which leads to (3) the formation of abstract concepts (analysis) and generalizations (conclusions) which are then (4) used to test the hypothesis in future situations, resulting in new experiences.” (Simply Psychology, n.d) From this cycle, I was able to reflect back on my strengths and weaknesses in order to see in which areas I have improved. In looking at the Kolb’s Learning Cycle there are several strengths and weaknesses within the theory and how they are applied to this experience.
The strengths of the learning cycle incorporates the methods and learning ability of the students. Kolb himself argued, “effective learning entails the possession of four different abilities; concrete experience abilities, reflective observation abilities, abstract conceptualization abilities and active experimentation abilities.” (Kolb, Fry 1975, pg. 35) Kolb’s theory applies to four different learning styles in which are demonstrated within this experience, as I was able to learn through education experiences. The strengths are shaped by two different variables that apply to any learning style in the theory which includes; processing continuum, on how we are able to approach a task; and perception continuum, that is our emotional response to the task. The strengths of Kolb’s are that it encapsulates several individual experiences of the world, and can be used in several actives such as inquiry based learning, problem based learning, and experiential learning. In today’s business world, many organizations are requiring employees with valued skills that the theory focuses on in learning and development such as competence and performance. The theory can be used as a determent of the individual’s genetics, experiences, and the demands of the current environment. (Cherry, n.d) When applied by educators it is also beneficial, as well by individuals that are able to develop their own strengths from their experience by evaluating their approach and changing their methods.
The problems that are evident in the theory and in the experiences are the weaknesses that can be associated that it relies on the ability of the individual to be an autonomous and independent self-learner. Although Kolb’s focus is much of what the organizational culture require in performance and learning abilities, it does not accommodate for the importance in social learning that many other recent learning models includes. More importantly most critics see the weaknesses in the theory that experimental learning models have become irrelevant in the age where social media and social learning are prevalent. Essentially to this report and to the experience, reflecting on the structure of Kolb’s did not sufficiently acknowledge the power of learning in reflection. (Boud et al, 1985) The phases within the learning cycle do not have to happen in a cyclical order instead as evident, they can occur simultaneously. (Jeffs, Smith, 1999) Weaknesses of the theory and the experience is that the phases can be bypassed and repeated on several instances that can be applied to individual experience. The theory is complex in its structure and reflective learning process as its simplistic perspective of individual learning development can be problematic. The weaknesses and the strengths of the theory are based on individual motivation, differences in cognitive development, and the experiences of the individual that require reflective application.
The actions taken from this experience is learning to take time to think and assess the problem in order to find a better solution. In this theory reflection is imperative to gaining an insight into the experience at the pharmaceutical company. My colleagues and I were able to use surveys and gather data in order to choose the correct packaging for the medicine. This information was relayed to our boss, and she was appreciative of the time that was spent researching the correct packaging to use. Packaging has been an essential form of advertising to attract customers. This translates having to understand the figure of speech and colour usage in packaging selection and design. Using Kolb’s theory helped in reflecting back on the problem of choosing the right package designed, and coming to an informative decision for the benefit of the company and the marketing department. This has improved not only my cognitive development in critical decision making, but also focus on performance. Applying the theory to other experiences outside of the internship has helped in taking more risks within the business world, and applying a new approach this learning throughout this course. This will be apply to future actions and experiences that will further my learning development of decision making, marketing tools, and consumer trends.
3.1 Discussion of the significance of Organizational culture upon the employees with reference to organizational structure
The organizational culture has been increasingly been an important topic by enterprises recently. The concept of organizational culture has been raised and studied since early 1980s (Braunscheidel et al., 2010). It could be simply defined as a set of value and basic underlying assumption shared by organization staff (Naranjo-Valencia et al., 2011). A strong organizational could generate a pleasant working atmosphere for employees to deal with changeable external environment. The emphasis of this discussion is that establishing a suitable organizational culture for particular organizational structure could efficiently stimulate the achievement of the organizational objectives. The general understanding of this concept could be summarized as the unitive value, beliefs and norm that are shared by the staff of the organization and guide their behavior (MacIntosh & Doherty, 2007). Generally there are two types of culture that essential which include, power culture and role culture that will be discussed.
Power culture focuses on a central power that handles and influences all aspects of the organization, decision making is highly relied on some particular individuals so that there are few rules and procedures, little bureaucracy (Mullins, 2010, p.740). It means that power culture could be suitable in a small entrepreneurial organization such as a family business company. For example, Beaver Brooks, which is a famous jewelry company in UK, is a family owned business (Beaver Brooks’ official website, 2013). In this company, the right of making a decision is probably controlled in one person who owns this company. For example, owner would decide where to open chain store, what benefits employees could have and other decisions according to the external environment. Then, most activities of this company would follow that. It could demonstrate that Beaver Brooks works in power culture.
In contrast, role culture is considered as a bureaucracy and focuses on logic and rationality, so the organization in this culture handles the organizational activities by strict rules and procedures (Mullins, 2010, p.740). For example, the culture of Tesco, which is a popular supermarket in the UK, could be considered as the representation of this kind of organizational culture. The operation of Tesco has many strict working procedures that are integrated as a recycle business system (Tesco’s official website, 2013). Furthermore, all of the work about those processes are divided into strict particular working positions that cover from supply chain to the day to day activity. For example, who in charge of the stock and re-orders products to suppliers, who delivers goods from store to the supermarket and who receives money from customer would be confirmed as some working position such as a store man and delivery clerk, cashier. Also, there are some managerial working position in Tesco such as store manager and sale manager, who have higher power and some specific function in this system. Overall, staff of Tesco comprise of an integrated system to conduct all business activities with each functional role.
According to the description of these two types of organizational culture, whether organizational culture is reasonable and feasible is based on organizational structure. For example, Beaver Brooks and Tesco have different organizational structure according to their adapting organizational culture. The organizational structure of Tesco is divided into several parts according to the working procedures and locations (Tesco, 2013). Many working positions with clear and detail description are set. Actually, the daily activities of Tesco need a large number of employees to conduct (Tesco, 2013). Therefore, the size of Tesco’s organizational structure is larger than Beaver Brooks. Furthermore, the phenomenon of empowerment could be clearly found in Tesco. Different manager have a different responsibility and managed subordinate for ensuring that each procedure could be carried out effectively and successfully. Therefore, the classification of the level of Tesco’s organizational structure is more complex than Beaver Brooks.
On the other hand, Beaver Brooks, which adopts the power culture, have fewer levels of organizational structure than Tesco. Beaver Brooks was found since about 100 years ago, its power culture is passed on from that time (Beaver Brooks, 2013). In this company, power is major centralized in some individuals rather than empowering in different organizational level. Actually, the order and decision of what to sell, how to sell and where to sell are come from the head office where the board of directors stay rather than the shop. In Beaver Brooks, informing the decision, getting feedback and making order could be considered as conducting directly between the operating departments and decision making individuals. Therefore, it could find that organizational structure of the power organizational culture has a significantly small number of organizational levels. Beaver Brooks could clearly observe the business operation and reflect the problem on time. However, Beaver Brooks is a large organization that has many departments and employees. Problem would be generated. If every decision whether important or not have to be made by key individuals, it would limit the conduct of subsequent works. In fact, due to the limitation of working competence, it is impossible that some individuals could deal with all business in a large organization. On the other hand, Tesco’s large size of organizational structure would cause some inflexibility of finding the problem, because detailed division of works cause employees pay more attention to their job rather than concerning about how the whole operation is.
Overall, the characters of this two companies’ organizational structure could be considered as a representation of that of the role culture and the power culture. There is a strong correlation between organizational culture and the employees. Primarily, the organizational culture is considered from personality of an individual to the collection of values, traditions, beliefs and attitudes of the organization. However, in the study of Marti’nez (2011), organizational culture is specialized into organizational learning that is the process that employee of learning knowledge. Through the process, the individuals acquire knowledge that related to the companies’ context. Organizational learning has an impact on the employees through four continual processes. Employees can gain and integrate the internal and external information. After the information acquisition process, the information is disseminated to the members of the organization.
The information is given different interpretations, which is brand new to the employees. The new knowledge is repeated in the organization that influences employees’ behaviour.
First of all, Organizational culture is a kind of soft power that could integrate staff of the organization upon a direction, in which the organization could achieve the organizational target more efficiently and successfully. For example, Tesco’s role culture impact their employees to strictly follow the clearly detailed description of working position. It could successfully achieve the objective of Tesco that makes the operation system move effectively. Secondly, if employees have a unitive notion to follow, it means that they have a standard to justify and modify their behavior (MacIntosh & Doherty, 2007). This standard could be regarded as the supplement of the formal organizational rules and regulation. For example, Beaver Brooks usually teach their employees to provide polite and comfortable service for customers (Beaver Brooks, 2013). It could not only improve customer impression but also provide a standard for staff dealing with various customers.
Overall, an appropriate organizational culture, which is highly associated with the organizational structure, could integrate employees’ thought and guide their behavior forward the achievement of organizational objective. It means that a suitable organizational culture could be helpful for improvement of the organizational management. However, this paper only discuss little issues of the organizational culture due to the limitation of time, more research about the organizational culture should continue to conduct.
3.2 Peer Review
Organizational culture is essential in today’s changing landscape. It has been made more evident as the workforce changes. The organizational culture is closely aligned with the organizational structure which helps in a cohesiveness throughout the organization. The strengths of this theory in which organizational structure is dependent on the organizational culture are encapsulated by the benefits. This allows a soft power in which staff can easily integrated upon the direction of the organization. Using Tesco as an example, they have perfected creating a successful organizational culture that helps in making their operation systems efficient and effective. The second strength is in the ability to monitor performance and modify employee behaviour. A standard can be applied in order for employees, and the entire organization to adhere to.
The weaknesses in organization culture are that lack of organizational structure can lead to several problems if the business promotes a culture in which incorporates a weak culture. The weaknesses include a lack of focus where organizations will not follow a set business plan that can lead to disorganization within the company. Weaknesses of organization culture can conjure lack of motivation which is correlates to the success of the company. The view of the organizational culture is from the top down, if the managers and executives are not adhering to the standards then it shapes the attitudes for the rest of the employees. This lack of motivation and focus of pride in the work permeates throughout the company, an eventually extends to the clients and consumers.
The actions taken are evidence in the success of Tesco and companies alike that implement a set of standards that not only employees, but management must follow in order to set examples of what the company requires. This type of positive organizational structure trickles down throughout the company and extends to the customers. This is a true testament to the success of Tesco in the global market. For the company of Beaver Brooks that is much smaller than Tesco applied a different type of organizational culture which adapted to the type of management and standards set. In Beaver Brooks, informing the decision, getting feedback and making order could be considered as conducting directly between the operating departments and decision making individuals. In how these actions taken have improved is based on the success of the company. Tesco is able to apply a role culture where the operations are divided into several departments, and different managers helped to conduct to make the systems work in a cohesive manner. In Beaver Brooks, they take a power culture in which they have less of organizational culture than Tesco. They need to apply a more structural role so that the organization is able manage itself, which helps with employee morale, motivation that translate to pride in the work and better job performance.
4.1. Workforce Planning Presentation
The workforce is rapidly changing the landscape of the workplace. The workforce is deeply changed to include millennials and Gen Xers that have acquired more skills and relied on technology in almost every capacity. The businesses must adapt to the growing changes, as well as outside forces that have shaped the technology, fast-paced global market. Organizations are competing within the global market where businesses are entering to compete for market share. It is up to HR in organizations to get with the times and jump on the opportunities to scoop up valuable talent in order to ensure that their company remain a success. It is in this importance that workplace planning be placed as a priority in organizational strategies of businesses. Workplace planning is seen as one of the most critical challenges to human resources within the public sector. “Workforce planning is a systematic, fully integrated organizational process that involves proactively planning ahead to avoid talent surpluses or shortages.” (Sullivan, 2002) Workforce planning based on helping the organization staff efficient employees when the demand is needed, and when they able to acquire talented candidate. Efficient and effective workforce planning are essential in times of crisis that would force many companies to lay off workers. Planning ahead will allow HR to provide management with the right people that have the right background and skills to circumvent layoffs.
The process of linking the practices within human resources with organizational structure is critical for workforce planning for the organization. The competitive global market has left organizations with the need to implement models and different approaches that provide a competitive advantage that will enhance the organizational capability. In times of economic turmoil that affects just about all corners of the world’s economy, it has forced the organization to make reductions in their workforce although the external workforce increased dramatically. The current workforce within the workplace is inundated with workers from the Baby Boomer generation, they are typically over 50 years old, and are near retirement. It is clear that in order to sustain the vitality of an organization, they must make room for younger options that will have more skills to bring success to the organization. The purposes of Human Resource Management (HRM) are to provide organizations with policies in areas of career development, retention, recruitment, and other critical areas that further the organization’s success. HRM is a complex body in which evolves with the changes in the external environment, as well the expectations and aspirations of the organization. HRM plays a vital role in matching the organization with the right candidates based on the background and work ethos. It is no doubt that the entity has become an essential tool for growth in the organization.
HR must provide the organization with clear objectives to reduce the current workforce in correlation with the economic situation and opening up space for new employees they must apply a workforce reduction strategy. Workforce planning seeks to translate the organizational strategy with young talent the organization’s needs. Workforce planning is not only used in order to gain talent but when downsizing, undergoing structural changes, acquisitions, and mergers. In times of economic turmoil, it aligns most times with the ups and downs of the business cycle that happen every few years. Organizations experience periods of growth and recession, and in most organizations that lack a plan tend to do things the same no matter the period. In the period in which the company is forced to reduce the workforce, HR must implement a plan or strategy that will work better with the varying business cycle.
The measures that organizations must make includes: knowing the workforce, this could include setting up a company profile, which includes knowing knowledge of the current staff that at the time has over 30% over the age of 50. Be aware of the industry trends and issues that could potentially effect the staffing needs such as economic and social changes. “Forces such as technology, globalization, deregulation, stakeholder power, and the movement toward free agency have combined to change the social contract between the employee and the organization.” (IPMA HR, n.d) More importantly workforce planning strategy involves a thorough environmental scan that is used in assessing the current external environment. In assessing the external environment that includes the local and global markets it will be useful in predicting the labour and supply demand for the organization. The next measure is to an analysis of the future or targeted workforce. Organizations will soon be inundated with younger workers that will be diverse, more skilled, and overwhelmingly women, as the workforce has taken a demographic shift. The current labour force will be able to provide the necessary skills in IT where competition is at its highest. Lastly closing the gaps to make way for the future workforce. The current workforce within the organization needs to be reduce due to the economic situations. The measures implemented to take this action include providing a staff assessment exercise that will provide information on retirement plans for the aging workforce. Career succession planning will help make retirement a positive option for workers, which will clear up resources to be used for future employment of the workforce. Lastly, redeployment will be implemented to help in having staff take on more roles where there is more of priority present. By rejecting the measure to lay off workers directly or fire them, these measures will ensure that the organization is able to make way for the younger applicants while providing a sustainable retirement plan for its aging employees.
4.2. Peer Review
In taking to account the importance of all aspect of Human Resource Management, there are several organizations that do not take the task for workforce planning or strategy seriously. These concepts and actions are necessary in every organization that is affected by the ups and downs of the business cycle. The economy is currently recovering slowly from the global recession, and many organizations have had to make cuts to their workforce. The strengths in workplace planning are correlated with the changes in the workforce. In several departments, they have made decisions to lay off employees that are usually older. More established organizations usually have workforce that is 30 percent or more aged 50 and over. The labour force however is increasingly changing to include a majority young applicants that have generally acquired more valuable skills that are useful to organizations. Effective workforce planning helps with eliminating surprises of economic impacts by having rapid talent replacement. Organizations will be able to identify problems early in the organization if the workers may cause problems, they are able to rectify to prevent problems. This will lead to lower turnover rates, lower labour costs, and no layoffs.
The weaknesses however, is rooted in the organizations’ lack of implementation of a plan of action for changes in the economic situation. When applying a workforce plan too late, it can lead to layoffs, and loss of talent that can be detrimental to organizations within the global market. HRs will likely spend resources and time trying to find talent, which will leave little focus to the current organizational structure and culture which must be aligned with the goals of the organization. Why there are view weaknesses, implementing the wrong measures for workforce reduction could lead to legal, financial, and ethical issues due to mismanagement. This can be circumvented by improve policies targeted to planning for current and future workforce, retirement plans for aging employees, and resources set for rapid talent acquisition. This will improve the way in which the older generation is treated, make for better retirement options, and better talent acquisition for the future.
5.1 Conclusion
The key learning points from this overall discussion is the importance on learning development through reflection and observation. Learning by doing has been ingrained since grade school. People learn by experience, and from reflection they are able to grow in order to approach similar problems or experiences in a new way. Kolb’s Learning Cycle may be flawed in its simplistic deliver of everyone’s learning structure, however it incorporates an understanding of performance and focus. It is fueled by individual motivation and individual experiences that are directed to an educational atmosphere where the teacher can be an educator or management. Organizational culture is vital to an organizations’ success. The way in which management approaches the organization is dependent on the way the structure of the organization is set up. Those that rely on a role structure are more successful because they are attending to different areas of the organization and address problems rapidly. Organizational culture is dependent on the management and the standards they set for each individual to follow. These standards trickled down to the way in which the system operate and the way customers are treated. Workforce planning is essential in the success of HR to be able to provide a strategy to acquire more talent and prepare for workforce reductions in the organization. In order for organizations to adapt to the changing organization, they must have a workforce plan in place to effectively address the problems and make way for the future. The skills they are needed to be developed is more focus on the learning concepts in order to gain a better understanding of the tasks.
5.2. Future Plans
Future plans in correlation with this discussion are that further development in marketing strategies, workplace concepts, and the value of management in Human Resource Management. Being more prepared, and learning to take the time to reflect and go over task/experiences is essential to anyone’s success. To be able to succeed throughout the course there needs to be a better focus, prioritize, and be able to get a clear understanding of the terms and concepts learned from each assignment. By applying the concepts already learned, I will be able to be successful in the future.
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