Introduction
‘Development of managers’ emotional competencies: mind-body training implication’ is an article written based on research conducted on the effectiveness of mind-body training on the development of managers’ emotional competencies. It uses a quasi-experimental design in testing a sample of managers to represent an entire population. The article is useful in providing information that is crucial in instructional design, talent management, and human resource development.
Summary
This is a research conducted on managers to determine the relationship between mind-body training and emotional competencies. It assesses emotional competencies in relation to human relationships and offers a solution to positive and healthy relationships. It is a primary research hence conducts actual data collection from study subjects to help in drawing conclusions.
Critique
The research is helpful in finding a solution to improvement in human relations in any organization. It uses samples in data collection hence the managers engaged in the study can represent managers anywhere in the world. This is because they all operate in a business setting with some level of stress in handling employees (Ashkanasy & Daus, 2002). This is a universal study and therefore useful in any other organization and not necessarily the one where the managers emerge. It offers useful information in enhancing human relations and developing talents in organizations.
The article is useful in identifying the training needs of managers and assessing the most effective training methods. It goes further to assess the suitability of the learning arrangements where it discovers the significance of weekly hours (Rothwell, 2005). It identifies that the placement of sessions is nonessential and what matters is the overall duration per week. It also backs up various outcomes of the learning process hence giving a guideline as to the most suitable one.
The study conducts an in-depth analysis on the interaction of emotions and the performance of managers. It demonstrates the importance and significance of emotions in human relationships through demonstration of self-control, self-awareness, empathy, adaptability, among others (Mignonac & Herrbach, 2004). The aim of the study is to cultivate these values among managers in the workplace, and the article gives clear guidelines on how to perform this action. This creates the basis of healthy human relationships that are essential in having a productive workforce.
Results from the study indicate that mind-body training is essential for managers in dealing with stressful situations. The study acknowledges the presence of stress in the working environment and proposes ways in which managers can deal with them through being aware of their mind and seeking ways to have a healthy mind. This is useful in talent management since it indicates what a manager needs to do to become a better leader. The research also contributes to formal talent management since they help in personal growth and action development interventions.
However, the article fails to indicate the mitigation factors that may prevent the manipulation of people’s emotions to get what one wants. The use of mind-body training is a useful tool but has a loophole of manipulation. In the wrong hands, it can be used to intimidate and manipulate employees into performing undesirable actions. The article is so focused on improving human relations through emotional competencies and ignores the possible negative implications of mind-body training (Lurie, 2004).
Conclusion
The article contributes substantially to instructional design, talent management, and human resource development. It is a useful tool for an organization seeking to engage mind-body training as a form of improving human resource relations for productivity purposes.
Annotated Bibliography
Ashkanasy, N., & Daus, C. S. (2002). Emotion in the Workplace: The New Challenge for Managers. The Academy of Management Executive (1993-2005), 16(1), 76-86.
In this article, the author identifies the need for organizations to acknowledge the challenges faced by managers in the management of human resources. It discusses the significance of emotions in managing people.
Lurie, Y. (2004). Humanizing Business through Emotions: On the Role of Emotions in Ethics. Journal of Business Ethics, 49(1), 1-11
This article focuses on viewing employees as human beings first rather than assets for the organization. It recognizes that this is the only way to relate to them and make them perform their duties faithfully.
Lurie expresses concerns over treating the human resource as resources and forgetting their human nature. He puts forward a strong relationship between emotions and ethics since emotions influence how workers relate to others.
Mignonac, K., & Herrbach, O. (2004). Linking Work Events, Affective States, and Attitudes: An Empirical Study of Managers' Emotions. Journal of Business and Psychology, 19(2), 221-240.
This study focuses on the human nature of managers and the effect of their emotions on their work performance and judgment. According to the article, managers are very likely to have bias owing to their emotions, and they view employees from a human perspective.
The researchers propose a detailed solution of letting managers contemplate on their emotions rather than ignoring them. This makes management a natural process rather than a complicated process that requires complex studies.
Rothwell, W. J. (2005). Beyond training and development: the groundbreaking classic on human performance enhancement. New York: American Management Association.
This book covering human resource development in organization features training and development in organizational and goes further to ensure its effectiveness and sustainability. It features instructional design in identifying training needs and planning for the fulfillment of these needs to ensure a better workforce.
Rothwell, an expert in human resource, gives detailed guidelines on how to conduct training on employees. He also emphasizes on focusing on the learner more than the learning process in itself. He is however aware of the limitations of the learning process where skills acquired are not adopted in the long run.
